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October 22, 2008 12:00 AM PDT

iPhone 3G Cannot Find/Connect to WiFi Networks

Posted by Ben Wilson

Several users have reported an issue in which the iPhone 3G fails to find and or connect to otherwise valid WiFi networks. A sampling of reports from this Apple Discussions thread:

  • "My laptop can find my router network fine. I reset my router and iPhone but my iPhone still cant find any routers. I reset the network settings too. If I try to put in the name and password manually it just says 'Joining InsertNetworkNameHere' Over and over, with no results."
  • "Suddenly my iPhone 3g can't find any wifi network. I have restored factory configuration but still the same. Yesterday my iPhone could find 4-5 wifi networks including my own now not even one."
  • "My brother and sister have iPod touches and theirs each work fine on my home network. I got an iphone last Tuesday, had to get update to start, won't connect to my home network."

An Apple support document entitled "Unable to use Wi-Fi with iPhone or iPod touch because there's no Wi-Fi address listed for the device" has a list of potential solutions, though most have proven ineffective for readers. Among the listed fixes:

  • Reset network settings (Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Setting)
  • Erase all settings (Settings > General > Reset > Erase All Content and Settings)
  • Restore the iPhone

Users posting to the aforementioned thread have had little success with any of these fixes.

If you are experiencing a similar issue, please let us know at http://www.iphoneatlas.com/contact.

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Add a Comment (Log in or register) 7 comments
by skaorsk8 October 22, 2008 7:25 AM PDT
I'm so glad I found this site! I'm having the same problem with my iPod Touch 2G - when I turn on wi-fi, I can select a network (I always choose my home network, which gets a check mark) ... and then nothing. No IP address. If I exit the WiFi connection settings, I don't have a WiFi icon in the top corner.

My workaround is to turn off WiFi, then turn it back on a second later. It works, but it sure is annoying to have to do. I was thinking about returning it to the Apple store and telling them that it's defective, but it seems to be a software issue more than a hardware issue (although I could be wrong about that).
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by daniel4510_dotmac October 22, 2008 8:58 AM PDT
This happened to many people, including myself, after updating the original iPhone to 2.0+. There were dozens of threads about it on Apple's support forum but the thread was eventually closed in mid-stream. Because of this, in addition to very poor AT&T service in my area--especially Edge--it really crippled my iPhone. When the iPod Touch 2G came out, I bought one and went to Verizon and the LG Dare, with the three features missing on the iPod Touch: voice GPS, bluetooth, and a camera. It means carrying around two units, but I'm a happy camper now. Oh. And oddly enough, triangulation with the original iPhone's pseudo GPS would put me MILES away from where I was actually located. The iPod touch is always spot on.
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by sccsocal October 22, 2008 9:57 AM PDT
This can also happen in some locations when "3G" is turned on. Before restoring the iPhone, try just turning off "3G". This solves the problem in many cases.
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by October 22, 2008 11:54 AM PDT
My iPod Touch can find many more hotspots than my iPhone. I think Apple has done a bad job with iPhone 3G
Reply to this comment
by wiggums1 October 22, 2008 12:53 PM PDT
Voice GPS? Is that a feature where you can pinpoint where your words are coming from?
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by rob010 October 22, 2008 11:10 PM PDT
The iPhone 3G is only capable of seeing wireless networks that are using b/g as n is not able to be seen or even used with the iphone.

I have an iPhone 3g and it sees and uses the g network I setup for it and doesn't see the n network I use for my imac at all.

It may also be some networks are using a hidden SSID which seems to cause at least my iphone to not always see the network.
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by daniel4510_dotmac October 23, 2008 12:43 AM PDT
Actually, what I always got a kick out of when my iPhone 1G stopped connecting to wireless, was that people on the Apple discussion boards would explain in great detail what to do with one's wireless server to make it connect. Do this, do that, unplug this, plug in that, change this or that setting, etc. But none of these suggestions were an option when trying to connect to wireless in a coffee shop, bar, restaurant or wherever. Sorry, but my iPod touch has not failed to connect to wireless networks that my iPhone failed to recognize. And rob010, I have NO idea what you are talking about. b/g? n? g? Huh? It just needs to work, like my iPod touch does.
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