What to do when your Wif-Fi isn’t working on your iPad
Tech gadgets have become so integrated with our daily lives that it is hard to imagine working without them.
One of the most popular is the Apple iPad, but while these devices are sturdy, easy to use, and generally secure, they are not without their weaknesses and do break or stop working occasionally. A common issue many users have with their device is that it will not connect to Wi-Fi networks.
Here are six troubleshooting tips that you can try if your iPad isn’t connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Before testing these out it is a good idea to test if your Internet is or isn’t working. What most people do is open a Web browser and try to load a website, like google.com or apple.com/store. If you get an error message, or the page doesn’t load, then try the different tips below.
First: Check if your iPad can see Wi-Fi networks
Try moving next to where the router is and then tap on the Settings app. From here tap on Wi-Fi (it is located in the leftmost list, near the top). Look to see if the network you want to connect to is listed under Choose a network… If it shows up, try tapping on it and entering the password if required.
If your iPad doesn’t ‘see’ the network, try turning Wi-Fi off and on again by sliding the button beside Wi-Fi at the top from On (green) to Off (grey). Wait a few seconds then turn it on again. If you still can’t connect, try restarting your iPad.
Second: Try restarting the router
If your iPad is picking up the network but not connecting to it, there may be a problem with the router. The first thing you should do is to turn the router off for at least 30 seconds, then turn it on again. Believe it or not, this solves the vast majority of Internet problems.
Once the router has restarted, try connecting to the network again, or if you have connected to this before, the iPad should try to connect automatically.
Third: Check if your password is correct
Another common problem users run into is that they have entered the password for the Wi-Fi network incorrectly. Oftentimes the password is missing a letter or number, or someone has changed the password and not let other users know.
Go back into the Settings app and tap Wi-Fi. Try tapping the ‘i‘ icon and selecting Forget this Network. Restart your iPad then go back into the Wi-Fi settings. You should see the network pop back up under Choose a network… within a few seconds. Tap on the network name and enter the password again. If you are sure the password is correct, try asking other people who connect to the network, or the administrator, if the password has been changed.
Fourth: Try other devices
If you have other devices like a phone or laptop, try connecting these to the network and seeing if it is possible to connect to the Internet. By doing this, you will be able to see whether the problem lies with the network, router or the iPad itself. Should the other devices be able to connect and access the Internet, it’s highly likely that the problem lies with the iPad.
However, before you jump to conclusions, check to see if other people are connected. Some routers can be configured to only allow a set number of devices to connect at the same time. Another common connection problem is when someone is using a high amount of bandwidth – e.g., downloading torrents. This can cause other devices connected to experience incredibly slow Internet speeds – slow enough that loading websites may time out, causing the browser to display an error message.
Try asking someone to disconnect from the network for a few minutes to see if your iPad can get online.
Fifth: Reset your Network Settings
Are the previous options not working? Try resetting your network settings to the default settings, as if the iPad was brand new. Don’t worry, your whole iPad won’t be reset, just the settings related to network connections i.e., Wi-Fi and LTE/3G.
You can reset your Network Settings by:
- Tapping on the Settings app from the main screen of your iPad.
- Selecting General followed by Reset.
- Tapping on Reset Network Settings.
- Hitting Wi-Fi and selecting the network you want to enter.
- Entering the password again.
Once you have followed these steps try opening your Web browser again and loading a website.
Sixth: Contact us, or Apple Support
Finally, if the other options don’t work, try contacting Apple Support to see if they can help. Of course, you can also get in touch with us so we can help get you connected.
