We have over 25 Pepwave access points some older and some newer. All of a sudden no one with an iPhone can connect. The device sees the SSID and recognizes the password but there is no data flow. Its like the AP is not connected to a network behind it but the AP is accessible from any non-Apple device. There is no trouble with Windows PC or non-Apple smartphones.
I tried disabling security. I tried only 2.4g or 5.0g wifi. I am guessing an Apple update has caused this because it affects every iPhone and iPad we have. Is this a known issue? Solution?
1 Like
Are you using band steering? If so try to disable and a said to a specific band?
Jonathan we are controlling the APs through a Balance 310. I see a setting to prefer 2.4 or 5g. It is currently set to 2.4 which is the default. I don’t see a “no preference” option maybe that is somewhere else?
In the meantime I had a direct discussion with Peplink support. They said the issue is in the iPhone itself with a feature which creates a random MAC so the user is not tracked. The problem is when the user leaves the wifi zone and comes back. The actual MAC is reserved but the random one is shown so they don’t match. I may be explaining it wrong but the proposed solution is to turn off that feature on the iPhone. This feature is set under the individual SSID its not something the user can completely turn off. I can confirm the solution worked but implementation is not easy when you have a lot of users.
He said if you increase the length of the lease time that reduces the problem. I had it set to 30 minute because we have a lot of customers coming and going and I don’t want to run out of addreses. For now I changed it to one hour. To go further I will need to expand the DHCP range which can be done.
1 Like
Here are some common solutions to fix your iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection issues:-
Basic Checks:-
- Ensure Wi-Fi is turned on:- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and make sure the switch is green.
- Check Wi-Fi range:- Move closer to your router to see if the signal improves.
- Restart your iPhone:- A simple restart can often resolve temporary glitches.
- Restart your router:- Sometimes, a router reboot can fix connectivity issues.
Forget the network and rejoin:-
- Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
- Tap the “i” icon next to your network.
- Tap “Forget This Network.”
- Rejoin the network by entering the password.
Reset Network Settings:-
- Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset Network Settings.
- Note that this will delete saved Wi-Fi passwords.
Disable and Re-enable Wi-Fi:- Turn off Wi-Fi in Settings, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
More details instruction below.
iPhone Not Connecting to WiFi
are you using a captive portal?
I’m interested in knowing if Apple or Peplink made a move to account for this unexpected behavior? I agree that the likely problem has to do with the Randomized MAC on iPhones. However, reviewing classroom troubleshooting methods should not be the end of the discussion. WiFi clients are coming and going. Android phones work OK. iPhones do not connect. I checked my Android phones and they are all set to Randomized MAC by default, but that feature does not cause problems with the Peplink equipment. What was/is the fix?
Thanks,
S5
1 Like