Resolved iOS 6 WiFi Problem (Resolved)

[pitt1717]

cris1205 and tvr

the internet down thing was to prove that my phone should not have to ping an outside server to work. if it always needs to ping apples servers, if i disconnect my internet, my wifi on the iphone would stop working

tvr
i work in IT for a major company that utilizes a redirect page for the wireless. when a device comes on the network it makes an association to the access point. from there the ap sends the packet to a wireless controller that sends the packet to a NAC. if the client authentication works, then the client is sent back an ok of sorts and is allowed on the network. if the authentication fails a disassociation happens and the wireless disconnects. sound familiar? kinda like seeing your wireless connect only to disconnect a few seconds later

 

[crisss1205]

cris1205 and tvr

the internet down thing was to prove that my phone should not have to ping an outside server to work. if it always needs to ping apples servers, if i disconnect my internet, my wifi on the iphone would stop working

tvr
i work in IT for a major company that utilizes a redirect page for the wireless. when a device comes on the network it makes an association to the access point. from there the ap sends the packet to a wireless controller that sends the packet to a NAC. if the client authentication works, then the client is sent back an ok of sorts and is allowed on the network. if the authentication fails a disassociation happens and the wireless disconnects. sound familiar? kinda like seeing your wireless connect only to disconnect a few seconds later

Did you read my post below? The software is very sophisticated. It has been working fine for several years the way it was implemented only thing they didn't take into consideration is apples website going down. They should have had a backup URL in case the first one fails.

 

[understudyhero]

Also remember, this is not new with iOS 6. This was definitely in iOS 5, probably in iOS 4 and maybe even in iOS 3.

Also OS X 10.7 and 10.8 also use the same exact thing.

OSX might have it but it degrades gracefully because you would then rule out EVER using wifi without a public ip address accessible to the outside network. Also : No one's macs were failing on wifi at this same time. I was using my laptop to research the problem for example.

Trust me I have wifi macs that don't and can't reach apple.com if they tried. There is physically/logically/wirelessly no path between the wifi access point and the internet

 

[pitt1717]

Did you read my post below? The software is very sophisticated. It has been working fine for several years the way it was implemented only thing they didn't take into consideration is apples website going down. They should have had a backup URL in case the first one fails.

are you understanding what you are typing.. there shouldn't be a backup url because there shouldn't be a primary url. a call out to apple to get on a local network should never happen. it shouldn't even happen if you are connecting to mcdonalds free wifi
its like saying that for an android device to get on your home wifi, it would need to contact a google server. could you imagine the uproar if that happened?

 

[understudyhero]

are you understanding what you are typing.. there shouldn't be a backup url because there shouldn't be a primary url. a call out to apple to get on a local network should never happen. it shouldn't even happen if you are connecting to mcdonalds free wifi
its like saying that for an android device to get on your home wifi, it would need to contact a google server. could you imagine the uproar if that happened?

Which it probably does... it just doesn't call it all off if it can't reach google I am sure this is going to get fixed just this is a pretty serious black eye i think.

 

[movieator]

Everyone!
It's just a small glitch! Apple is not trying to get Skynet online!

NOBODY PANIC!










Oh...too late.

 

[crisss1205]

are you understanding what you are typing.. there shouldn't be a backup url because there shouldn't be a primary url. a call out to apple to get on a local network should never happen. it shouldn't even happen if you are connecting to mcdonalds free wifi
its like saying that for an android device to get on your home wifi, it would need to contact a google server. could you imagine the uproar if that happened?

Because lets say you do connect to McDonalds WiFi, unless you open Safari and try to visit a website your phone will not work. Why? You have not accepted the TOS.

If you use twitter, it will fail
If you try to check email, it will fail
If you try to check facebook, it will fail

If you do ANYTHING but visit a site, it will fail. And then you have people bitching and complaining that their phone does not work with that WiFi.

