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Firmware 12.1.11.10 iPhone disconnects
After quite a good run with the previous firmware, this update is causing issues again with at least my iPhone. It randomly disconnects and most times I can toggle the WIFI on the phone a few times ...
Turns out, if IPV4 is set to manual, automatic DNS doesn't work on iPhone/iPad. The DNS has to be set manually as well. Not sure why this wasn't a problem with v9.13.2.1, but it is now.
I cannot replicate this behavior on my PC as there is not an automatic DNS option, DNS must be set manually when setting a manual IP address.
At any rate, I think this is the solution: when setting a manual IPV4 address on an Apple device, scroll down to the DNS settings and configure the DNS manually as well - Automatic DNS does not work in this case.
I'll write this down to user error, I guess, uncovered by new firmware behavior.
I tried disabling IPv6 on the router for the heck of it. Then the connection appears connected in the iPhone WiFi dialog - it literally shows the SSID with a check by it as if it were connected, but the icon for WiFi in the upper right corner never comes up and there is NO network connection, just cellular LTE.
Toggling IPv6 on / off on the router enables / disables the network connection on the phone almost immediately. With IPv6 disabled, only the IoT network works. The Main SSID will not connect at all. With IPV6 enabled, the Main SSID connection gets dropped, but if I toggle the Wi-Fi on/off on the phone, eventually it reconnects. So, there's definitely a connection stability issue with IPV6, but there's a different problem that's more basic when using a Manually configured IPV4 address on the iPhone...or iPad too as it turns out.
And I have finally managed to replicate the problem on my iPad:
Configuring a manual IPV4 address on either device breaks the MAIN SSID connection. If iPv6 is enabled, it may still work - or randomly appear to be disconnected. If IPV6 is disabled, it will not work at all. The very same manual IPV4 addresses work fine on the IoT network. If I set either device to config the IPV4 address automatically, then either SSID appears to work - also apparently masking the random IPV6 disconnects which I assume is some other bug/issue that is unrelated to the Manual IPV4 problem.
This is 100% repeatable here - I can toggle any of these settings and get immediate replication of the bug:
- Manual IPV4 Address with IPV6 disabled, Main SSID - no network, IoT no problem
- Manual IPV4 Address with IPV6 enabled, Main SSID works intermittently over IPV6. IoT, no problems.
- Auto IPV4 Address - Main SSID works fine over IPV4 and likely intermittently over IPV6. IoT, no problems.
In short, Manually configured IPV4 address seem to be broken on the Main SSID.
Is this "Manually Configured IPV4 address" issue a known problem perhaps, or do I need to embark on a support call?
Some to try on the Apple devices that I found that cleared up odd connection issues, Try the Forget Network feature on the wifi profile on the Apple devices. This should clear out some odd initial connection behaviors.
Another item I tried a while ago was Reset Networking on the Apple devices. Not a full on factory reset, just reset networking. I happened to have an odd issue with printing from the photos app to a printer and would not work at all. After troubleshooting all I was going to do a full nuke of the phone but found the reset networking. After trying this, boom, printing from the photos app started working. Not sure what was the cause of that.
I've had my iphone 17 pro max connected to my RBR971 and hasn't had any problems being connected to the main WLAN. Using automatic DHCP on the phone. Only item I have set on the phone is Fixed or Disabled for Private WiFi Address when I'm home. RBR set for manual channels 11 and 48 currently.
Also have been testing 3rd party IPv6 tunnel service since my IP doesn't have native IPv6 support. Tunnel service has been working well and haven't seen any issues like what you have been seen.