Is there a way to prioritize WiFi connections?

[jgayman]

Is there a way to prioritize the WiFi connections on the iPhone? Since getting my iPhone4 a few weeks ago I've been using an Access Point in our office that is about 20 feet away from me. Nice solid maximum strength indicator. Someone just installed a secondary Access Point on the other side of the building (150-175 ft away) and despite only having a single segment of signal strength my iPhone keeps disconnecting from the strong signal and jumping on the weak signal. Is that crazy or what?

I can bring up settings and re-select the strong Access Point but a few minutes later it will jump back to the weak one.

Weird, eh?

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

I don't know of any way to set a preferred order for the wifi networks on the iPhone like you can in Mac OS X. This would be a nice option as I've run into the same issue a number of times.

 

[iggypod]

I don't know of any way to set a preferred order for the wifi networks on the iPhone like you can in Mac OS X. This would be a nice option as I've run into the same issue a number of times.

+1.

 

[Rajani Isa]

heh, I'd love a "hate list" as well. The local mall, for example, has about 6 joinable networks that go nowhere. Same for the place I tend to nab food at (Fred Meyers).

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

heh, I'd love a "hate list" as well. The local mall, for example, has about 6 joinable networks that go nowhere. Same for the place I tend to nab food at (Fred Meyers).

That'd be great to not be bothered by the phone asking you to select a wifi network every time you pop an app open. A "Don't ask me about this network again." option would sure be nice.

 

[Applejuiced]

I dont think there's an option like that.

 

[jav6454]

All you can do is manually hit "Forget Network" if the network isn't in range or is having problems. Then connect to the other best network. That's about as prioritizing as it gets.

 

[Applejuiced]

All you can do is manually hit "Forget Network" if the network isn't in range or is having problems. Then connect to the other best network. That's about as prioritizing as it gets.

Yep, that and also turning off the option "ask to join networks" will keep popups from comming up every time you're around any wifi's and also save you battery life.

 

[duncanapple]

All you have to do is tell your iphone not to "ask to join networks" (under settings > wifi)

The first time you get on a network you will have to go to settings>wifi and manually select it and put in the password. After that you never have to again.

And if you have already joined the network in the past, you will have to go in and tell it to "forget this network" the next time it reconnects. You will only have to do this once.

That will stop the OPs problem of connecting to a network he never plans to use, and some of the other posters problems of the annoying prompt asking to join networks you don't want to.

The only limitation is if there are conflicting network signals of two networks in which you use both sometimes. You cant prioritize those. But it sounds like for the OP he doesn't need to/never uses the other access point thats 175 feet away.

 

[jgayman]

All you have to do is tell your iphone not to "ask to join networks" (under settings > wifi)

The only limitation is if there are conflicting network signals of two networks in which you use both sometimes. You cant prioritize those. But it sounds like for the OP he doesn't need to/never uses the other access point thats 175 feet away.

That is good info, thanks. I apologize if my original post was a bit misleading. I do want to use the distant Access Point when I am on the other side of the building as our local unit does not reach over there.

I just would have thought the iPhone would always go for the strongest signal. My two Access Points are equal from a security standpoint except one is 5-bars and one is 1-bar. The iPhone wants to grab the 1-bar signal most times. Even if I already have a connection to the 5-bar unit and without me moving out of my chair the phone will sometimes switch to the 1-bar unit. Weird, eh?