iPad2 prefers weak open Wi-Fi networks over a strong, secure, known networks

Question

iPad2 prefers weak open Wi-Fi networks over a strong, secure, known networks

My office is in a building with a restaurant about 50 feet, and several brick walls away. The restaurant has a free/open Wi-Fi network. I frequently have lunch there and read the news on my iPad.

My office Wi-Fi router is about 10 feet from my desk. The office network uses WPA2.

Almost every time I grab my iPad in the office it connects to the very weak, not really working from here, unsecure restaurant network. It doesn't matter if I was last using the secure office Wi-Fi. "Forgetting" the open network doesn't help since it's immediately found again.

I have the same problem at home where my own home (preferred) network is secure, but several neighbors have open/unsecure networks.

Why does the iPad always prefer open/unsecure networks that I never want to use, over my own secure networks? Is there a way to stop that behavior?

It seems like there should be a switch called "ALWAYS USE KNOWN, LOCKED WI-FI NETWORKS IF AVAILABLE" or something like that.

The iPad status bar only shows the signal strength, not the network name, so every time I turn on the iPad I have to go into the Settings page to make sure I'm on the proper network.

This also seems like a real security problem since any apps that are running when I turn on the iPad probably try to connect to the Internet as soon as the open/unsecure network is available.

iPad2

iOS 5.0.1

iPad 2, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Feb 13, 2012 6:13 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Jessi25

Level 1

4 points

Oct 4, 2017 8:00 AM in response to Robert Stoeber

I have this same question, however for MacBook Pro laptops and El Capitan 10.11. I have been wondering this for a while (even with previous OS's) and not sure how to help people in my office. It seems the weaker or non-password protected Wi-Fi connections are preferred over the main company wi-fi. I have found no place to "blacklist" any of the wi-fi connections near our office. I have set the preferred network (top of the list) to be our company's wi-fi and deleted the non-preferred wi-fi manually, but still it seems most of our Macs in the office prefer the guest networks or the non-password networks. Then users don't notice and go about their day and complain of issues, all stemming from the fact that they are on the wrong wi-fi. How can I force one wi-fi, and have it remember the password?? As well as blacklist other nearby wi-fi's so there is no option but to connect to the correct corporate wi-fi??

Reply

Answer 2

pjl123

Level 5

6,208 points

Feb 13, 2012 6:59 PM in response to Robert Stoeber

Have you ever goten it to connect to your office wifi? I thought that it defaulted to known network first, strongest first. If it knows the restrauant, but not your office, it will connect there. What happens if you choose your office? Once you connect, does it remember?

Reply

Answer 3

Feb 13, 2012 8:49 PM in response to pjl123

All of your questions are answered in my original post.

My iPad definitely does not connect to the strongest signal first, or a known network first. That is my whole point - it appears to "prefer" unsecure networks even if they have a very weak signal, over known, secure networks even with a very strong signal.

Reply