Need help - wifi gets disconnected when it goes to sleep mode - iOS 6, iPhone 5, WPA Enterprise

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Level 1

5 points

Need help - wifi gets disconnected when it goes to sleep mode - iOS 6, iPhone 5, WPA Enterprise

Hi, I have read a lot of discussions regarding wifi gets disconnected when it goes to sleep mode on iOS 6, mainly on iPhone 5.

Here is my configuration and it just keeps disconnecting wifi connection once it goes to sleep mode

iOS 6

iPhone 5 white

Purchased on Nov 3

Work wifi config: WPA Enterprise

I tried to manual add the wifi but it did not work. I tried all except for upgrade to iOS 6.0.1. I had a call to Apple Support and the guy told me I could not trust everything i read from here (well, how dare he is!!!). But I did all I could think of, and read from here.

I am with ATT and I do not have a receiption at all at work. I have to turn it to airplane mode, and use the wifi connection. I put my iPhone 4 with iOS 5.0 side-by-side to compare. My iPhone with iOS 5.0 DOES NOT disconnect the wifi connection when it goes to sleep mode; but of course, we all know, iPhone 5 with iOS 6.0 does 😟

Any helps would be so much appreaticated. I am considering to return the phone to apple store, and cancel my 2 yrs extended contract with ATT. I might think to get another one once they have the issue fixed. It is no point to have an expensive paper-weight at work while I can't use the celluare nor wifi connection.

Thanks again,

iPhone 5, iOS 6

Posted on Nov 7, 2012 3:30 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 7, 2012 3:35 PM in response to plchan

This is the way the phone is supposed to operate. Wifi has always gone off once the phone goes to sleep. The only way to keep it active is to plug the iPhone into power and wifi will remain connected. It does this to conserve power.

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Answer 2

plchan Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 7, 2012 3:39 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

ChrisJ4203,

I have read many posts saying it is the way it is by design. However, it is NOT how it works on my iPhone 4 with iOS5.0 thou. Is it new in version since 5.01?

I have tested my iPhone 5 with iOS 6.0 at home, I don't see it remains disconnected after i "wake up" the device. However, do you think the wifi should have been disconnected but it gets re-connected VERY quickly? I still get push notification and others.. would it because of getting those push notification via cellular data?

thanks for your quickly reply

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Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 7, 2012 3:42 PM in response to plchan

Yes, it should connect almost right away after waking the device up. It has been this way almost from the very beginning. If you are looking at the screen for the two devices as you describe in the other post, then the devices are not going to sleep. After going to sleep for a short period of time, then wifi disconnects, and when the device wakes up, then wifi reconnects.

Push is getting its start in cellular and can continue on wifi. Again, if you connect the phone to power, wifi will remain on.

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Answer 4

plchan Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 7, 2012 3:52 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

What I meant was both devices were in the sleep mode - screens went dark. I clicked home buttons on both screen, and iPhone 4 screen "woke up", and I could see the wifi connection was available. During the sleep mode / locked, I was able to receive all push notifications from iPhone 4.

For the same / sort of similar setting - airplane mode on, wifi on, for iPhone 5, once I wake it up from the sleep mode, the wifi remains disconnected.

that is what very bothering me unless it is new / change in iOS 5.01 and above; since it is NOT happening on iPhone 4 w iOS 5.0 thou

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Answer 5

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 7, 2012 4:47 PM in response to plchan

Does the iPhone 5 ever reconnect to wifi?

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Answer 6

plchan Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 7, 2012 4:55 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

it takes a long while to reconnect to wifi at work. it reconnects at home right the way thou.

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Answer 7

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 7, 2012 7:59 PM in response to plchan

I would believe that has something to do with the wifi at the office. It could be the security they are using, or how it is identifying the phone. I work at a college, and we have wifi there, however it is necessary to log in after attempting to connect via a popup in Safari. However, after an amount of time off the network, it resets. It is non-persistent, and when the wifi on the phone goes to sleep, it will eventually disconnect and to reconnect I have to go through the log in process all over again. This can be quite a pain because of the problem with cellular signal out there, with all the concrete walls. This means I have to either leave it plugged in my office or deal with logging into the wifi after the phone has been asleep for a bit! At least it seems you have persistent wifi.

