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iPad2 not connecting to 2.4Ghz Wireless Networks

My issue is that without any updates from Apple, my iPad2 stopped connecting to my home wireless. I have a MediaLink 2.4 Ghz Wireless N router. I have done everything from "Forget this Network" to Rest Network Settings" to wipe the whole iPad and nothing has resoved the situation. I am running IOS 7.0.4 (the latest). I have even called MediaLink and they had me try a few things, but still nothing works. The iPad will connect to SSID's that run on the 5Ghz frequency or any dual band wireless routers (ie those that broadcast SSID's at the 2.4 and 5 Ghz frequencies). I have an open ticket with Apple and now dealing with the product engineers for about 3 weeks. They have finally recognized this as a code issue with 7.0.4 IOS. I am awaiting a fix. Apple also acknowledged that this is a software problem and that mulitiple people are affected. Stay tuned for an update to IOS for the fix......

iPad 2, iOS 7.0.4

Posted on Jan 14, 2014 6:45 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Mar 13, 2014 2:46 AM

Sigh, I have tried to help a friend with exactly the same problem! At first I thought it was a simple user error, and expected beeing able to fix this in a few minutes. After spending 4 hours trying to diagnose the problem, I found that the transmitted power from the iPad is extremely low on 2.4 GHz, and it WILL connect if one hold the iPad extremely close to the router! This is verified on 3 different 2.4GHz routers/nets. Now just to be dead sure, I even tried at a different location, where 2.4 and 5 GHz were available, no problem connecting at 5 GHz but no luck with 2.4GHz. I even used my Agilent spectrum analyzer and could not see any signals at 2,4 from the iPad but strong signals using my iPhone4s connecting to the same net.


It would be very interesting if you could try connect to your 2.4 GHz net by placing the iPad ontop of your router just to confirm my findings...

122 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 13, 2014 2:46 AM in response to gloede99

Sigh, I have tried to help a friend with exactly the same problem! At first I thought it was a simple user error, and expected beeing able to fix this in a few minutes. After spending 4 hours trying to diagnose the problem, I found that the transmitted power from the iPad is extremely low on 2.4 GHz, and it WILL connect if one hold the iPad extremely close to the router! This is verified on 3 different 2.4GHz routers/nets. Now just to be dead sure, I even tried at a different location, where 2.4 and 5 GHz were available, no problem connecting at 5 GHz but no luck with 2.4GHz. I even used my Agilent spectrum analyzer and could not see any signals at 2,4 from the iPad but strong signals using my iPhone4s connecting to the same net.


It would be very interesting if you could try connect to your 2.4 GHz net by placing the iPad ontop of your router just to confirm my findings...

Feb 6, 2017 1:10 PM in response to Texas Mac Man

I am dealing with third level support in Apple and also the engineers responsible for the IOS code. They already recognize this as a bug in IOS 7.0.4. None of the solutions above will work and many of them have been tried. Thanks anyway. The whole reason why I posted this is because of the tons of links that you referenced above and none of them work hence why I called Apple.

Jan 14, 2014 9:04 AM in response to gloede99

Some things to try first:


1. Turn Off your iPad. Then turn Off (disconnect power cord for 30 seconds or longer) the wireless router & then back On. Now boot your iPad. Hopefully it will see the WiFi.


2. Go to Settings>Wi-Fi and turn Off. Then while at Settings>Wi-Fi, turn back On and chose a Network.


3. Change the channel on your wireless router (Auto or Channel 6 is best). Instructions at http://macintoshhowto.com/advanced/how-to-get-a-good-range-on-your-wireless-netwhttp://macintoshhowto.com/advanced/how-to-get-a-good-range-on-your-wireless-netw ork.html