 

[pitt1717]

Which it probably does... it just doesn't call it all off if it can't reach google I am sure this is going to get fixed just this is a pretty serious black eye i think.

lol, probably...

but once the fandroids get a hold of this.... i can just hear it now, "apple is stealing your info" ugggghhhh

 

[crisss1205]

OSX might have it but it degrades gracefully because you would then rule out EVER using wifi without a public ip address accessible to the outside network. Also : No one's macs were failing on wifi at this same time. I was using my laptop to research the problem for example.

Trust me I have wifi macs that don't and can't reach apple.com if they tried. There is physically/logically/wirelessly no path between the wifi access point and the internet

The problem only happens if your computer disconnects from the network and then later tries to reconnect to an unknown network. Chances are your computer was on the entire time. And it knows if you are connected to the internet or not.

 

[switchover101]

are you understanding what you are typing.. there shouldn't be a backup url because there shouldn't be a primary url. a call out to apple to get on a local network should never happen. it shouldn't even happen if you are connecting to mcdonalds free wifi
its like saying that for an android device to get on your home wifi, it would need to contact a google server. could you imagine the uproar if that happened?

Apple shouldn't go straight to L7 with an http request, they could probably do a L3 request (like ping 4.2.2.2) and if that is successful, perform the http request to their site. If the ping isn't successful, then don't perform the http request because internet access isn't available...

 

[understudyhero]

The problem only happens if your computer disconnects from the network and then later tries to reconnect to an unknown network. Chances are your computer was on the entire time. And it knows if you are connected to the internet or not.

You are forgetting about first login to a wireless network - one that wouldn't have any connection out to apple.com to check the link. What I am saying is it checks, even windows checks, to see if you have "internet" but it doesn't disconnect the wifi because it has decided you DONT have wifi when you do.

 

[pitt1717]

Because lets say you do connect to McDonalds WiFi, unless you open Safari and try to visit a website your phone will not work. Why? You have not accepted the TOS.

If you use twitter, it will fail
If you try to check email, it will fail
If you try to check facebook, it will fail

If you do ANYTHING but visit a site, it will fail. And then you have people bitching and complaining that their phone does not work with that WiFi.

OMG, im not going to argue with you. you are correct that when you connect to a free wifi it auto directs you to a page in safari to accept the TOS or login using xfinity, time warner etc....
however, once you get the ok (again from a server owned by the provider, not apple,) you get an ip address and are allowed onto the network to get your email, twitter etc.
but again, no apple intervention is needed or should be needed. just like when you are at home.

 

[crisss1205]

You are forgetting about first login to a wireless network - one that wouldn't have any connection out to apple.com to check the link. What I am saying is it checks, even windows checks, to see if you have "internet" but it doesn't disconnect the wifi because it has decided you DONT have wifi when you do.

iOS and Mac OS will not disconnect your WiFi if you do not have internet connection. The only time it will disconnect your WiFi is if it cannot reach the Apple success page and it knows it can access Apple.com or if you hit the cancel button when the window to login comes up.

 

[understudyhero]

OMG, im not going to argue with you. you are correct that when you connect to a free wifi it auto directs you to a page in safari to accept the TOS or login using xfinity, time warner etc....
however, once you get the ok (again from a server owned by the provider, not apple,) you get an ip address and are allowed onto the network to get your email, twitter etc.
but again, no apple intervention is needed or should be needed. just like when you are at home.

Correct. Good idea bad execution. An alt login page for those situations should have been built into the iOS and triggered by those services (or devices you are connecting to) saying hey ios, here is a trigger that let's you know we should use that other login screen not the web based one.

EDIT: bolded part is the only logical statement in this entire conversation.

 

[crisss1205]

OMG, im not going to argue with you. you are correct that when you connect to a free wifi it auto directs you to a page in safari to accept the TOS or login using xfinity, time warner etc....
however, once you get the ok (again from a server owned by the provider, not apple,) you get an ip address and are allowed onto the network to get your email, twitter etc.
but again, no apple intervention is needed or should be needed. just like when you are at home.

