with this wifi issue, not connecting to some free hotspots....

[rg3n]

my question is, is the wifi on the ipod touch an older version or something is that why it cant connect properly or its the latest wifi version w/e??? hehe


hope u know what i mean :s

[kornchild2002]

The iPod touch uses 802.11b/g which should work at every wi-fi hotspot. The new standard is 802.11n but all routers have the option of outputting all three (there is even a 802.11a standard) signals at the same time.

Now there is an encryption format that the iPod touch is not compatible with, it is a form of Enterprise encryption.

[rg3n]

so that means apple is a little behind in the wifi technology in the ipod touch ...........ahh now i feel in the next macworld steve job will hav a fix for this and i'll just feel screwed :s



can this problem be fixed by a simple firmware update?

[mc4]

Almost every WIFI hotspot is backward compatible. This is a non-issue.

[kornchild2002]

The only standard that the iPod touch doesn't use is 802.11n and 802.11a. 802.11a has been phased out quite a bit of time ago and 802.11b/g remain the universal standards. 802.11n isn't in the iPod touch because it wasn't really a standard until last year. Apple has to begin manufacturing their new products many months in advance of them even announcing them. They used the same wi-fi antenna from the iPhone which won't read 802.11n. 802.11n technically still isn't a wi-fi standard as there are some things that aren't decided on yet but Apple went ahead and put it in their notebooks, the Apple TV (I think), and their wi-fi backup storage solution. 802.11n provides much faster data transfer rates but this is something really not needed in a portable device. Due to the iPod touch's processing power, 802.11n wouldn't load any faster than 802.11b/g. That and any 802.11n wi-fi hotspot (I highly doubt that there are any as it is still too new) also emits 802.11b and 802.11g signals for backwards compatibility.

That is why any hotspot that you visit should work with the iPod touch unless it uses a form of WPA Enterprise encryption. Then again, free wi-fi hotspots aren't normally encrypted. They are normally open and you sometimes have to type in a password at your browser's main screen. Where are you trying to access the internet that it isn't working?

[Redbirdpat]

I've actually had some wifi problems in a couple of airports. I actually connected to a hotspot whose label was actually something like "Free Airport Wifi". It seemed to connect fine, but I couldn't bring up any pages. It didn't bring up a login page, like most pay wifi hotspots either. Just nothing. Every page was "not found" after I connected. And it's happened in 2 different airports.

I have connected in other open hotspots, so I know my device works fine. Just seems there are a few out there that have problems. It might be something simple, but I couldn't figure it out.

[mc4]

I've actually had some wifi problems in a couple of airports. I actually connected to a hotspot whose label was actually something like "Free Airport Wifi". It seemed to connect fine, but I couldn't bring up any pages. It didn't bring up a login page, like most pay wifi hotspots either. Just nothing. Every page was "not found" after I connected. And it's happened in 2 different airports.

I have connected in other open hotspots, so I know my device works fine. Just seems there are a few out there that have problems. It might be something simple, but I couldn't figure it out.

I mentioned this in another thread. It's more of an issue with not being redirected to their login screen. Not sure if it's an issue with the redirect technology or the browser.

[Redbirdpat]

Perhaps that's it. I certainly don't know. But the thing that got me is that the WiFi hotspot name itself contained the word "Free". The name certainly implied that it was not a pay hotspot. Of course that doesn't mean it was free. Just seemed that way.

[kornchild2002]

It probably just isn't compatible with the way the portable version of Safari operates. It really isn't all that different than Safari for desktops but it must not be telling the iPod touch to go to this website to register/login/whatever. I had an issue like that once with my PSP (when I had it) back in 2005 as I was traveling and I used my PSP more of like a portable internet device. I was at a free hotspot in a fast food joint in Washington DC and my PSP could not connect to it no matter what I did. I saw other people connect with their notebooks and they would open up their internet browser, register (for free) with the wi-fi network, and it would then open up a new browser window saying that the registration was successful.

[ak9237]

this is getting very anoying. i go places with wifi and cant connect. also i just went somewhere and said it connected to the linksys but when i went to safari it says the same old cant connect to server error. the only places i seem to be able to connect to are in friends houses

[rg3n]

very true I can relate to that nym11.

[paranoidxe]

Don't worry guys I'm sure there will be a firmware update to address this issue, only cost you $50 and new users will get it for free.

[daihard]

Interesting. I've been able to connect my iPod touch to quite a few free WiFi hot spots in the last couple of weeks. They're not just openly-advertised spots. I walk around downtown looking for an unlocked WiFi connection, and 9 out of 10 times I am able to connect to what my iPod touch finds (and use the connection, to be sure).

Where do you guys live? I live in the Seattle area.

[Touchmyipod]

Don't worry guys I'm sure there will be a firmware update to address this issue, only cost you $50 and new users will get it for free.

You couldn't be serious? :rolleyes:

We know they won't charge for that, just apps.

Also, just added, I really feel like where I live wifi is readily available and I always can connect, where is everyone who has problems located?

I'm in Los Angeles, tons of free wifi I alwasy connect too. Also work in Burbank, and again, tons of free wifi, and I connect fine....try hitting the renew lease button, I need to do that every so often. May work

[gsu_paintballer]

I have had no trouble using the connections in 5 local restaurants and my college campus.

[Redbirdpat]

I can get into free spots in my area. But I've had a couple of problems in 2 airports. Again, it looked like I connected, but I couldn't do anything. No login screen. Nothing. I kept getting a server error or something when I tried to load a page. Tried renewing, reconnecting, etc. There are just some spots out there that don't work correctly. At least not with my Touch.

[cbern]

I am also having trouble connecting at some hotspots using the ipod touch. At some sites if you try to connect to the internet using a browser on a laptop you are automatically redirected to a homepage where you have to give some sort of info such as your email address. This automatic redirecting doesn't work with some sites in the ipod touch. I am guessing that this is a problem with the version of Safari that's installed on the ipod.

I have found that if you enter the IP address of the redirect page directly into Safari on the iPod touch that you can then connect, but I don't know how you can find this unless you also have a laptop with you.