4. Go into your router security settings and change from WEP to WPA with AES.


5. Renew IP Address: (especially if you are drooping internet connection)

• Launch Settings app

• Tap on Wi-Fi

• Tap on the blue arrow of the Wi-Fi network that you connect to from the list

• In the window that opens, tap on the Renew Lease button


6. Potential Quick Fixes When Your iPad Won’t Connect to Your Wifi Network

http://ipadinsight.com/ipad-tips-tricks/potential-quick-fixes-when-your-ipad-wonhttp://ipadinsight.com/ipad-tips-tricks/potential-quick-fixes-when-your-ipad-won t-connect-to-your-wifi-network/


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fix WiFi Issue for iOS 7

http://ipadnerds.com/fix-wifi-issue-ios-7/http://ipadnerds.com/fix-wifi-issue-ios-7/


iOS 6 Wifi Problems/Fixes


Wi-Fi Fix for iOS 6

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4823738?tstart=240https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4823738?tstart=240


How To: Workaround iPad Wi-Fi Issues

http://www.theipadfan.com/workaround-ipad-wifi-issues/http://www.theipadfan.com/workaround-ipad-wifi-issues/


Another Fix For iOS 6 WiFi Problems

http://tabletcrunch.com/2012/10/27/fix-ios-6-wifi-problems-ssid/http://tabletcrunch.com/2012/10/27/fix-ios-6-wifi-problems-ssid/


Wifi Doesn't Connect After Waking From Sleep - Sometimes increasing screen brightness prevents the failure to reconnect after waking from sleep. According to Apple, “If brightness is at lowest level, increase it by moving the slider to the right and set auto brightness to off.”


Fix For iOS 6 WiFi Problems?

http://tabletcrunch.com/2012/09/27/fix-ios-6-wifi-problems/http://tabletcrunch.com/2012/09/27/fix-ios-6-wifi-problems/


Did iOS 6 Screw Your Wi-Fi? Here’s How to Fix It

http://gizmodo.com/5944761/does-ios-6-have-a-wi+fi-bughttp://gizmodo.com/5944761/does-ios-6-have-a-wi+fi-bug


How To Fix Wi-Fi Connectivity Issue After Upgrading To iOS 6

http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/09/fix-wi-fi-connectivity-issue-after-upgrading-http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/09/fix-wi-fi-connectivity-issue-after-upgrading- to-ios-6.html


iOS 6 iPad 3 wi-fi "connection fix" for netgear router

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWS4ha-dn0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsWS4ha-dn0


Apple's iOS 6 Wi-Fi problems

http://www.zdnet.com/apples-ios-6-wi-fi-problems-linger-on-7000004799/http://www.zdnet.com/apples-ios-6-wi-fi-problems-linger-on-7000004799/


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


iPad: Issues connecting to Wi-Fi networks

http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304


How to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/How-To-Boost-Your-Wi-Fi-Signal.hhttp://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/How-To-Boost-Your-Wi-Fi-Signal.h tm


Troubleshooting a Weak Wi-Fi Signal

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/Troubleshooting-A-Weak-Wi-Fi-Sighttp://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/Troubleshooting-A-Weak-Wi-Fi-Sig nal.htm


How to Fix a Poor Wi-Fi Signal on Your iPad

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/How-To-Fix-A-Poor-Wi-Fi-Signal-Ohttp://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/a/How-To-Fix-A-Poor-Wi-Fi-Signal-O n-Your-iPad.htm


iOS Troubleshooting Wi-Fi networks and connections http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1398


iPad: Issues connecting to Wi-Fi networks http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3304


WiFi Connecting/Troubleshooting http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/wifi/http://www.apple.com/support/ipad/wifi/


How to Fix: My iPad Won't Connect to WiFi

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/ss/How-To-Fix-My-Ipad-Wont-Connecthttp://ipad.about.com/od/iPad_Troubleshooting/ss/How-To-Fix-My-Ipad-Wont-Connect -To-Wi-Fi.htm


iOS: Connecting to the Internet http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1695http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1695


iOS: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4199http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4199


