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Wi-Fi dropping off

DRad2003

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Noticed that after the update to 5.1 my Wi-Fi drops out and I go back to 3G if I let my phone sleep for an extended period of time. Anyone else having that problem?
 
The iPhone will always break the connection to Wi-Fi unless plugged in to a power source.
This is to conserve battery life.
Has it only happened since updating?
 
Yeah, I knew about that but once I unlocked it it would pick up signal again. Now I have to go and turn it off and back on again. And yes just since the new update. I also did the update via iTunes and not OTA since I wanted to back up some purchased apps.
 
DRad2003 said:
Yeah, I knew about that but once I unlocked it it would pick up signal again. Now I have to go and turn it off and back on again. And yes just since the new update. I also did the update via iTunes and not OTA since I wanted to back up some purchased apps.

Is it still under warranty? Maybe a trip to Apple.
 
Yeah, I knew about that but once I unlocked it it would pick up signal again. Now I have to go and turn it off and back on again. And yes just since the new update. I also did the update via iTunes and not OTA since I wanted to back up some purchased apps.

I always keep 3G off when I'm at home and connected to wifi.

The wifi icon won't show until I wake the phone, but will always receive notifications w/ data off and in sleep mode.

Maybe that's just how iOS 5.1 is suppose to be?
 
zig9449 said:
I always keep 3G off when I'm at home and connected to wifi.

The wifi icon won't show until I wake the phone, but will always receive notifications w/ data off and in sleep mode.

Maybe that's just how iOS 5.1 is suppose to be?

Same here. Battery saver.
You still get all your notifications on home Wi-Fi so no big deal.
 
Same here. Battery saver.
You still get all your notifications on home Wi-Fi so no big deal.

Having same issue wifi connection drops after a while when phone is asleep, and it is worse for me because in this area where my office is I get horrid service. My battery life goes wayyyyyy down because I am roaming trying to look for data service. Is there anyway to make it stay on wifi because for me at least it is not a battery saver it is a killer. I have tested cutting off data while at work and just staying on wifi and that makes it stay of wifi and battery life is amazing, so that proves to me atleast that this is an issue.

any thoughts?
 
bakerj417 said:
Having same issue wifi connection drops after a while when phone is asleep, and it is worse for me because in this area where my office is I get horrid service. My battery life goes wayyyyyy down because I am roaming trying to look for data service. Is there anyway to make it stay on wifi because for me at least it is not a battery saver it is a killer. I have tested cutting off data while at work and just staying on wifi and that makes it stay of wifi and battery life is amazing, so that proves to me atleast that this is an issue.

any thoughts?

The only way to make a phone stay on wifi is for it to be connected to a decently strong wifi network.

I don't really think its an issue. That's just how it is.
 
Thanks for the reply.

Well I wish there was a option to change that feature, because at least in my case it is not helping to disconnect and go back to data. I was thinking it may be an issue because I believe it also happens on my home network when I am sitting almost beside the router. I will report back if I see it happening on my home network too.

thanks all!
 
bakerj417 said:
Thanks for the reply.

Well I wish there was a option to change that feature, because at least in my case it is not helping to disconnect and go back to data. I was thinking it may be an issue because I believe it also happens on my home network when I am sitting almost beside the router. I will report back if I see it happening on my home network too.

thanks all!

So you are saying that even at home beside your router the wifi will disconnect until you open Settings> Wifi and connect to it again?

Or is it disconnecting from Wifi while asleep and does not connect again until you wake the phone?
 
This is technically a two fold issue.

This is directly from iOS developer library - UIKit Keys

UIRequiresPersistentWiFiUIRequiresPersistentWiFi (Boolean - iOS)

Specifies whether the application requires a Wi-Fi connection.
iOS maintains the active Wi-Fi connection open while the application is running.

YES - iOS opens a Wi-Fi connection when this application is launched and keeps it open while the application is running. Use with Wi-Fi–based applications.

NO - (Default) iOS closes the active Wi-Fi connection after 30 minutes.

So the developer is actually the one in control of part of the issue.

The second part of this issue is iOS natively works in NO mode. So if there are no apps running you get what you are seeing now.
 
When it falls asleep it disconnects, and when I wake up the phone it reconnects. When I get home I will confrim it's doing the same thing that it doesn't work.
 
The moment that the screen turns off, a 30 minute timer starts. At the end of that time, if NO applications are registered to use the WiFi chip, it turns off. This is NOT a design flaw. It is exactly how iOS was designed.

It was done that way for a VERY simple reason. Push notifications are already tied to cell data. So why leave the WiFi chip on? The only way to tie the Push notifications to WiFi is to turn cell data off.

And the only time you really need to turn of the cell data is because you are in a weak or dead zone. Because when you are in a weak or dead zone it forces the cellular connection to switch to the highest transmission power possible to help search for a tower.
 
Yup...Skull One said it all.

A much better understanding then i had of it.
 
Last edited:
It will reconnect while in sleep mode every 10 or 15 minutes (depending on what iOS version you have) to check for push data.

That is incorrect. WiFi will not turn back on until you bring it out of sleep mode. Mainly because it has no need to. Push notifications are done thru a persistent IP connection that is opened thru the cellular data connection. The only time Push notifications are done thru WiFi is if you turn off cellular data.

The reason for that is pretty simply. There is no such thing as Push in TCP/IP. Doesn't exist. You have to open a port between the two IP addresses and keep it open. At that point they are both listening for data. That port can stay open 24/7 till the end of time if the data connection is not broken.

Since they turn off WiFi they do everything thru cellular since it is already on and has to be attached to the tower to begin with. Actually a pretty brilliant design.
 
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