Replace Smart Hub with TP Link but problems

[emnov74]

After loads of issues with my smart hub refusing to connect my daughter's android phone and my laptop and dropping connection in general I relented and took advice and bought a TP Link router. All set up and although Wi-Fi cam he slower everything in the house connects. However my boyfriend has an iPhone 6 and my friend an iPhone 7 and it will not let them connect....just scrolls trying yo connect...dont even get to a password screen. So from one issue to the next . Anyone any ideas? It connects my daughter's iPad but that's an old model...seems newer iPhones it won't let on???

[Keith_Beddoe]

I think it was the W9970 that you bought, the same one as I have.

Next door, who use the guest network, have two iPhones, and the both connect without any difficulty.

All their stuff is Apple, including IMac and IMac Air.

Try deleting the wireless connection on the phones and entering them in again.

Are they connecting to the main network or the guest network, as they would have different passwords?

Do you have MAC filtering enabled on the TP Link?

It has to be something simple, as I have not found any device that would not connect.

I assume you have removed power to the old home hub, so that its not transmitting any wireless signal?

You can also look at the wireless status page for whichever network they are connected to, and see if its attempting to authenticate.

Remember there are two separate wireless status pages.

[emnov74]

I haven't set up the guest network so they are just trying to connect to the normal network that we all use.  I will look if MAC filtering is enabled when I get home - if it is should I turn it off?  Yes the smart hub is removed, unplugged and boxed away.  

When you say look at the wireless status page what do you mean there are two...for guest network and home network?  I have seen from another forum this is a common issue with this router and there are many options of enabling and disabling to get iPhone to connect but most I don't understand.  

I have tried to forget the network on the phones but each time it finds the router wifi straight away but when you click to connect it just has the spinning dial and won't even go into request a password.  Like I say this seems to be on newer iphones so guess there is something ticked or unticked int eh settings on the router but not sure what.

[Keith_Beddoe]

MAC filtering is normally disabled by default, if it was enabled, then unless other devices were addad to the filtering list, they would not connect.

The wireless status screen would be this one Main wireless status

you could see if it shows the phones connecting and disconnecting.

I am not aware of any specific settings for wireless, but you could try changing the channel width from auto, to 20MHz.

Possible changes would be to set encryption to AES instead of auto and the authentication to WPA2.

Leaving them both on auto, may be confusing the later iPhones, which may explain the spinning dial.

What was suggested on the other forums?

I found this one http://www.appsodo.com/tutorial/fix-problem-of-iphone-can-t-connect-to-tp-link-wireless-router/

and https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/195924/wifi-connection-problem-iphone-to-tp-link-router

It appears this issue affects other routers as well.

Not sure what iPhones our neighbour uses, so I will have to ask. Usually if he has a problem, he asks me.

[emnov74]

I found many suggestions and have changed the channel width as you say already, changed the channel and various other things.  I will make the changes you suggest as well and see what happens. On the second link you sent this is exactly what is happening with the iphones.  And from looking at forums it is again trying various options like with the smart hub, just hope unlike the smart hub I can get this sorted as got family from london coming up next week and all have new iphones.  I will try your suggestions and get back you . Thanks

[Keith_Beddoe]

Another alternative would be to use the guest network and disable wireless security, and just rely on MAC filtering to control access. That would prove whether it is an encryption problem, and would solve the immediate issue.

That would involve adding any existing wireless devices to the filtering list. I do that by default anyway, so I have some extra control on which devices can access the wireless.

If you need help with the MAC table, I can show you an example. You have to specific which network the device connects to.

I have just added an example to my website Using wireless MAC filtering - example

That is something the home hubs do not have, so its difficult to stop someone, once they have your wireless key.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Just to add to my last post about MAC filtering. You should be able to see a list of your existing wireless connection MAC addresses.

You can copy and paste those individually into the MAC filtering table, and then add a description of the device.

If you take the option to disable security on the guest network, then when the iPhone connects to it, you will see its MAC address appear on the guest status screen, provided MAC filtering is disabled.

Example of devices connected to guest network

You can then add those device(s) to the MAC filtering page, and then re-enable MAC filtering.

Make sure you specify the guest network on the MAC filtering page.

I keep a spreadsheet. listing all my devices, with their name, their MAC address, and allocated IP address if its reserved.