How to Quickly Fix iPad 3 Wi-Fi Reception Problems

http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/http://osxdaily.com/2012/03/21/fix-new-ipad-3-wi-fi-reception-problems/


iPad Wi-Fi Problems: Comprehensive List of Fixes

http://appletoolbox.com/2010/04/ipad-wi-fi-problems-comprehensive-list-of-fixes/http://appletoolbox.com/2010/04/ipad-wi-fi-problems-comprehensive-list-of-fixes/


Connect iPad to Wi-Fi (with troubleshooting info)

http://thehowto.wikidot.com/wifi-connect-ipadhttp://thehowto.wikidot.com/wifi-connect-ipad


10 Ways to Boost Your Wireless Signal

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372811,00.asphttp://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372811,00.asp


Fix iPad Wifi Connection and Signal Issues http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwWtIG5jUxEhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwWtIG5jUxE


Fix Slow WiFi Issue https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2398063?start=60&tstart=0https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2398063?start=60&tstart=0


How To Fix iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Wi-Fi Connectivity Issue http://tinyurl.com/7nvxbmzhttp://tinyurl.com/7nvxbmz


Unable to Connect After iOS Update - saw this solution on another post.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4010130https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4010130


Note - When troubleshooting wifi connection problems, don't hold your iPad by hand. There have been a few reports that holding the iPad by hand, seems to attenuate the wifi signal.

Some Wi-Fi losses may stem from a problematic interaction between Wi-Fi and cellular data connections. Numerous users have found that turning off Cellular Data in Settings gets their Wi-Fi working again.


You may have many apps open which can possibly cause the slowdown and possibly the loss of wifi. In iOS 4-6 double tap your Home button & at the bottom of the screen you will see the icons of all open apps. Close those you are not using by pressing on an icon until all icons wiggle - then tap the minus sign. For iOS 7 users, there’s an easy way to see which apps are open in order to close them. By double-tapping the home button on your iPhone or iPad, the new multitasking feature in iOS 7 shows full page previews of all your open apps. Simply scroll horizontally to see all your apps, and close the apps with a simple flick towards the top of the screen.


Wi-Fi or Bluetooth settings grayed out or dim

http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1559http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1559


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


If any of the above solutions work, please post back what solved your problem. It will help others with the same problem.


 Cheers, Tom 😉

Feb 6, 2017 1:19 PM in response to Dreamager

Sure they can go bad separately as they are separate hardware wise inside (ie two different radios). However if you are experiencing issues like we have it could be just the 2.4 GHZ radio is not sending out a strong signal. Place your Apple device on top of your router and try to connect...if it connects, Viola you have the same issue as all of us. No fix other than replace your router to be a dual band router, buy another apple product to replace yours if it is out of warrantee, or move on from Apple.

Feb 6, 2017 1:22 PM in response to keyfu

Don't hold your breath on Apple. This issue has been around a while. They do not want people to talk about it. There was an internal memo floating around the internet (9to5 web site.....search for it you'll find it). I can't post it here cause Apple will delete my post almost immediately. They do not want me to share too much as they keep telling me I am in violation of the terms and conditions of this forum.

Apr 15, 2017 3:25 PM in response to gloede99

I know this thread is old but thought I would share this.


My old iPad 2 which my daughter now uses has developed this problem.


Now she was sitting watching a video and the iPad lost connection. After my investigations the iPad has developed the problem noted in this thread. It happened mid video so to speak, no software has been updated and the iPad wasn't dropped or man handled. Video was playing fine then stoped saying no wifi.


Seems to me to be sudden catastrophic hardware failure unfortunately!

