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Workaround For One Of The iPhone/iPod Touch WiFi Bugs

Nov 14th 2009 by

In my current position, I manage a WiFi-based internet service provider in Iraq.   As I do not wish to pay more than my yearly salary each month in AT&T international data roaming charges, all of my Internet access on my iPhone is via WiFi.   This was never a problem until the recent firmware update that severely hampered my ability to use WiFi.   However, I did find a reasonable workaround.

From my experiences and research, there appear to be two bugs: The first is an inability to see or connect to WiFi networks at all.    Fortunately, I have not (yet?) encountered this issue.   However, I do have what appears to be a more common issue “ connections are dropped within a minute or two of connecting, requiring one of several steps to get back online:

  • Reconnecting from Settings
  • Turning WiFi off/on again
  • Rebooting

I have, however, found a workaround that works for me, and may work for you at home or work “ and hopefully at hotspots.

Most networks assign IP addresses and other networking configuration information to your iPhone/iPod via a protocol called ‘Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol ‘, or DHCP.  This is set by default when you connect to a WiFi network, and most of the time, it works fine.  However, the bug appears to cause problems with DHCP-assigned settings, causing it to lose connectivity (most opinions seem to learn towards the iPhone/iPod losing the default gateway setting, which would make sense based on observed behavior).

IMG_0068

(iPhone WiFi Setting screen showing a DHCP configuration; network name and DNS server info blocked out for privacy reasons)

The workaround is to change the connection settings from DHCP to a manually assigned or ‘static ‘ configuration.   You will want to check with the administrator of the network, if possible, to determine an acceptable static IP address to use.  The other items (Subnet Mask, Router, and DNS) will most likely be exactly the same as the DHCP-assigned values, but again, confirm this with the network administrator.

IMG_0069

(iPhone WiFi Setting screen with the Static configuration)

Once you have this configuration changed, you should now be able to stay connected to that WiFi network.

NOTES:

  • If you are connecting to a hotspot, most likely you will either not be able to find qualified personnel to assist you with settings, or will be told that you cannot be assigned a static IP address.   No problem, just copy everything from the DHCP screen “ but understand that the IP address may not work the next time you connect (it may be assigned to another user), and you will likely have to switch back to DHCP, get a new IP address, then copy everything back over again.
  • On your home network, this should be a no-brainer.   Most consumer-grade WiFi routers assign IP addresses from 192.168.1.1 through 192.168.1.100 OR 192.168.1.100 through 192.168.1.150; if you choose an IP address outside those ranges (192.168.1.200, for example), you should be fine.   Remember, however, that you cannot/should not choose an IP address of 192.168.1.254 or 192.168.1.255 as these are reserved for other network functions that are outside the scope of our discussion.   If all else fails and you are unable to determine the proper IP address to use that is compatible with your home WiFi network, ask someone who is experienced with configuring them to have a look and advise you.
  • I have been using this technique on dozens of WiFi networks for the past month and it has worked for me, your mileage may vary!

Hopefully, Apple will correct this bug in a future firmware update.

Are you having trouble connecting to WiFi networks since the 3.0 or 3.1 updates on your iPhone or iPod?   Let us know in the comments section, and please do let us know if this workaround works for you.

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  • amazing tip if this works for my home network problem, Joe — thanks!

  • Unfortunately I have the problem where my iPhone doesn’t even see my home network. I live in the city where there are networks all around me and my iphone only see about 2 of them (showing 1 bar in each) while my mac sees about 10 of them, including my own. My iPhone simply has no wifi.

    • Keep in mind that the WiFi antenna in the iPhone pales in comparison to that of pretty much every laptop.

      The network that I manage here has literally hundreds of access points, and the laptop always sees a lot more than the iPhone — and always has.

      • yes but, it has always worked before this. Something is definitely wrong.

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  • Vicky

    Has anyone tried to connect to Borders Books free wi-fi in the states?
    It shows an “accept terms” page. (Very small text, barely readable.)
    When you “accept”… is just goes to ANOTHER “accept terms” page… that doesn’t have any clickable links anywhere.
    The “accept button” does nothing.

    This happens to me at 4 different Borders.
    Any ideas?

  • Worked. Thanks. It had been driving me batty!

  • Nice… I will give it a try.

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  • SJB

    I'm getting an intermittent buzzing on my iphone 3GS which happens all the time when the phone is not even in use. It flashes up the bell symbol when it buzzes. It does it in my pocket, while its on the table – anytime really. I had a similar problem earlier in the year and I found the answer on one of these forums – someone told me to go into the settings and change one of the codes but I cannot remember how I did it! Does anyone know?? It worked for 6 months so it must have done something.