Oops: a few things more came to mind. So that you can print it again, I've copied the previous answer, added a few more details. I put *** before the addition.
>>>Hi I am going to a conference next week and they will not have free wi fi so have bought a 3gb sim valid for 30 days. When I have access to free wifi can you turn off the sim card so you are only using the free stuff? And then turn it on when no free wi fi about? For example have wi fi at home and dont want to be using the pay as you go plan? THanks for the help. Am in Australia by the way. Chris
The iPad automatically searches for wifi first.
Just don't disable wifi. Settings > Wifi > Set the slider to the blue position.
Also, on this same page, put the bottom slider, Ask to join Networks, to the blue position
Note what it says on that page, this is exactly what will happen.
The iPad automatically searches for wifi first. If it sees a known wifi network, it connects. If it sees an unknown wifi network, it asks you to connect manually, which usually involves entering a password.
It will only go to 3G if it can't connect to any wifi network.
Recently, I went on a trip with the iPad2. In 7 days, I made intensive use of the 3G: I used Maps for hours, and several apps that depend on 3G. I used up about 200 MB.
If you haven't done so already, I recommend doing a trial run with the SIM card. Insert it, make sure it works. Go some place where you know you have no wifi access and launch Safari, and do a Google search for something that you couldn't possibly have seen before, so as to make sure you don't have that page in some cache.
Some Access providers may refuse sending email that does not come through your home network. Try sending a message while using 3G. If this is your case, you will get an error message. You might find it convenient then to open a Gmail account (I'm sure there are other services that could work, Gmail is the one I know about and use). Then, when you write a message, you only have to make sure you use your gmail account. You do that by tapping the Cc/Bcc, From line, which will invoke a menu where you choose your gmail account instead of your usual account.
If you want to make sure you don't use 3G by mistake, you can turn it off.
Settings > Cellular Data, put the blue slider at the top to the grey position. Don't forget to turn it back to blue when you want to be able to go 3G. Otherwise, you will worry that your SIM card or iPad are on the blink.
If you want to economize, turn off Notifications and Location Service, in Settings. Personally, I ended up keeping Location Services on, because I was always on the go and most always needed it to be enabled, and ready to use. YMMV.
***Ask your SIM card provider about access points and make note of them, there's often more than the one that is set automatically when you insert the card. There are slight infrequent problems known with the iPad 3G connectivity, they are solved by changing the access point (and sometime changing right back again to the original one); this happened to me where I'd bought the SIM card. The first day, it worked with the "automatic" access point; then, when I purchased a data refill, at first it didn't work and they had to change the access point, and from then on I stayed with the new access point and everything went smoothly. Also, you might be using the iPad where the access point is in fact different from the access point at the location where you purchased the SIM card.
Settings > Cellular Data > APN, enter the new access point name.
***Settings > Cellular Data > Data Roaming. It is OFF by default. Do not turn it ON unless you enjoy paying large bills.
***Make a note of the information that is displayed in Settings > General > About when your SIM card is inserted. Either take a screen capture (quickly press the top button and home button at the same time, as if you were taking a picture; the screen will go blank for a brief instant and then it will come back; the screen shot is in Photo > Cameral Roll) or make a note in your own preferred way. Add to these the phone number attributed to the SIM card. If you want to go on the Internet to use your account, these will come in handy.
***If your SIM card provider offers this service, set an online account. My provider still has not got things right on this (after all, the iPad only came out a year ago ;-o) ), so I can't help you much with this. I did it with the foreign provider.
You can check your data usage.
Settings > General > Usage.
This time, that's it, I think. I think.
Hélène D.
[iPad] Re: Re wifi and 3g
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