Mar 4, 2014 7:40 AM in response to gloede99

So I am three months into this with Apple. They recognize this as an a bug in there code. Twice now I have provided debug logs to their Product Engineering team and still have not been provided with any valuable information on when this will be fixed. I have many peers that also have the IPAD 2 with the same issue. I have informed them that Apple has recognized this as an issue. While the customer support people are very understanding, they too are not getting any worthwhile info from there own Engineers. Moral of the story is if you own an IPAD 2 and are expirencing wireless issues like described above, it's not you or your network; it indeed is the IPAD 2. My suggestion is to start flooding their call center with complaints until Apple fixes their issue. I'm so happy that I have $499 "coaster" that is unable to connect wirelessly. Steve Jobs would be ashamed!

Mar 19, 2014 2:58 PM in response to Lasse_Moell

So I tried the test you said this morning and sure enough...it connects with the iPad sitting right on top of it. I think you hit the nail right on the head on what the issue is. Can I ask you to contact me? I will then share my phone number with you as I would like to talk to you. I am in New York so contact me when it is convenient for you. I have some very interesting things facts to discuss with you about my testing......



<Email Edited by Host>

Mar 19, 2014 2:54 PM in response to gloede99

UPDATE: There are three cases opened up for this issue. Two of them in the US and the other in Europe. The way one can tell if they are having the same issue is if you cannot connect to your wifi and you have a single band wireless router that ONLY operates in the 2.4Ghz range (see your routers set up guide to find this out and where it will be is the section that talks about changing the channels), place your iPad literally right on top of the wireless router and attempt to connect to your SSID, if you can now connect, then this is most likely your issue. This issue has been found on 2nd and 3rd generation iPads sold in the US and also in Europe. This issue is not spcific to the wireless router either. The issue has been found on Medialink, NetGear, etc. Issue started occurring on IOS 7.0.4 and continues through 7.0.6, and even the lastest 7.1.


So I was able to get a replacement for my iPad (A1416 model) from Apple. The new one has IOS version 7.0.4. I l am now able to connect to my single band 2.4Ghz Medialink wireless router. My best guess is that there is a bad intereaction with IOS and the firmware or NVRAM for the wireless card inside the iPad. I would hope that Apple figures out now what triggers this cause I am very hesitant about upgrading IOS to 7.1 now that I have it working since no one in Apple can tell me what the issue is. If you notice by this thread that between me and Lasse from Sweden are the ones that fully figured out what the issue is. Good luck to everyone.


Message was edited by: Host

Mar 17, 2014 1:49 PM in response to gloede99

Same problem with iPad mini. Bad thing is that it was bought Dec 2012 - warranty expired. This is driving me nuts - nothing helps. Except to bring the iPad 20cm reach from WLAN router. Think that this started last week Thu, there was iOS7.04, I updated to iOS7.1. Still same issue. Any idea what can I do to get this fixed (for granted I will not pay for service for Cupertino fellows service providers, in Finland we do not have Apple stores available).

Mar 17, 2014 2:21 PM in response to gloede99

The Media Link Router is a single band router and is primarily sold as a Windows based unit. While it is compatible with Mac computers, it does not have the security systems that many Apple devices require.

With the ios 7 update, which included security updates, I am not surprised this unit will not work with Apple devices. You may be able to get a connection if you create a guest network.


I also suggest testing the actual data speed and amount of interference.

Relocating your router, away from a PC and other causes of interference may help.

The number of other devices using the router at one time will effect connection and speed.


My Android phone and iPad will acknowledge, but can't connect to weak, slow wifi.

I upgraded my router almost 2 years ago and have no connection issues.

Mar 17, 2014 2:43 PM in response to lizdance40

Trust me the problem is not the wirelss router. It has been confirmed that there is very llitte signal coming out of the iPad using a spectrum analyzer. Also this problem can be reproduced on WAP's from Netgear, D-Link, Belkin and Medialink. Apple recognizes this as an issue too. I have taken this way up the support chain at Apple wiothout Apple Care. If this was my problem, they would have told me to go away. I have an open case still since December of 2013. So far we have confirmed that the iPhone 4, 4s, iPad mini, iPad 2 and the iPad 3rd gen all have the issue

iPad2 not connecting to 2.4Ghz Wireless Networks

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