Q: iOS 6 disables wi-fi on sleep mode - disappointing

For what it's worth, an iPad 2 WiFi only here.

iOS 5.1.1 was good to me, never once would it disconnect from WiFi. Updated to iOS 6.1, and sure enough NO disconnects! All backround apps ran perfect until manually triggered to stop. Until today that is. Noticed the battery was below 20%, woke the tablet to find it disconnected only to connect before going to sleep again. Figured, possible a feature when the bat is low? Though I never read it in the list of changes for the new OS...

Charged to 40%, same issue. Performed a reset as was and has not disconnected now for 2 days, all notifications trickle in as prescribed and the backround apps still running hours on in.

This is a bug ladies and gents, treat it as such.

I think the wifi connectivity code changed for the wifi only devices too.

Only after iOS 6 did I start losing connection to my work's Cisco based router, and only when my iPod was unplugged.

Works fine at home.

I notice that when I do bring the device out of sleep at work, the wifi icon has disappeared but then reappears a few seconds later. I see the Cisco login screen pop up, very briefly it shows that it is trying to connect to www.apple.com then moves straight onto a numerical IP address which looks like https://1.1.1.1.

The connection to apple I'm pretty sure is new for iOS 6.

At some point the iPod goes to sleep, iOS 6 decides it is on battery power and kills the wifi. On my home router something keeps a base level connectivity going, but the Cisco router at work, despite being set to a 12 hour time out, deauthorises after 10 minutes, all push notifications stop, and the only way round is to log back in with full credentials.

This rigmarole is avoided:

- at home, plugged in or not

- at work, plugged in

- with iOS 5.

Muji's tips did not work in my case. Over to Apple and iOS 6.2!

you've described my problem exactly.

tnx

Ok, I am a new Apple iPod owner and have encountered this same problem. I have a solution that DOES work, but may be difficult (though the solution is easy) for many of you to use. However, it will work.

The issue, of course, is that once the ipod (I assume iPhone also) goes to sleep it closes down wifi. Now, it closes down provided no application is using it, which is the key. If the wifi is being used in the background the wifi connection remains open for a period of time after the final wifi use. Applications you may have running such as Skype for example will not be considered as using the wifi because no date is being passed; unless you are getting a call the software is just running, etc.

What I did that has worked is to keep the wifi alive: In fact my phone (Skype) just rang while in sleep mode and locked as I was typing.

I am a web developer. I created a blank web page, very light (white screen and one word), with a 2m 15sec REFRESH.  I then visited the page using the Safari browser. That's it. Every 2m 15sec the browser (on my iPod) refreshes that page which sends data via wifi. The iPod detects these couple of packets using wifi every 2m 15sec and keeps the connection open. I have the ipod set to sleep after 2 minutes, so it does have time to go to sleep before a refresh (this I get the power saving mode).

If you are using the browser that's fine, just remember to visit the refresh page when your done. Simple.

If you have questions you can reach me at Eddie Studios web design.

Dear apple:

#1: Everyone knows this is a problem, please fix it.

#2: If that wasn't enough motivation, android has this as a standard feature.  /End discussion about how you have to have this to safe battery life.

Anyone want to offer an official comment or rebuttle?

Zivyn wrote:

 

 

 

Anyone want to offer an official comment or rebuttle?

This is a user-to-user technical support forum. Apple doesn't participate here. You won't get any official comment. You can submit feedback to Apple on the matter here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

However, there is no guarantee they will reply to you.

I have this problem kinda on and off. But I found a way to cure it temporarily.

1. Connect your iPhone to your wifi.

2. Do a hard reset leaving the wifi connection on.

That's it. When your iPhone's done rebooting, let it connect to your wifi. This seems to work for me everytime it drops wifi after going to sleep. The problem kinda reoccurs though after a while and don't know what's causing it. I just repeat the steps I mentioned and doesn't disconnect again. I don't know if it will work for everyone else but hope it helps.

I have never intended to pay high cellular bills so I bought iPod 4 generation and a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for $10/month. I installed SIP (Internet) phone app and I was enjoying calling and receiving calls without air time charges using push notification for my Internet phone. My emails were picked up automatically as I walked through the city  the iPod picked up free Wi-Fi in coffee shops, etc. using a POP email account on my home server. (Yes, I own and maintain a web and an email servers at home.) Additionally I use Text Plus app for free texting.  With the first upgrade of the iOS I noticed that some emails would display a few  lines of text in the preview mode but after opening them they would be blank. I kept upgrading my iOS hoping that the email bug would be resolved with each next update. Enough about the background and about how I use my device. Typical, maybe? Back to the issue on hand. iOS 6 achieved one thing. I no longer can use my iPod reliably. I realized that iOS6 puts Wi-Fi to sleep when the screen locks or shortly after. It is impossible for external push notifications to reach the iPod with Wi-Fi asleep. My mobile hotspot works on 802.11g WPA2-PSK and I have 3 access points at home which are running 802.11a/g/n WPA2-PSK. I am observing the same problem everywhere - at home, with mobile hotspot and on guest Wi-Fi networks except when the iPod is charging. My hope for a fix to my blank email problem died with Steve Jobs. Solution? I keep the iPod on charge in the car. I manually wake it up every so often and check for texts and emails when I walk. I check my voicemails instead of taking live incoming calls and I am upgrading to Samsung with Android next.

So you bought an iPod and when it doesn't work like a cell phone, you think it's a bug?

Doesn't work like a cellphone?! What does mail notifications, Voip calls, messenger, etc have to do with cellphones? You can do it with an iPod!

I have an iPod still with iOS 5.1 and all my push notifications work with wifi even when it is in sleep mode. On my iPhone it used to work too until I upgrade to iOS 6!!

Meg St._Clair wrote:

 

So you bought an iPod and when it doesn't work like a cell phone, you think it's a bug?

No, it's more like...  you pay the big bucks for an iPhone with iOS 6, and it doesn't even work like an iPod on iOS 5.

Exactly! And guess what? I got the mail notification for this post on my.... iPod! And not on my iPhone!! They were both in sleep mode.

I'm not sure how this is related to the topic, but you should see my fix on wi-fi being dropped on sleep mode and try it. It works for me and I can't even remember the last time I've done it again coz so far my iphone hasn't done it for a while. Here's what I did:

1. Connect your iPhone to your wifi.

2. Do a hard reset leaving the wifi connection on.

Hope it helps!

An interesting thing happened. I have an iPod touch 5th generation. I was experiencing the same loss of internet problem in sleep mode as everyone else.

I discovered something that I didn't expect. Yes, when the ipod goes into sleep mode it shuts down the internet a short time later. However, when I manually put my ipod on standby (click the on/off button once to lock it) it is different from sleep mode. The internet stays on, my Skype line remains online, and if I get a call it rings. Doesn't matter how much time passes.

The bottom line is that if you simply go into settings/general, and set Autolock to never, and then just click it off when you're done using it (not turn it off, just lock it) the internet will stay on and life is good.

I also discovered that when it is off (locked) even if I change my location so that I loose connectivity and then go to another location where there is wifi the iPod will see it, log on, Skype signes in again, all while it is locked. Life is good.

And while locked the battery drain is barely noticeable.

Isn't this what we all want?