Can my iPad automatically forget a WiFi connection?
June 1, 2013 11:02 AM   Subscribe

I'm configuring my wife's iPad 1 to work with our WiFi network. Because our kids also use it, we'd like it to "forget" the WiFi connection when we disconnect.

We don't want our two younglings getting out on the Internet without supervision, so I've shown my wife how to turn on and shut off the WiFi connection. However, once it knows a network connection, it will automatically connect to it once the WiFi is enabled. While we can get it to manually "forget" the network connection, is there a way to have it automatically forget the connection, so that the password has to be re-entered? I haven't been able to find anything on various tech forums, but thought it was worth checking with the hive mind.

Given the level of fooling around they do on it, I expect at some point that they will get into the settings and turn WiFi back on - I'd like the iPad to need a password to reconnect. While we can do the manual forgetting each time, I'm curious to know if we can set it to automatically require that password each time.

Other alternatives for keeping curious fingers away from the settings would also be worthwhile.

iPad 1, iOS 5.1.1
posted by never used baby shoes to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)
 
Best answer: Why not just Settings > General > Restrictions > Safari to put parental controls on browsing the web?
posted by zippy at 11:22 AM on June 1, 2013


(Parental controls here is more generally a passcode, which can be distinct from your iPad unlock one, that a user needs to enter before using a restricted app)
posted by zippy at 11:25 AM on June 1, 2013


I don't know about iOS specifically, but all other operating systems I can think of have a checkbox that asks "connect to this network automatically?" when you are setting it up. Just uncheck that and it shouldn't remember the password.

The way I'd do it, however, is to have two wireless access points in the house. One for the kids, one for the adults. When it is time for the kids to be off the internet, just unplug that access point.
posted by gjc at 12:14 PM on June 1, 2013 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Thanks zippy - that's the workaround I needed.

gjc - That's the usual setup on every other OS, but iOS doesn't have that - it seems you have to manually make it "forget" every time.

I like the two wireless points, and when I get a second, that's probably the route to go.
posted by never used baby shoes at 6:29 PM on June 1, 2013


Another solution would be to setup a gateway at your house that requires authentication before opening the HTTP ports. Similar to what you have to do at a coffee shop when you try to go to google but instead get a page that makes you agree to something or type in the password of the day.
posted by jeffamaphone at 6:34 PM on June 1, 2013


« Older Advice for how to market myself as a...   |   where to sell computers in lots? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.