No, you are not understanding how the technology works.
You say "once you get the ok...you get an ip address and are allowed onto the network"
That is false, you get an IP and are allowed access to the network before you even see the login page. How do you think you get into the login page in the first place? Usually the login page is something like http://192.168.1.1/login/form.asp which is on the network. The phone then checks to see if it gets a login page any time it needs to reconnect to the WiFi network.

 

[understudyhero]

iOS and Mac OS will not disconnect your WiFi if you do not have internet connection. The only time it will disconnect your WiFi is if it cannot reach the Apple success page and it knows it can access Apple.com or if you hit the cancel button when the window to login comes up.

So a simple dns spoof can make you have an exceptionally bad day then.
Apple.com is what ever address I want it to be... ooops page isn't there... oooh you are now screwed.

 

[crisss1205]

So a simple dns spoof can make you have an exceptionally bad day then.
Apple.com is what ever address I want it to be... ooops page isn't there... oooh you are now screwed.

Not sure, what looks like is happening is that it will send out a DNS request first to apple.com. If the DNS server does not respond with 17.172.224.47 or 17.149.160.49 then do not do anything as the user is not connected to the internet.

If it does get back the correct IP then it sends an HTTP request to http://www.apple.com/library/test/success.html. Once it reads the success message it one again, does nothing because your connection is fine. If it does not get the success message, then it knows you are connected to the internet, but something is blocking you so it shows you the redirect/login page.

 

[understudyhero]

Not sure, what looks like is happening is that it will send out a DNS request first to apple.com. If the DNS server does not respond with 17.172.224.47 or 17.149.160.49 then do not do anything as the user is not connected to the internet.

If it does get back the correct IP then it sends an HTTP request to http://www.apple.com/library/test/success.html. Once it reads the success message it one again, does nothing because your connection is fine. If it does not get the success message, then it knows you are connected to the internet, but something is blocking you so it shows you the redirect/login page.

I might try that later. Just set up my internal network to think that address is my server and see if i can endless loop it like just happened.

 

[ender78]

Someone really messed up here. Apple cannot assume that a computer can access that page at all. What happens to all the iPad on private secured networks that have no access to the global internet? There are tons of iPads out there on private network with no access to the Internet. No Internet does not equal no WIFI !!!

 

[AceCoolie]

I just spent an hour on the phone with level 1 and 2 tech support at apple and they could not resolve it. They are escalating my case. The tech said the phone line exploded around 6:30 pm today and they are aware of wifi issues.

 

[Meriana]

Someone really messed up here. Apple cannot assume that a computer can access that page at all. What happens to all the iPad on private secured networks that have no access to the global internet? There are tons of iPads out there on private network with no access to the Internet. No Internet does not equal no WIFI !!!

If your connected to a WiFi without Internet then the iPads wont try to check the internet connection.

 

[oyvader]

I'm still stuck.

My problem seems a bit different. I haven't been redirected to a webpage or anything of the sort. My phone just refuses to connect to my home wifi. (Work wifi seems okay.)

Thus far I've:

-rebooted my router and cable modem
-reset my phone's network settings
-Called AppleCare, who had me backup and restore my phone in itunes, along with rejiggering a few other settings with no success.

AppleCare gave me a case number, referred it to the engineers there, and promised a resolution within four business days.

Less than impressed, Apple. Less than impressed.

----------

I just spent an hour on the phone with level 1 and 2 tech support at apple and they could not resolve it. They are escalating my case. The tech said the phone line exploded around 6:30 pm today and they are aware of wifi issues.

Sounds like we're in the same boat.

 

[tolindoy]

Try using bootp instead of DHCP
to help with those dropped wifi connections

 

[fins831]

Mine fixed automatically about 2 hrs ago

 

[Mattnia]

I found it!!!

I was having the same wifi issue, do the following and hopefully it will also work for you:
On your iPad go to setting,general,reset and only reset network. As soon as it comes back up your problem is solved and no need for restoring the iPad.