Troubleshooting iPhone & iPad Wi-Fi networks and connections

Symptoms

When using a Wi-Fi network with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you may occasionally encounter the following issues:

Unable to locate or join a nearby Wi-Fi network Weak or low Wi-Fi signal strength Connected to Wi-Fi network, but unable to access the Internet

This article outlines basic battery troubleshooting tips and techniques for Wi-Fi on your iOS device. For information on enabling or configuring a Wi-Fi connection, see the User Guide for your product.

Note:iOS devices sold in China may use the term Wireless LAN (WLAN) instead of Wi-Fi. Not all China iPhone models support WLAN; see this article for more information.

Products Affected

iPhone, iPad, iPod touch

Resolution

Many Wi-Fi issues can be resolved by doing the following:

Basic troubleshooting Tap Settings > Wi-Fi and turn Wi-Fi off and then on again. Verify that you are in range of your Wi-Fi router or base station. Confirm that your Wi-Fi router and Cable/DSL modem are connected to power and turned on. Check whether other devices (portable computers, for example) are able to connect to the Wi-Fi network and access the Internet. Update your Wi-Fi router to the latest firmware. For AirPort Base Stations, refer to this article for information about firmware updates. For third-party Wi-Fi routers, check the manufacturer's website for details on updating your firmware. Restart your iOS device Hold the On/Off button until "slide to power off" appears. Slide to power off your device. When it is off, press the On/Off button to turn it back on.

If you are still experiencing a Wi-Fi issue after trying the above, choose the symptom below that closely matches your issue:

If you're unable to locate or join a nearby Wi-Fi network After joining a Wi-Fi network, you notice the signal strength is weak or fluctuates If you are unable to access the Internet while connected to a Wi-Fi network Additional Information

If you are using a Wi-Fi router at home, refer to your user manual/documentation to assist you with some of these suggestions.

Check the manufacturer's website for firmware or software updates for your Wi-Fi router. Check the wireless security option of your Wi-Fi router: If you are using WEP security and have multiple WEP keys on your Wi-Fi router, try configuring your Wi-Fi router to use only a single WEP key in key index 1. Consider using WPA or WPA2 instead. WPA and WPA2 encryption protocols are newer, more effective security options for wireless networks than the older WEP protocol. Temporarily disable wireless encryption or security on the Wi-Fi router to rule out encryption issues. Disable 40MHz in the 2.4GHz settings on the Wi-Fi router. Mac computers, iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch do not support this mode. Disabling it may reduce interference issues.
Supported Wi-Fi networks vary by iPhone, iPad, iPod touch model(Example: Does my device support 802.11n?). Refer to Tech Specs for detailed information on which standards your device supports.

Find additional information on configuring your Wi-Fi router for use with iOS devices.

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

access point vs router