nicsta
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Q: Auto connect to home WiFi

I have a WiFi only iPad which I tether to my phone while I'm out and about, when I return home I'd like it to auto connect to my home WiFi just like my MacBook Pro does.

 

At the moment, if I forget to switch off tethering on my phone, the iPad will stay connected to my phone until the phones battery dies (which often means I wake up in the morning with a completely flat phone battery (not to mention the unesessary data usage charges on my phone plan)

 

how do I configure my iPad to behave more like the MacBook Pro?

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 7:55 PM

by Nealski,Solvedanswer
Nealski Nealski
Level 1 (130 points)
A:

Nicsta,

 

From what I know, your iPad actually is behaving properly. Once it is connected to WIFI, even if it's a phone hotspot, it stays connected until you leave the area or deliberately disconnect from it. You have to manually reconnect to the home WIFI or make sure you turn off the hotspot on your phone. Besides running out your battery, this can also run up a big data bill if you have limited data.

 

Neal

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 8:10 PM

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nicsta

Q: Auto connect to home WiFi

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  • by Nealski,Solvedanswer

    Nealski Nealski Oct 8, 2014 8:10 PM in response to nicsta
    Level 1 (130 points)
    Oct 8, 2014 8:10 PM in response to nicsta

    Nicsta,

     

    From what I know, your iPad actually is behaving properly. Once it is connected to WIFI, even if it's a phone hotspot, it stays connected until you leave the area or deliberately disconnect from it. You have to manually reconnect to the home WIFI or make sure you turn off the hotspot on your phone. Besides running out your battery, this can also run up a big data bill if you have limited data.

     

    Neal

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Oct 8, 2014 8:21 PM in response to nicsta
    Level 7 (24,825 points)
    Safari
    Oct 8, 2014 8:21 PM in response to nicsta

    Macbook Pro behaves the same as iPad. You do not have the MBP tethered to the iPhone, so it know nothing about the tethered SSID. The advantage in an MBP is that you can order SSIDs in the order you want to connect. iOS does not have that facility. There is a iPhone Configuration Utility that is used in Enterprises (Apple Configurator as well) that can set a "profile" on your iOS device to prioritize the wifi networks.

  • by nicsta,

    nicsta nicsta Oct 8, 2014 8:46 PM in response to Nealski
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 8, 2014 8:46 PM in response to Nealski

    >From what I know, your iPad actually is behaving properly

     

    Yeah on further reading I think your right. But I take issue with the word "properly" When a simple lapse in memory (forgetting to turn off tethering) can result in a flat battery and excess data charges I was hoping this wasn't normal operation. Thanks for your reply.

  • by nicsta,

    nicsta nicsta Oct 8, 2014 8:50 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 8, 2014 8:50 PM in response to Loner T

    > Macbook Pro behaves the same as iPad.


    Not in my experience. Go to coffee shop and open lid on MacBook Pro, it immediately joins my iPhone Tether. Go home and open MacBook Pro, it automatically joins my home network. And my phone tethering automatically switches itself off because it notices that no one is connected to it anymore.


    >You do not have the MBP tethered to the iPhone

    Thats strange, I could have sworn I've been using it tethered to my phone for the past 3 years. But thanks for correcting me on my own usage.



    Thanks for your reply.

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Oct 9, 2014 4:23 AM in response to nicsta
    Level 7 (24,825 points)
    Safari
    Oct 9, 2014 4:23 AM in response to nicsta

    > Macbook Pro behaves the same as iPad.


    Not in my experience. Go to coffee shop and open lid on MacBook Pro, it immediately joins my iPhone Tether. Go home and open MacBook Pro, it automatically joins my home network. And my phone tethering automatically switches itself off because it notices that no one is connected to it anymore.


     

     

    Please see. At Starbucks, it joins attwifi, but at home it joins Clarity. If you create the same two SSIDs in two different locations, the following controls the order in which you try connecting.

     

    SSIDOrder.png

     

    From iOS: Understanding Personal Hotspot

     

    Mac or PCiPhone, iPad, or
    iPod touch    		Other Wi-Fi
    devices    		Connection tips
    Wi-Fi✓✓✓Wi-Fi hotspot turns off when no devices are connected. To automatically turn it back on, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot.

     

    If your iPad is seen by the iPhone as connected the hotspot will not turn off.

  • by nicsta,

    nicsta nicsta Oct 9, 2014 7:04 PM in response to Loner T
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2014 7:04 PM in response to Loner T

    OK so now we know why the MacBook Pro behaves differently.

     

    But we still have no way of making my iPad automatically switch from my expensive and battery draining Phone WiFi to my cheap and battery saving home WiFi?

  • by Loner T,

    Loner T Loner T Oct 9, 2014 8:19 PM in response to nicsta
    Level 7 (24,825 points)
    Safari
    Oct 9, 2014 8:19 PM in response to nicsta

    If your iPad is not controlled by any Enterprise, you can try the Apple Configurator (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator/id434433123?mt=12) and check if you can define an order for the SSIDs with your Home WiFi being the priority.

     

    Does your iPhone have your home wifi SSID configured to connect to?