How to clear WIFI network in preferred list?

[gameson]

Just curious, in Android, BB10, I can add and remove my WIFI network preferred list. How do I do that in iOS 6?

Thanks.

 

[Peligro911]

Setting general then reset network settings


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

 

[gameson]

thanks, but that would wipe out everything, including previously saved wifi. I just want to erase one wifi network. how do I do that? Thanks.

 

[Massie]

If you go into the particular network info (the blue arrow button near the name) there is a Forget This Network button.

 

[gameson]

I see. Thanks for the suggestion. If I am out of the wifi range, how do I do it?

 

[Peligro911]

I see. Thanks for the suggestion. If I am out of the wifi range, how do I do it?

You can't do it out of wifi range because then you won't see the network .. There is no list visible to edit


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

 

[gameson]

Yes, I know that, hence the question... that kinda sucks that only iOS does not allow preferred list for Wifi. all other OS do that. I wonder if iOS 7 still have this same feature?

You can't do it out of wifi range because then you won't see the network .. There is no list visible to edit


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

 

[Peligro911]

Yes, I know that, hence the question... that kinda sucks that only iOS does not allow preferred list for Wifi. all other OS do that. I wonder if iOS 7 still have this same feature?

I'm on ios 7 no it does not


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

 

[Massie]

Maybe I'm missing the usefulness of a preferred list...with Ask To Join Networks turned Off, my wifi only joins networks I've told it to join?but after I've joined once it will join automatically the next time I'm within range. What does a "preferred network" do differently?

 

[Fausty82]

Maybe I'm missing the usefulness of a preferred list...with Ask To Join Networks turned Off, my wifi only joins networks I've told it to join—but after I've joined once it will join automatically the next time I'm within range. What does a "preferred network" do differently?

Exactly...

 

[gameson]

the Wifi preferred network list would allow you to delete a network manually when out of range (cleaning up your saved network. if you travel a lot and use a wifi network only once, then your phone will end up with many wifi networks), also allow to rank your wifi based on your priority.

Sure, you can delete a network by going to 'forget this network', but that only happens when the network is in your range. do you want to manually remove a network each time you are about to leave?

I usually clean up my preferred wifi list on my laptop (windows), BBRY, and my Android tablet once a week or so.

Maybe I'm missing the usefulness of a preferred list...with Ask To Join Networks turned Off, my wifi only joins networks I've told it to join—but after I've joined once it will join automatically the next time I'm within range. What does a "preferred network" do differently?

 

[Fausty82]

the Wifi preferred network list would allow you to delete a network manually when out of range (cleaning up your saved network. if you travel a lot and use a wifi network only once, then your phone will end up with many wifi networks), also allow to rank your wifi based on your priority.

Sure, you can delete a network by going to 'forget this network', but that only happens when the network is in your range. do you want to manually remove a network each time you are about to leave?

I usually clean up my preferred wifi list on my laptop (windows), BBRY, and my Android tablet once a week or so.

I can’t imagine that saved networks use up that much storage... and as someone suggested, resetting your network settings will clear up the issue, if there is one... but with that said, there’s no need to create a problem when none really exist, IMHO.

 

[gameson]

if you travel often and use wifi whenever you are, you will end up with many wifi network in the list. imagine if you have 100 wifi network on your list. when you turn it on, the wifi will first go through 100 of your list before declare it no wifi connection (that's how wifi saved network list works). It will take time to scan through 100 wifi networks. while if you clean it up once in a while (delete one wifi manually), it would take less time for a OS (android, BBRY, windows) to connect a wifi in the preferred list.

you can do the 'reset network settings' like peligro911 said, but then it would erase all your wifi networks, and you have to set up one by one again.

it's not a problem, i never said it's a problem, i was just asking if there is a way to clear it.

I can’t imagine that saved networks use up that much storage... no need to create a problem when none really exist, IMHO.

 

[kch50428]

you can do the 'reset network settings' like peligro911 said, but then it would erase all your wifi networks, and you have to set up one by one again.

it's not a problem, i never said it's a problem, i was just asking if there is a way to clear it.

