Ipad wifi sync

[sbeattie2]

Scott; Thank you for your help. You are very very kind. First, I can surf the web with internet browser using my ethernet cable (LAN). MY pc ip address is:
192.168.2.xx and subnet is 255.255.255.0. My applet tv ip address is: 192.168.2.xx and subnet is 255.255.255.0. My ipad is: 192.168.2.xx and subnet is
255.255.255.0. I pinged my apple tv and it does receive the 4 packets. I ping the ipad and it also receives the 4 packets. I have turned the windows firewall on and off and it does not help. I don't believe my wifi is a guest set up because I still put in a password. I don't know if this is why but I tend to think my wired connection and my wifi connection is not on the same network. Is that possiable? If it is what do I need to do to fix it? Thanks again, David

Hi David. It appears that all your devices wired and wireless are on the same subnet 192.168.2.x - with subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Your pc can ping your apple tv and your iPad. I doubt that you are dealing with a guest wireless network because the pc can ping the wireless devices. Do you have a laptop that you can attach wirelessly and attempt to ping the wired computer from the wireless laptop. If that ping is successful - it would lead me to believe that you need to attach via USB cable again to iTunes. Unclick the two options that have to do with wifi sync and then apply those changes. Complete the next sync from the USB cable. Remove the iPad - then reboot iPad - hold down home and lock button until reboot occurs - apple logo appears. Then reattach iPad via USB. Re-enable the two wifi sync options. Apply the change - complete a USB sync. Remove iPad. On the iPad - go to settings/general/sync via wifi - and the sync button should no longer be grayed out - and it should NOT say "Waiting for PC to become available". Tap the sec button and try to sync. Make sure iTunes is open and that pc is not sleeping.

If this still doesn't work - take a screen print from your iPad sync screen - to do this quickly press and release both home button and lock button simultaneously. Screen print goes to camera roll - however - on iPad 1 - I believe the screen print goes somewhere else. Can you then post that screen print here?

Also please verify that you don't have another firewall other than windows firewall running or any type of virus protection - for the purpose of this troubleshooting. If this can't be resolved - you might have to take it to an Apple store - if there is in-fact an Apple store in your local area.

~Scott

 

[sbeattie2]

I have iPad 1 still can't sync. Does the pc have to be wireless? My pc is on cat 5, verified iPad is on same subnet. But still can not syc. Also several. iOS 5 features won't work. Gestures photo slide show also don't work... What gives thanks alex

No - the PC can be wired. I have friends with iPad-1 successfully syncing wirelessly to a wired Windows 7 PC that has their iTunes library. Nothing special was done to get it to work.

 

[dagold]

Hi Scott. Thanks for your help again.I did ping my windows pc computer with a wireless laptop. The ping was successful. I only have windows firewall running and microsoft security essentials for virus protection. Not sure if I told you but my home sharing from windows pc to apple tv only works when both are connected wifi. Also, I have an older ipod touch and the home sharing with my pc only works when pc is connected through wifi. So doing the IPAD steps probably wont work. I am just going to keep plugging my ipad in to sync. Again, thanks for your help. David

 

[sbeattie2]

Hi Scott. Thanks for your help again.I did ping my windows pc computer with a wireless laptop. The ping was successful. I only have windows firewall running and microsoft security essentials for virus protection. Not sure if I told you but my home sharing from windows pc to apple tv only works when both are connected wifi. Also, I have an older ipod touch and the home sharing with my pc only works when pc is connected through wifi. So doing the IPAD steps probably wont work. I am just going to keep plugging my ipad in to sync. Again, thanks for your help. David

Hi David, This really seems like an unusual and very annoying problem. My friends with the iPad1 - also have Microsoft Security Essential running on their iTunes Windows 7 PC - and there are no issues related to Microsoft Security Essentials.

One more thing you might want to try - do you have another laptop or desktop available - on which you already have iTunes installed and/or can get iTunes installed - attached the other desktop/laptop "wired" to your network - and see if home sharing will work with the iTunes library on the 2nd desktop/laptop as well as trying to sync to it. Unfortunately - if you do this - you will effectively erase and reload the iPad from the iTunes library on the 2nd computer - and you would then have to refresh it again from the original computer that seems to only want to work wirelessly. I don't know if you want to put in the effort to do this - but if the other pc work correctly "wired" - then the problem has got to be with your desktop and/or iTunes setup itself. Depending on the size of your iTunes library - you may want to use the iTunes Backup option to burn your entire library to DVD's or DVD+R DL discs - just in case something goes horribly wrong with further troubleshooting. My last and final thought - at the moment - do you have an Apple store nearby where you could take the iPhone in and see if they can provide any insight into what may be going on? Since you are syncing to Windows - the Apple Store won't necessarily troubleshoot that for you - but they could sync your iPad with one of their Macs to see if there is actually a synching problem with the iPad1 - itself. Your wireless only problem seems a bit bizarre.

