When Apples Attack!

I love my iPad. In fact, the only tech thing I have right now that I love as much AS my iPad, is my iPhone. And that’s saying a lot, considering the fact that I was a PC person from the start, and considering the fact that I try not to jump onto trends and ride the bandwagon.

But I love my iPad.

Which is why, on Friday evening, when I got home and realized my iPad couldn’t find my wireless network … I had a little panic attack. It had worked fine for me all day, but I wasn’t anywhere near a wireless signal and not on the ‘net during the day.

Sure, we’d had an electrical storm all that morning, and I realized when I got home that at some point during the storm, the power had gone out to my house. So before I even began to worry, I simply unplugged the wireless router, let it rest, then plugged it back in. Every now and again if the power goes out, the wireless router gets a little twitchy, and a simple power down and “reboot” is all it takes.

Having done that, I had to pay bills – and my bank only recognizes my PC – so I pulled out the laptop and plugged the iPad in for a recharge, figuring it would be just fine. I logged on the Interwebbies with the laptop without issue, and noticed also that my iPhone was on the wireless with no problems. After I finished up with my banking and some virtual errands, I put the laptop away and checked on the iPad … It couldn’t find the network.

In fact, it wasn’t able to detect ANY wireless in the area. Usually I can see the networks of a few houses around me, faintly.

That’s when I started to panic. If this was a PC, I could fish around, do some investigating, test a few components, dig around in the guts, root around the system. I’m savvy enough to find my way out of a lot of computerized paper bags, and can sometimes even follow the rabbit hole and dig up lost files or repair system registries.

But this wasn’t a PC. It was my iPad. My PRECIOUS! And I had no idea what to do.

I poked around the General Settings, afraid to mess with anything, but fearing I was gonna have to. I unplugged the router again, thinking I hadn’t given it enough time to work out the cobwebs. I even carried the iPad TO the router, holding it close in case it was simply having a low blood sugar. (stop laughing). Nevermind all the while the laptop and the iPhone could see the wireless.

Finally I realized I had to do something, but before I started touching something I’d regret, I hauled out the reliable workhorse known as my laptop and searched the trusty Web. There I found very simple instructions to “fix” this type of hiccup. All I had to do, it said, was erase my Network from the Settings of the iPad. Completely remove my home network. Delete it.

“Okay” I thought. “Can’t be that hard, eh? I mean, I’d set it up before, I can set it up again.”

So I did it. I found my home network on the iPad, hit DELETE, and held my breath. No more than a split second later, it did a search, found my network, and asked me if I wanted to join. One password later, and my Precious was back up and surfing 🙂

Today, my iPad. Tomorrow, the WORLD !!