Welcome to iPadForums.net Guest - Click Here to Register

Why does my ipad insist on connecting to the furthest possible wap that it can?

This is a discussion on Why does my ipad insist on connecting to the furthest possible wap that it can? within the iPad General Discussions forums, part of the Apple iPad Discussions category; How can I change the priority so it will connect to the closest one automatically? Sent from my iPad using iPF...

Register with iPad Forums
+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 13
  1. #1
    iPad Fan
    Member #
    34197
    Liked
    2 times
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    150

    Why does my ipad insist on connecting to the furthest possible wap that it can?

    How can I change the priority so it will connect to the closest one automatically?

    Sent from my iPad using iPF

  2. Ads


  3. #2
    iPad Guru
    Member #
    1284
    Liked
    6 times
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    2,623
    I don't understand the question isn't a wap a mobile webpage?

  4. #3
    iPad Fan
    Member #
    34197
    Liked
    2 times
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    150
    Quote Originally Posted by gentlefury
    I don't understand the question isn't a wap a mobile webpage?
    Wireless access point

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_access_point

    Sent from my iPad using iPF

  5. #4
    iPad Guru
    Member #
    1284
    Liked
    6 times
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    2,623
    ah ok, I thought you mean wireless application protocal....like a wap page. I've never heard anyone refer to wifi as wap.

    As for what it signs into....it will re-sign into whatever router you accessed last at the place you are....if you have multiple entries I don't know.

  6. #5
    iPF Legend
    Member #
    7489
    Liked
    126 times
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Sacramento, California
    Posts
    14,962
    Quote Originally Posted by gentlefury View Post
    I've never heard anyone refer to wifi as wap.
    Me either. I thought I was really outta the loop for a minute!

  7. #6
    iPad Fan
    Member #
    34197
    Liked
    2 times
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    150
    Quote Originally Posted by gentlefury
    ah ok, I thought you mean wireless application protocal....like a wap page. I've never heard anyone refer to wifi as wap.

    As for what it signs into....it will re-sign into whatever router you accessed last at the place you are....if you have multiple entries I don't know.
    I have a theory, I walk by a wap on my out of the building I wonder if it is connecting to that, in the mornings I walk by the same wap, but not the one that is actually closest to my office. Makes sense to me lol

    Sent from my iPad using iPF

  8. #7
    iPad Junkie
    Member #
    14887
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    626
    If you figure it out let me know. I have two WAPs and one wireless router in my house and I seem to connect to them at random. I wish there was a way to set the priority but I have yet to find it. Maybe I'll browse Cydia later and see if there is a tweak out there.

  9. #8
    iPF Legend
    Member #
    28530
    Liked
    584 times
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Dayton, WA
    Posts
    13,198
    It doesn't choose the best signal, which is a good thing, or it would be constantly switching networks when you are on the edge of two.

    Instead, when it loses a network, it keeps looking around until it sees a recognized one, and joins that. If it sees more than one, it chooses the one you joined first.

    To stop if from automatically joining a network you don't want, got to Settings >> WiFi, and choose the network by tapping on the blue arrow. If that network is set to auto-join you'll have a Forget this Network option. When you do this the network will still show up (provided it is not a hidden network), but the iPad will not automatically join it. At least until you manually join it again. Then it goes back on the list. But it's priority should now be lower than other auto-join networks.

    When the iPad auto-joins a network, it looks around for any networks it has been connected to before. As near as I can tell, it chooses from available networks based on when they were first set up, with earlier networks getting priority. Last added networks get last priority. That is why Forgetting the network and adding it again lowers it's priority. Still, if the iPad is trying to join a network, it's going to join what it sees at the time. It won't change just because a new, higher priority network is suddenly available. The old one has to drop off.

    Disclaimer: This is all based on observation and guesses based on observation, so if your observations disagree with mine, feel free to correct me. But be nice.

  10. #9
    iPad Fan
    Member #
    34197
    Liked
    2 times
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    150
    Quote Originally Posted by twerppoet
    It doesn't choose the best signal, which is a good thing, or it would be constantly switching networks when you are on the edge of two.

    Instead, when it loses a network, it keeps looking around until it sees a recognized one, and joins that. If it sees more than one, it chooses the one you joined first.

    To stop if from automatically joining a network you don't want, got to Settings >> WiFi, and choose the network by tapping on the blue arrow. If that network is set to auto-join you'll have a Forget this Network option. When you do this the network will still show up (provided it is not a hidden network), but the iPad will not automatically join it. At least until you manually join it again. Then it goes back on the list. But it's priority should now be lower than other auto-join networks.

    When the iPad auto-joins a network, it looks around for any networks it has been connected to before. As near as I can tell, it chooses from available networks based on when they were first set up, with earlier networks getting priority. Last added networks get last priority. That is why Forgetting the network and adding it again lowers it's priority. Still, if the iPad is trying to join a network, it's going to join what it sees at the time. It won't change just because a new, higher priority network is suddenly available. The old one has to drop off.

    Disclaimer: This is all based on observation and guesses based on observation, so if your observations disagree with mine, feel free to correct me. But be nice.
    Sounds like a sound theory and exactly what I thought might be going on. I just said it with less detail and probably more confusion. I will let you know what I find tomorrow morning.

    Sent from my iPad using iPF

  11. #10
    iPF Legend
    Member #
    28530
    Liked
    584 times
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Dayton, WA
    Posts
    13,198
    Quote Originally Posted by TheX View Post

    Sounds like a sound theory and exactly what I thought might be going on. I just said it with less detail and probably more confusion. I will let you know what I find tomorrow morning.

    Sent from my iPad using iPF
    I admit to some slight tendencies to the pedantic. I've also been know to tell really boring stories, that my audience politely pretends to listen to. On the plus side people seldom ask me to explain what I just said.

    Now, if I can just figure out if that's because I'm doing good job the first time, or if they are desperate to escape.


Home | Forum | Active Topics | What's New

Advertisements

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts

Similar Threads

  1. Ipad not Charging and not connecting to PC
    By FerdieS in forum iPad Help
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 10-30-2012, 06:38 AM
  2. Is there a way of connecting an external HDD to an iPad
    By CJG in forum iPad General Discussions
    Replies: 15
    Last Post: 01-13-2011, 07:16 AM
  3. Connecting an iPad to tv
    By Kwillson in forum iPad Help
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 11-07-2010, 01:55 PM
  4. Connecting iPad to TV?
    By Jake872 in forum iPad General Discussions
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 09-15-2010, 04:33 PM
  5. Connecting Ipad to car
    By Marcelekusa in forum iPad Help
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 07-11-2010, 08:07 PM

Search tags for this page

how to change wireless priority on an ipad
,
ipad auto connect to strongest wifi
,
ipad join strongest network
,
ipad network priority
,
ipad priority of joining network
,
ipad set wireless priority
,
ipad wifi network priority
,

ipad wifi priority

,
prevent ipad from joining other networks
,
set wireless priority on ipad
,
stop ipad from auto connecting to wifi
,
wireless network priority ipad
Click on a term to search for related topics.