~Scott

 

[zorah]

On iTunes itself under Options, neither my ip4 OR iPad under Options have the check box "Sync with this iPad/iPhone" when I click on the device phone. There flat out is NO check box. On both devices itself, under General>Settings>iTunes Wi-Fi Sync is there. But it's useless and grayed out UNLESS plugged in to the USB. If I try to sync wirelessly, nope, it stays grayed out saying it will do so once my computer is available. My computer is always one and iTunes is open. So what the heck is the problem, and why in iTunes when I click on my devices do I not have the Sync with this iPad?? I have the latest version of iTunes. So thus far, iOS 5 has been a big zero for one of the big things I was looking forward to.

 

[vbriggs]

Simple, but things I've found to work

1. Both devices must be on the same wifi network
2. After setting all settings and still having sync grayed out, I found that rebooting my win pc fixed it.

 

[dagold]

Hi Scott; Thanks for all your help. I took my older windows 7 laptop and plugged ethernet cable in and tried to use homesharing with my apple tv. The apple tv actually saw my windows laptop name (the apple tv would not see newer windows 7 pc while using ethernet) but when clicked the windows name on the apple tv it would not find the itunes library. Oh well. Anyways, I am just going to continue to plug Ipad into computer to sync. I think my problem comes down to how my network router is set up. But again, thanks for all your effort. David

 

[zorah]

Simple, but things I've found to work

1. Both devices must be on the same wifi network
2. After setting all settings and still having sync grayed out, I found that rebooting my win pc fixed it.

Check and check. My devices all share the same wifi network, and my Mac desktop was re-booted. All have been rebooted a bunch of times, but I'll keep trying. Well, I'm also biting the bullet, and ordering a 4S, so hopefully that will work from the start. I maintain my iPad 1, so that I really hope to get going. I'm doing a restore from backup to see if takes care of my OTHER issue with it and was hoping this will fix both as I've tried the above, but nope.

 

[bofort]

In order to wirelessly sync your iPad 2 and iPhone 4 to iTunes - you first have to attach your devices (via USB cable) to your computer containing your iTunes library - the one with which you are trying to sync - just as you always had to do in the past to sync your devices. Once your device is attached (you will repeat this for both the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2) - double click the device icon in the left pane of the iTunes window - this will bring up the sync options. On the first page of the sync options - scroll down to the Options section - you will see a check box called Sync with this iPad (iPhone) over WiFi. Make sure this box is check. After checking the box - look in the lower right corner of the screen and click the Apply button. The button will then change to a Sync button. Once the Sync button appears - click the Sync button to Sync your iPad / iPhone one more time. When the Sync completes - you will be able to remove your iPhone or iPad. Note - the mobile device is now wireless communicating with iTunes - you will continue to see the Eject button next to your device under devices - even after you disconnect it. You can optionally "eject" your device - and it will reconnect during a future sync attempt.

On your Device - Click Settings / General / iTune Wi-Fi Sync. The Sync Now button should be available - and not grayed out. If it is grayed out - wait a minute or so and it should appear. You "must" have iTune "open" or minimized on the PC or Mac to which you are trying to sync. Your computer cannot be sleeping when you are trying to sync wireless. (On a Mac - the sync may wake the Mac from Sleep - but it will not open iTunes if iTunes was not already open.

If you see a message that says "Sync will resume when XXXXXXX becomes available" - this means that iTunes is not running and needs to be opened.

When you sync over WiFi - this has nothing to do with iCloud. This is the same sync that you were previously performing via USB cable - the only difference is that you no longer have to physically connect your device to your iTunes computer - you simply ensure that iTunes is open on the computer and then press the sync button on each of your devices when you want to sync. As far as the sync being "automatic" (such as the way the iCloud backup is automatic) - I am not seeing that it syncs automatically - you have to press the sync button.

Let me know if this helps.

