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wifi keeps switching to another router

foothillfanatic

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I have a password protected router for my home wifi. I have a couple of neighbors who have unprotected routers. Lately I have discovered that my wifi connection is occasionally switching to one of the neighbors routers. In "Settings" I have tried using the "forget this network" but that hasn't stopped my wifi connection from switching to another network. Is there a way to keep my iPad from connecting to an outside router?
 

col.bris

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I suspect you have a faulty router.

Try a total reset of the router if that fails you could try changing the wifi channel which requires you to log into it. You may be getting interference to the network thus causing it to switch to other net works




Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk in Australia
 

BocataDeChoped

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I have 2 routers at home and every once in a while my iPad switches between them (each one produces its own wireless network). I believe is a matter of signal strength and wifi channels.


Enviado desde mi iPad con Tapatalk HD
 
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foothillfanatic

foothillfanatic

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Just have the one router, so that isn't the problem. My modem/router is from CenturyLink, the Q1000. Called their tech support and they changed the channel setting to #11, saying it provides the strongest signal. Didn't know each channel had a different signal strength. Will see how that works out. I have heard that IOS6 caused some wireless connection issues on the iPad and it was about the time I downloaded that upgrade that I noticed that my connection was switching to another router nearby. Have also tried some other fixes related to that issue. Thanks to all who have responded to my request.
 

BocataDeChoped

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Just have the one router, so that isn't the problem. My modem/router is from CenturyLink, the Q1000. Called their tech support and they changed the channel setting to #11, saying it provides the strongest signal. Didn't know each channel had a different signal strength. Will see how that works out. I have heard that IOS6 caused some wireless connection issues on the iPad and it was about the time I downloaded that upgrade that I noticed that my connection was switching to another router nearby. Have also tried some other fixes related to that issue. Thanks to all who have responded to my request.

I think I didn't explain myself clearly. Here's my situation: my main router doesn't produce a signal strong enough to cover the whole house so I set up an old router to extend the signal. Each router has its own independ wifi network with its own parameters: network name, IP range, channel... etc. My iPad is configured with both networks so it can connect automatically to any of them.

Most of the time, the iPad is connected to the right network (main router upstairs, second router downstairs) but, once in a while, I see that the iPad has switched networks even when I'm close to one of the routers. My theory is that this happens because of the signal fluctuation. I think the iPad checks signals on a regular basis and then connects to the strongest network provided it has been configured (probably there's some sort of signal threshold involved somehow). Since the wifi signals aren't steady, sometimes the weakest network signal strenght peaks over the strongest one and the iPad switches because it happens when the wifi checking is in place. I think is purely casual thus it barely happens... at least for me.
 
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foothillfanatic

foothillfanatic

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I do see where the wifi signal does fluctuate, however it always looks like the nearby routers have even a lower signal strength than my home router. I wonder if there is a way to have the iPad remain with the "home" router even if other networks occasionally may have a stronger signal? Thanks.
 

BocataDeChoped

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I do see where the wifi signal does fluctuate, however it always looks like the nearby routers have even a lower signal strength than my home router. I wonder if there is a way to have the iPad remain with the "home" router even if other networks occasionally may have a stronger signal? Thanks.

In Settings -> Wifi -> Network X there's an option to skip any particular network. Never tried but it might be what you are looking for. Another option is to use wrong wifi settings for the networks you want to avoid.
 

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