iPad 3 Why 3G does not work after being on WiFi

When I take my iPad 3 out of my house, I have to reboot it to get a 3G connection. The 3g icon shows that it is connected but when I try and access any connection it says no internet connection. My iPad 1 seemed to work ok. I've also tried putting it in Airplane mode and back again but this has no effect.

Any suggestions please? Many thanks.

iPad (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + 4G, iOS 5.1

Posted on Mar 21, 2012 2:24 AM

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406 replies

Apr 18, 2012 12:57 AM in response to marco.rova

Posto di nuovo il mio messaggio (non ho ricevuto risposta) indirizzato ieri a Marco Rova (che ha risolto il problema) ma chiedo a chiunque mi sappia rispondere se può farlo. Grazie mille.


Ciao Marco

sto per andarmi a comprare il nuovo ipad e sono non poco preoccupato dalla vostra discussione: puoi confermarmi come hai risolto il problema (non sono sicuro di aver capito):

devo chiedere l'ipod3 con codice DQTH? Ho capito bene? E, in caso, non è sicuro che lo trovo? Per trovarlo devo andare in un Apple Sore o lo posso trovare anche in un altro punto vendita? (io ho programmato di comprarlo in un MediaWorld di Roma)

Per favore se puoi ti chiedo di rispondermi presto! (dovrei comprarlo oggi stesso!)

Grazie mille

Apr 18, 2012 7:03 AM in response to guitartabman

Yeah, me too. Brought my new iPad down to Colombia and have been having the same 3G problems everyone on this thread is talking about. I tried two clean restores without backup, a restore with backup etc. etc. but nothing worked except restarting every hour or so... Until the day before yesterday when I turned on the SIM Pin, reset network settings, turned off the SIM pin, reset again and would you believe that 3G has been working fine ever since?!


I suppose a day isn't really enough to be able to call this "fix" stable and I'm not happy that I had to experiment with my iPad settings to find it in the first place, but at least I could use it as advertised yesterday and today. I'm still planning to return it and get a replacement, if for no reason than to get Apple to take notice of this problem and fix it sooner rather than later.

Apr 18, 2012 9:32 AM in response to lilianst

Se leggete questo post capite qual'é il problema:


Ok, I finally got to the bottom of what is going on!


When you switch on the iPad and it first negotiates with a cell, it looks for anything faster than 3G and tests to see if there is data, if not it tries 3G and so on until it gets the best possible data connection. However when it connects to a cell after the 1st initialisation, for example when you switch to a new cell, it doesn’t go through this longer negotiation procedure, it just assumes that if there is equipment in the cell for anything faster than 3G it can connect to it.


Some cellular providers are preparing their cells for 4G (or more accurately faster than 3G) but it’s not fully enabled yet. This is confusing the iPad and causing it to lose the data connection. Apple said to me that they are in contact with the cellular providers, their argument is that this is a cell problem and that as more and more 4G capable devices are released there’ll be others with the same problem. However, according to their higher-level tech guys, they are working to see if they can provide a software solution as well.


In the meantime, the only kinda crappy work-around that will actually work is to stop your iPad roaming to a new cell. If you turn off cellular data whilst you move location and then turn it on again, you’ll avoid cell switching and your iPad won’t lock up. This certainly works, unless of course you are somewhere that your iPad hunts between cells even when you are static or if you want to use it whilst moving my car or train. Oh, and if you don’t remember to turn off cellular data before you move to a new location; any of those and you’re stuck with turning off and on again


I do sympathise with Apple a bit, they are leading the way with this technology whilst the other firms learn off their problems. It’s easy to sit back and say “we don’t have a 4G issue” when you don’t actually support 4G at all!


At least Apple are now aware of the issue and are working hard to release some kind of fix. I guess we either wait for it or get a refund. Simples…

Apr 18, 2012 10:08 AM in response to Filos1958

Thats sounds good or bad.


what I don't understand is this: here in europa we can't get LTE(4g) working for some borring frequenze stuff, so the iPad just has to look for HSDPA or HSDPA+. The iPhone 4s does it pretty well i think or does it no support HSDPA+?


Last weekend I drove almost 200 kilometer with my car and the 3G was working well so it can change cells, or maybe I was lucky this time.


I get your argument:"I do sympathise with Apple a bit, they are leading the way with this technology whilst the other firms learn off their problems. It’s easy to sit back and say “we don’t have a 4G issue” when you don’t actually support 4G at all!"


But Apple knew about the issue in Europa and othe countries bevor the shiped the iPad. I mean in turms of that 4g is not avalible in some countries, so they have to make it work and I hope they will do it fast.

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iPad 3 Why 3G does not work after being on WiFi

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