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Answer 8

plchan Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 8, 2012 2:19 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Hi ChrisJ4203

I have tested it at home wifi tonight. My phone and my wife's iphone (both iPhone 5 with iOS 6.0) do the same.

With cellular data on (aka airplane mode OFF) with WIFI ON

Wifi icon replaced by ATT's LTE icon once the phone was waken up from sleep mode; but within 2 secs, the wifi connection got reconnected again.

With cellular data OFF (aka airplane mode ON) with WIFI ON

WIFI icon disappeared from the top bar after both phones were waken up from sleep mode. It took a while to reconnect to the wifi network (more than 10 seconds).

On a separate note, after i rebooted my phone, i can see it does "searching" the ATT's signal, then it shows "No Service", then next second, it shows ATT with full bars and LTE icon.

My question is, i have never noticed the "No Service" showing up from my iPhone 4. The "No Service" shows up on my wife's phone too. When I first got her phone and was doing the installation, I had noticed the cell signal dropped from full bars to no service, then within few seconds, it went back up. I have not had time to test on her phone again, but it is something I will be monitoring for. I wonder if anyone has similar experience like this.

anyhow, any feedback on how to fix the wifi got disconnected while in sleep mode would be very helpful.

thanks,

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Answer 9

plchan Author

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Nov 8, 2012 2:20 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

actually, i have noticed that tonight the reconnection took a bit longer than what I thought. but eventually reconnected.

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Answer 10

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 8, 2012 11:04 AM in response to plchan

As I mentioned before, it is designed to disconnect wifi when the phone goes to sleep, so there is nothing to fix. It does this by design to help save battery.

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Answer 11

plchan Author

Level 1

5 points

Nov 8, 2012 11:08 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Hi ChrisJ,

thanks for your reply. I don't want to beat the dead horse anymore as I really hope they did not have this feature in iOS 6. I can't use my phone at work since I get no cellular receiption, and now wifi gets disconnected when it is locked. I am not in favor to plug in my phone all day long simplely i want to keep my battery at the best connection I can.

anyway, i might have to consider to return it, and when this issue gets fixed (if it ever will be fixed), I will try to get a new one.

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Answer 12

gdgmacguy

Level 7

21,891 points

Nov 8, 2012 1:51 PM in response to plchan

plchan wrote:

anyway, i might have to consider to return it, and when this issue gets fixed (if it ever will be fixed), I will try to get a new one.

Return your phone. There's no issue to fix because the phone is designed to work as it does. I can only imagine the outcry if WiFi did NOT turn off when the phone went to sleep. People would be complaining about the short battery life.

There is no reason to believe Apple will ever change this. Nor should they, IMHO. If this is a deal breaker for you, return the phone.

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Answer 13

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 8, 2012 3:28 PM in response to plchan

As gdgmacguy said, this is the way it is and has been. I do not see it changing either. If you cannot use the phone in this condition, then your only choice, as you say, is to return the phone. Coverage is always the first consideration to make when choosing a carrier, then the device. Is it possible that an alternate carrier would work for you? Does someone with a different carrier at your work get decent signal? If not, you should exercise your option.

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Answer 14

plchan Author

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5 points

Nov 8, 2012 3:32 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

ChrisJ4203,

The alternate carrier would be VZW as our company uses them as the corp wireless provider. I might have to consider to switch since it really makes no senses having AT&T and no cellular receiption, and get disconnected on the WIFI during sleep mode.

Thank you for all of your replies.

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Answer 15

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

236,375 points

Nov 8, 2012 3:54 PM in response to plchan

You're welcome. Because of the different wireless frequencies each of the carriers use, GSM can have difficulties penetrating buildings. Hope you are able to work it out to your advantage.

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