Chapter 11. Setting Up an Internet Connection
There are two ways to connect to the Internet. First, you can connect through any Wi-Fi network. Second, if you have the 3G version of the iPad, you can connect through a cellular telephone company’s network.
A Wi-Fi network is faster, but it won’t always available, especially if you’re outside. 3G service is usually available almost everywhere. Since connecting to the Internet can make your iPad so much more useful, you need to learn both ways of getting on the Internet with your iPad.
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to set up an Internet connection for your iPad.
Setting Up a Wi-Fi Connection
No matter which type of iPad you have, you can always connect to the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection. Many public places offer free Wi-Fi connections, and your home or office may have a Wi-Fi network.
To set up a Wi-Fi connection with your iPad, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The Settings screen appears.
Tap Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Networks settings screen appears as shown in Figure 11-1.
(Optional) Tap the Ask to Join Networks on/off switch. When turned on, your iPad always asks for permission before accessing a Wi-Fi network. This can let you see exactly which Wi-Fi network your iPad may be accessing. It’s usually a good idea to know exactly what network you’re connecting to, especially when you’re travelling.
Tap the Wi-Fi on/off switch so that the switch reads ON. Your iPad tries to recognize any Wi-Fi networks. If there are multiple Wi-Fi networks available, a window lists them all and you can tap the one you want to use. If the Wi-Fi network is password-protected, a Password screen appears as shown in Figure 11-2. (If your iPad can’t recognize a Wi-Fi network that you know exists, you’ll need to tap Other and type in Wi-Fi settings yourself.)
(Optional) Type the password to access the Wi-Fi network and tap the Join key on the virtual keyboard. Your iPad connects to your chosen Wi-Fi network.
Forgetting a Wi-Fi Network
After you’ve connected to a Wi-Fi network once, your iPad will try to automatically connect to it in the future. This can be handy the next time you need to use that particular Wi-Fi network. However, if you find your iPad trying to latch on to a Wi-Fi network that you don’t want to join, you can have your iPad forget that network. Forgetting a network is especially useful when you just need to use a particular Wi-Fi network once (such as a free airport Wi-Fi network) or when you accidentally connect to your neighbor’s wireless network and don’t want to keep using it without permission.
To forget a Wi-Fi network, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The Settings screen appears.
Tap Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi Networks screen appears as shown earlier in Figure 11-1.
Tap the white arrow inside the blue circle that appears to the right of the network you want your iPad to forget. The network info screen appears.
Tap Forget this Network at the top of the screen.
Tap either Forget or Cancel when prompted.
Connecting to a 3G Cellular Network
If you have the 3G version of the iPad, you have the option of connecting to the Internet through a 3G cellular telephone network. Depending on your cellular telephone provider, you can purchase 3G access on a monthly basis for a fixed fee that gives you a fixed amount of data.
To set up a 3G account on your iPad, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The settings screen appears.
Tap Cellular Data. The Cellular Data settings screen appears as shown in Figure 11-3.
Tap the Cellular Data on/off switch to make sure it reads ON.
(Optional) Tap the Data Roaming on/off switch to turn it ON or OFF. (Data Roaming means that your iPad constantly checks the Internet for email messages, and, in many countries, each time it checks the Internet you could incur a fee.)
Tap View Account. The View Account window appears as shown in Figure 11-4.
Note
To sign up for a data plan, you must type in a credit card number. If you are in an area where you can’t get 3G cellular telephone access (such as floating on a cruise ship or driving through a remote area like Death Valley), you will have to wait to sign up for a 3G data plan when you can access a cellular network.
Canceling (or Switching) a Cellular Data Plan
When you sign up for a data plan, it runs for a fixed amount of time, such as 30 days, starting with the date that you signed up for that data plan. If you choose the limited data plan, you’ll receive three alerts when your data plan limit reaches 20 percent, 10 percent, and zero. Each alert gives you the chance to sign up for your current plan or choose a different plan.
Your data plan will automatically renew every time period (such as 30 days) until you specifically turn it off. To turn off (or switch) your data plan, follow these steps:
From the Home screen, tap Settings. The settings screen appears.
Tap Cellular Data. The Cellular Data settings screen appears (see Figure 11-3).
Tap View Account. The View Account window appears showing your current data plan.
Click Cancel Plan or one of the other data plan buttons to switch to that data plan.
Additional Ideas for Connecting to the Internet
Since 3G cellular network connections can give you Internet access practically anywhere you can get cellular phone coverage, you may prefer using 3G networks to access the Internet. However, the 3G version of the iPad costs more, weighs more, and offers approximately one hour less battery life when accessing the Internet through a 3G network.
If you prefer to use a different cellular telephone network provider, you can often buy special Wi-Fi devices that you can carry around. These portable Wi-Fi routers connect to the 3G cellular telephone network (for a monthly fee, of course), but give you a Wi-Fi hotspot so you can access the Internet through your iPad’s Wi-Fi connection. By using a portable Wi-Fi device, you can buy the less expensive iPad model (the one without 3G) and also use your favorite and most reliable 3G cellular telephone network.