No 3G Connection, Only EDGE, After iOS 5.0.1 Over-The-Air Update on iPad 1

A couple of days go I finally installed the 5.0.1 update for the iPad. I did this using the in-built ‘software update’ method, rather than using iTunes. Since then, I seem unable to get a 3G connection, even when the iPhone is sitting right there with a good 3G connection. Doing some research it appears this is one of those things, with reports stretching several iOS releases into the past.

Some people suggest that re-entering the APN settings does the trick (tried and failed), and that an alternative is a complete wipe and setup from scratch (not a restore). That means a few apps are going to loose data, whilst some will resync from the cloud depending on the capability of the app. Not a major pain, just an inconvenience for me. Will need to try it next time I have decent wifi connectivity.

**Update**: I did a full reset on the iPad, choosing to ‘Setup as New iPad’ when requested, and this has restored the 3G connection. As a word of warning, make sure that you have done a final iCloud backup and make sure that Photo Stream and iCloud documents are fully synced. I forgot to do the iCloud sync, and as a result lost a recent edit to a Numbers spreadsheet. Minor inconvenience, but it could have been worse.

**Update 2011-12-13** I seem to have lost 3G again, without having done anything to provoke it. I really don’t want to have to do a full reset again!

3 thoughts on “No 3G Connection, Only EDGE, After iOS 5.0.1 Over-The-Air Update on iPad 1

    1. After the last glitch it just came back again within 24 hours. It worked fine for a further 2 weeks, and since then I’ve not been using the mobile data as I’m roaming and the card doesn’t support roaming in the country I’m in. Its possible its fixed, but I can’t tell!

      The ‘setup-as-new’ seems to be the solution to the problem though.

  1. I have the same problem as described.
    Seems that iOS £%@% the motherboard or the antenna up.
    I’ve also tried numerous of restores and all I get is that 3G does suddenly get itself for like… 15 minutes and then I don’t see it… It is on occasion… 🙁

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