Yes, there is a way to clear it... reset network settings... and adding back the ones in places you frequent seems to me to be no more or less onerous than your desired solution of some means of a selective edit on a list...

 

[gameson]

lol, why are you guys defending iOS so much? This is not my desired solution, other OS (windows, Android, BBRY) has wifi preferred list. if no OS uses it, yes, it's my desired solution. I was just merely asking, no need to defend iOS like I am bashing it. I use iPhone as well.

Yes, there is a way to clear it... reset network settings... and adding back the ones in places you frequent seems to me to be no more or less onerous than your desired solution of some means of a selective edit on a list...

 

[Just_Me_D]

lol, why are you guys defending iOS so much? This is not my desired solution, other OS (windows, Android, BBRY) has wifi preferred list. if no OS uses it, yes, it's my desired solution. I was just merely asking, no need to defend iOS like I am bashing it. I use iPhone as well.

Who's defending it? I thought they were merely answering your question and offering suggestions.

 

[kch50428]

lol, why are you guys defending iOS so much? This is not my desired solution, other OS (windows, Android, BBRY) has wifi preferred list. if no OS uses it, yes, it's my desired solution. I was just merely asking, no need to defend iOS like I am bashing it. I use iPhone as well.

You asked a question - got an answer, and are displeased with the answer you get... smh...

go here: Apple - iPhone - Feedback -- tell them they way Apple/iOS handles previously used wifi hotspots displeases you...

 

[Fausty82]

lol, why are you guys defending iOS so much? This is not my desired solution, other OS (windows, Android, BBRY) has wifi preferred list. if no OS uses it, yes, it's my desired solution. I was just merely asking, no need to defend iOS like I am bashing it. I use iPhone as well.

Just because it is not your desired solution, does that make it a non-solution? You asked a question, you didn’t like the answer, and now you say that we’re defending iOS? It’s a fact that the way only to clear the "preferred network" list (your term, not Apple's) is to reset the network settings. Frankly, there’s nothing more to say.

 

[Peligro911]

lol, why are you guys defending iOS so much? This is not my desired solution, other OS (windows, Android, BBRY) has wifi preferred list. if no OS uses it, yes, it's my desired solution. I was just merely asking, no need to defend iOS like I am bashing it. I use iPhone as well.

Like I said good bad or ugly that is the only way .. On ios even up to ios7 to clear it the best solution would do a reset once a week and then re add your home wifi or whatever you use most that seems faster then manually going thru a list anyways.
Out of being curious could you not clear it once you think the list gets pretty big then time it and them clear it and time it again .. I'm curious to see how much time scanning it actually adds


Sent from my iPhone 5 from a galaxy far far away (in the USA ) using Tapatalk !

 

[iLearn]

Preferred Network Lists (PNLs) are an actual term in Wi-Fi networking. I think gameson's question is totally valid from a security point of view.

Ask yourself this question: how does your iDevice connect to an AirPort or any other wireless access point when that WAP is configured with a Hidden SSID? (Some marketing boffins call these Cloaked SSIDs.) A WAP configured with a Hidden SSID does not broadcast its identity so it will not show up as a network in a new user's Wi-Fi Settings.

The answer is: all Wi-Fi devices transmit the SSIDs of their PNLs on a periodic basis as an "Are you there?" type of request. WAPs that recognize their own SSID will respond so that authentication and connection will commence.

From a security point of view this is not ideal. Anyone with a Wi-Fi sniffer could see all of the SSIDs that a given user has connected to previously. And because the user's own MAC address is included the sniffer now has a unique cookie with which to track the user as they move around. I think Apple is doing their users a great disservice by failing to provide a list of out-of-range networks that in which their users can edit/delete items.

PNL leakage is not a new problem. Even Microsoft released a patch for Windows XP SP2 and later to address this with Group Policy... back in 2006.

Sure, on iOS you can go to Settings > General > Reset and click on Reset Network Settings, but that loses every WAP configuration you have as well as all of your VPN connections and network credentials. Have you ever tried setting up a half-dozen or so VPN connections from scratch on iOS?