Problems connecting to Home WIFI after Tethering to Android Phone

[smfink3]

My son and I both have IPads, (mine is v.1, his is v.2). We recently upgraded to iOS 4.3.3, since then we are unable to connect back to our home WIFI network after tethering to my Android phone via WIFI Tether, without reformatting the IPads.

It first happened to my son's when I was trying to show him how tethering works. He was on the home network (working fine) at the time and we switched over to Android Tether, (which worked fine). Upon re-connecting to the home network, the error "Unable to connect to network" appeared. We re-entered the password it still woud not connect. Thinking we had the wrong network password, we got my IPad out just to check to accuracy. I turned my wifi off and clicked do not remember this network and then manually logged back in. Password was correct.

When I asked my husband, he said the problem must be because I tethered My IPad to Android Tether. Not believing him, I tethered mine via Android Tether and tested the internet, which worked just fine. Trying to "prove my husband had NO CLUE", I went to re-connect to the home network, SAME THING! I tried just resetting the network settings, then we tried resetting ALL settings: Both without success. Erasing all content was the only option. ARGH! Now I can no longer use my phone as a Tether if I want to use my IPad with WI-FI on remembered networks.

Can anyone tell me if they are experiencing this problem? I've searched for the same problems else where and anytime you include TETHER and WIFI, you will get a million pages to search. It's to hard to filter. ANY IDEAS???

 

[Midranger4]

If this happens again, and I've not heard of this issue in particular happening, turn off wifi on the iPad then turn it back on and reboot your wifi router and if that fails to remedy the problem use the forget this network option and let the iPad rediscover the home access point. If these steps were tried prior to a reload I am at a loss as to what else you can do short of reloading. Again, never heard of anyone having such a problem with wifi connectivity that an erase of the iPad was required, good luck,

 

[smfink3]

Thank you. The first thing I did after a failed log in was to turn Wifi On and OFF, no success. It would find the network, it just would not connect. So I re-set router, no success. (Should I have turned Wifi off and on again?)

After that is when I tried my IPad and it did the same thing. Repeated the power and wifi restart. Reset network settings, reset ALL settings... no go. Restored.

I thought maybe they gave the upgrades but blocked the tethering in response to the new upgrade coming out WITH tethering, all in an effort to force you to buy the upgrade?? who knows. frustrating. I specifically did not buy the 3G version because I have a rooted android phone and don't need it.

any other ideas? thanks for the help.

 

[Midranger4]

Thank you. The first thing I did after a failed log in was to turn Wifi On and OFF, no success. It would find the network, it just would not connect. So I re-set router, no success. (Should I have turned Wifi off and on again?)

After that is when I tried my IPad and it did the same thing. Repeated the power and wifi restart. Reset network settings, reset ALL settings... no go. Restored.

I thought maybe they gave the upgrades but blocked the tethering in response to the new upgrade coming out WITH tethering, all in an effort to force you to buy the upgrade?? who knows. frustrating. I specifically did not buy the 3G version because I have a rooted android phone and don't need it.

any other ideas? thanks for the help.

Deleting and rediscovering a problem network will in most cases resolve an inability to access it for "inexplicable" reasons. I tether with regularity to a samsung fascinate on the Verizon network. I don't fully understand the restrictions some speak of when they talk about problems tethering to an iPhone. I suspect because the iPad and iPhone are proprietary Apple is positioned to control the function and subsequently cause users grief. I fire up the hot spot on my samsung and the iPad simply sees an available wifi access point and I have no problems joining the wifi network the phone generates after entering the password for it. Can you tell me a bit mire about what is required to tether to an iPhone and what restrictions exist? I am considering moving to an iPhone but if there is an additional charge other than the tethering option on the phone itself to use it with my iPad I will simply keep my android phone. Thanks.

 

[smfink3]

Thanks, I am using an android Samsung Epic 4G. I have a rooted phone, and use wireless tether to create a free hotspot. Once there, I select android tether from my list of networks. Connects flawlessly and I regularyly tether my Ipad and then re-connect to my home network... until Ios 4.3.3

Now, after I've tethered it, it will see the network, but it will not connect to it. I've forgotten the network, rediscovered the network, rebooted the modem and also the router, rediscovered it... again, it sees it but says it is unable to connect to network.

It happened on my son's IPad and then again on mine. I restored mine to get my settings back.

thanks

 

[amyreneemt]

I have the exact same problem

I rooted my Motorola Droid 2.2 this evening and wirelessly tethered to my ipad 2 and when I disconnected and went to log back in to my home network I had the same problem. I told the ipad to forget the network, reset the network settings, with no success and I am now in the middle of restoring to factory settings in hopes that I will be able to connect at home. Like you we have 2 ipads and I did not want to try the wireless tether on my other one until I figured out if I could restore the first one. I know my home network is fine b/c I wirlessly tethered my laptop and reconnected to my home network just fine. So strange but I am so glad I found your post I thought I must be missing something. If you've found a solution asider from restoring please let me know. Amy

 

[Midranger4]

This is an interesting problem.

What is changing upon reformatting the iPad that allows normal wifi connectivity and are we correct to issue lies with the iPad?

Surely the switch to/from tethering causes the issue to occur but maybe the issue created is with the home router being unable to issue an ip address to the iPad via DHCP.

I wonder if you setup the iPad on your home router to a static ip addy thereby effectively removing DHCP as the potential culprit on the router if you might have better success?

I presume a reboot/factory reset of not only the iPad but the home router were performed when experiencing the issue?

I am also curious to know if when the problem arises is the ipad unable to make a connection to any hotspot including the tethered phone or another wifi network other than your home network. In other words does the iPad become crippled altogether as related to wifi abilities?

 

[Midranger4]

Also curious what method you use to disconnect from the tethered connection. Do you shut down tethering on the phone and the connection drops on the iPad or do you disconnect cleanly by turning off wifi on the iPad then turn off tethering on the phone followed by the attempt to reconnect to home wifi.

This problem demonstrates similar characteristics of a corrupt tcp stack on a windows machine which when it occurs requires jumping through some hoops to correct. Considering the iPad is a closed system in this regard I would presume a format reload to be the only option if the stack is being corrupted.