Am initially setting up an iPad as a gift for Christmas. In the initial Setup I get as far as Wi-Fi Networks but cannot connect to my wifi net, as I need to know the iPad's MAC address to put in my router. I know that the iPad's MAC is in the Settings, but cannot exit setup to get to the home screen to get to Settings... so I can get the MAC so that I can complete the setup. Amke sense?.
iPad 2, iOS 5
I have never set up a new iPad over the air like you are doing. I have restored from a backup which required setting up the iPad again - and I did that over the air.
I am puzzled as to why you need to enter the MAC address into the settings of the iPad. My iPad recognized my network, I think it asked for my password - which would be expected - and then it connected to my WiFI network. I do not remember anything about having to enter the MAC address at all.
Are you sure that the iPad is not asking for your network password?
Shouldn't you be able to skip the Wi-Fi stage of setup, finish the rest of the process, then after it's all done, go into Settings and setup the Wi-Fi?
My wifi net uses MAC address filtering instead of a password - only certain PC, notebooks, etc. have access because their MAC addresses are built into a table in the router. All other MACs are rejected. This is supposed to be a more secure way of securing a network.
That's what I thought - skip the setup, get to Home, get to Settings, get to the MAC, then set up the iPad's wi-fi once I've added the iPad's MAC to my router. Don't know how to get there... hence the subject of the post.
OK. I know very little about all the different ways that you can set up WiFi networks. Have you considered simply turning off the iPad, restarting it and then see if you can go into the settings?
Turning off/on takes me right back into initial setup. I just thought of a way to get around this though: turn off my wi-fi's MAC address filtering (and add a temp password). Then complete the iPads setup routine. (It can see my network but cannot connect because of the MAC filter.) Then get into Settings (once I can actually get to Home!), determine the MAC address; enter it into my router, turn on MAC address filtering. Done! Just the same, there SHOULD be a way do this more gracefully, i.e. to exit setup.
How to exit setup
