When you’re driven to seek out support because things aren’t going well in your personal world of technology, the geeks are going to ask you some questions. You’ll want to have tried everything first.
Here are some potential solutions if your iPad doesn’t seem to have Wi-Fi access. Keep track of everything you try, so you’ll know how to answer those questions – if nothing else works.
Make Sure Wi-Fi is Enabled for Your Device
None of us want to be known as the guy who called tech support to figure out why his computer wasn’t working, only to discover that it wasn’t plugged into the wall. So, let’s begin your quest for Wi-Fi by making sure it’s actually turned on. You’ll find out under Settings > Wi-Fi. Just make sure Wi-Fi is toggled to the “on” position. In fact, try toggling it to “off” for a few seconds and then back to “on” again to reset the connection.
Locate the Source of the Problem
Now you need to find out whether your iPad really has a problem or whether your Wi-Fi itself is on the blink. That’s simple – try using the Internet on your computer or another device. If you can’t connect to the Internet on your other devices either, then your iPad isn’t the culprit. In that case, you might try to restart your router. If it doesn’t have a button to switch it off and on again, simply unplug it for several seconds and plug it back in again. Once you’re sure your Wi-Fi is working, you can focus on the iPad itself.
Make Sure You’re Close Enough to The Router
If you aren’t within range of your Wi-Fi router, you won’t be able to connect to the Internet, so the first step toward restoring connection may be to move closer to your network router and try again.
Give your iPad a Fresh Start
Sometimes devices simply need a fresh start. Hold down the Power (or Sleep/Wake) button on the top right edge of your iPad until the screen shows a slider for powering off. Slide the iPad off, wait a few seconds, and press the Power button to restart.
If your iPad still won’t connect to the Internet, you can try to reboot it completely. This time you’ll need to hold both the Power button and the Home button down simultaneously until the screen goes completely dark, then shows the Apple logo.
Check Your Password and Settings
Make sure you’ve entered the correct password for your Wi-Fi under Settings. You could even try assigning a new password. Of course, you’ll have to use the new password for all of your other devices with Internet connections, too, so make sure you choose carefully, but this has been known to fix the problem.
Another solution might be to change the name of your Wi-Fi network itself. Once again, this will affect your other devices as well, but it has worked for others in the past.
Also under Settings > Wi-Fi, you can renew the iPad’s lease of your network’s IP address by clicking on the network, tapping the blue arrow, and choosing Renew Lease. Another option that’s given when you click the blue arrow is to Forget Network. Try first one and then the other. One of them may do the trick in restoring your iPad’s Internet connection.
If not, you can try to reset your iPad’s network settings. This time, go to Settings > General > Reset and choose Reset Network Settings. Make sure you know your Wi-Fi password first, because it will have to be re-entered after the settings are cleared.
If your iPad still doesn’t have Internet access, you could reset all settings through Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. Your settings will be lost, but your pictures and other saved content won’t be affected.
Update Your iPad
By now, you’re probably ready to reach out for tech support, but there is something else you can try. Maybe your iPad is due for an update. Follow the steps below.
- Connect your iPad to your computer using a USB cord.
- Open iTunes on your computer.
- Select your iPad on the iTunes device menu.
- Click on Check for Updates on the device dashboard.
- After installing any available updates, unplug your iPad from the computer and restart it. Try connecting to the Internet again.
Still no Internet connection? Before calling tech support, you’ll want to double-check that the problem is with your iPad. You can do this by taking your device to a free Wi-Fi hotspot such as McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, or Starbucks. If your device can’t connect to the Internet there either, you’ll be certain that the problem lies with the iPad. At least you’re ready to answer those questions.
