WiFi keeps dropping out on iPhone

[Niro24]

This problem started a couple of years ago when I purchased an iPhone 12 mini. The phone kept losing connection to the internet whilst still showing Wi-Fi connected.  I had to keep toggling Wi-Fi off & on to restore connection.  In the house was 2 users of Samsung phones that never experienced any problems at all.  I spent a good few hours with Apple experts trying to sort the problem out, but never really getting to the bottom of the problem. It did seem to settle down on its own eventually until recently when it started happening again.  I was on TT Fibre 65 until last week when I was upgraded to City Fibre 150 FTTP complete with new Sagemcom Fast 5464-2.T4 router. I was optimistic that it might cure the problem but alas it is still happening.  Now whenever the phone is woken from a locked screen it always defaults to 5g mobile data, until I use the phone and it eventually reverts to Wi-Fi.  Not sure if anyone can throw any light on this, I am aware of other people having similar problems with iPhones.

[Debbie-TalkTalk]

Hi @Niro24 

Thanks for your reply.

If you do experience any further issues then please let us know.

Debbie

[Niro24]

Hi Michelle, fyi I tried my iPhone on my son’s broadband connection and the Wi-Fi did not drop out at all.  After trawling through Apple forums etc, found a solution that seems to have solved the problem.  I had tried previously switching the VPN off but it didn’t resolve the issue, but this advised uninstalling the VPN app, switching the phone off and on then reinstalling the app again, and I’m pleased to say the phone is working ok now.  Not sure why the problem coincided with having the broadband upgraded with a new router, but all is well for now.

many thanks 

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello,

Ok thanks for confirming. If it works ok on a different line then we can pass this over to our Devices Team for investigation.

Thanks

Michelle

[Niro24]

Hi Michelle, the problem was intermittent previously after waking the phone up, I  had to toggle Wi-Fi off/on to restore connection.  Now since upgrading to FTTP and had a new router, it is a constant problem where it loses Wi-Fi connection completely when asleep.  Wi-Fi connection is only restored after I open any app.  Obviously if mobile service is enabled it defaults to 5G until I open an app and then connects to home Wi-Fi.  My iPhone is running iOS 18.0.1.

I am going to travel to my son’s house on Thursday where I will test my phone against his Sky broadband connection, and I will let you know the results of that.

many thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Morning,

Thanks for re-testing. So just to confirm, it only started happening again once you upgraded to FTTP? Does your phone have the latest IOS version?

Michelle

[Niro24]

Hi Michelle, plugged the old router back in (Sagemcom FAST 5364-3. T8) and the problem still exists.  The new router is a Sagemcom FAST 5464-2.T4 with a voip telephone landline socket.  Both routers seem to have the same version no SG4K100174.

Many thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Hello again,

Thanks for confirming. Would it be possible to retest with the original router and let us know if this is still happening please? We can then pass this over to our Devices Team for further investigation. What is the make and model of the new router too please and also what version of firmware does each router have?

Thanks

Michelle

[Niro24]

Hi Michelle, the previous router was a Sagemcom Fast 5364-3.TB and I still have it.

many thanks

[Michelle-TalkTalk]

Good morning,

Can I just confirm, what was the make and model of the router that you were previously using? Do you still have this other router?

Thanks

Michelle

[Niro24]

I appreciate you trying to help.

[ferguson]

Hmm, OK, I'm a bit stumped then, especially as other mobile devices seem to be connecting. Sorry.  😕

[Niro24]

Yes I’d already tried turning Wi-Fi assist off on my phone, but the phone is nearly always on mobile data when waking the phone up. If I turn mobile data off completely then the phone is not connected at all until I go to read an email or open an app and then it connects to Wi-Fi.

[ferguson]

One more thought. If you go iPhone Settings > Mobile Service and scroll down you will see something called Wi-Fi assist. Try turning that off. 

[ferguson]

Yeah, that's what I meant. The only other thing I can think of is splitting the SSIDs to see if forcing the iPhone to connect to the 5GHz band alone may help. 

[Niro24]

Hi, thanks for the advice, tried that although the setting for 2.4GHz  bandwidth was already on 20MHz if that’s what you were referring to?  (I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to router settings) 

[ferguson]

Try switching channel bonding off on the 2.4GHz band in the router settings i.e. select 20 MHz only, see if that helps.