Scott

Thanks Scott, this confirms what I thought that iTunes has to be open on my iMac. I can sync when the iMac is asleep.
Cheers Bob

 

[dstuttgen]

The "sync with wifi" button under settings...general is always grayed out and not active in both devices. Neither iPad or iPhone shows up in device list of iTunes unless they are connected with USB cable.

I think the O.P. is referring to this. I reconnected to my PC thinking it would then work, but it didn't.

 

[dstuttgen]

You "must" have iTune "open" or minimized on the PC or Mac to which you are trying to sync. Your computer cannot be sleeping when you are trying to sync wireless.

Now that is rather inconvenient.

 

[dstuttgen]

In order to wirelessly sync your iPad 2 and iPhone 4 to iTunes - you first have to attach your devices (via USB cable) to your computer containing your iTunes library - the one with which you are trying to sync - just as you always had to do in the past to sync your devices. Once your device is attached (you will repeat this for both the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2) - double click the device icon in the left pane of the iTunes window - this will bring up the sync options. On the first page of the sync options - scroll down to the Options section - you will see a check box called Sync with this iPad (iPhone) over WiFi. Make sure this box is check. After checking the box - look in the lower right corner of the screen and click the Apply button. The button will then change to a Sync button. Once the Sync button appears - click the Sync button to Sync your iPad / iPhone one more time. When the Sync completes - you will be able to remove your iPhone or iPad. Note - the mobile device is now wireless communicating with iTunes - you will continue to see the Eject button next to your device under devices - even after you disconnect it. You can optionally "eject" your device - and it will reconnect during a future sync attempt.

On your Device - Click Settings / General / iTune Wi-Fi Sync. The Sync Now button should be available - and not grayed out. If it is grayed out - wait a minute or so and it should appear. You "must" have iTune "open" or minimized on the PC or Mac to which you are trying to sync. Your computer cannot be sleeping when you are trying to sync wireless. (On a Mac - the sync may wake the Mac from Sleep - but it will not open iTunes if iTunes was not already open.

If you see a message that says "Sync will resume when XXXXXXX becomes available" - this means that iTunes is not running and needs to be opened.

When you sync over WiFi - this has nothing to do with iCloud. This is the same sync that you were previously performing via USB cable - the only difference is that you no longer have to physically connect your device to your iTunes computer - you simply ensure that iTunes is open on the computer and then press the sync button on each of your devices when you want to sync. As far as the sync being "automatic" (such as the way the iCloud backup is automatic) - I am not seeing that it syncs automatically - you have to press the sync button.

Let me know if this helps.

Scott

Thank you for your explanatory post. It was very clear and concise. It is unfortunate though, that iTunes and PC need to always be in a ready state for wifi sync to work.

 

[sbeattie2]

Thank you for your explanatory post. It was very clear and concise. It is unfortunate though, that iTunes and PC need to always be in a ready state for wifi sync to work.

If you are. Syncing with a Mac - and you have your Mac set to wake for network access - attempting to sync from mobile device by pressing sync now - will in-fact wake the Mac. The sync may time out in this scenario - however pressing sync a second time should actually sync successfully. However you still need to have iTunes open or minimized. The same is true if you are using the apple remote app for iPhone or iPad - the remote app wakes the computer - but iTunes has to have been opened before the Mac went to sleep. Not sure why they can't have iTunes open automatically when a remote request is received.

~Scott

 

[zorah]

I discovered what my problem is: I'm running Leopard on my Mac Mini. I have to update to Snow Leopard in order to get the wifi sync capability.I think it has to be 10.6.7 Mac OS version or something like that. I think Snow Leopard is $29 or something, so I might just cough it up, but then again, I could just do what I do anyway. The wifi sync is not so important on my iPhone, as I charge it via USB to my Mini anyway, but it would be handy for my iPad, but not the end of the world either. But I find it a bit silly that a Windows computer would run it, but my own Apple one isn't good enough! Be that as it may, this is for another thread, but I can't get rid of the sync hang up on my iPad yet, so I remain unhappy about that because I don't know what's not being synced correctly, so iOS 5 is messing me up there too, but hopefully it can get sorted out.

 

[val1101]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this but am I hearing that iOS networking is too primitive to even understand TCP/IP layer 3? I'm not sure how it works on the Internet if it doesn't understand layer 3 networking. Obviously there's a security risk by having the same subnet for wifi that you have your desktop PC attached to so I'd never have one subnet for both wifi and ethernet. Someone seems to be suggesting that iTunes Sync developers are so lazy they left routing completely out of their application. Is that right? Do they get paid the same as Foxcon workers?