How to: Controlling iOS Internet Priority for Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and Cellular

By default, iOS tries to get internet access in this order:

1. Ethernet (wired network)
2. Wi-Fi (wireless network)
3. Cellular data

Sometimes this default behaviour isn’t ideal. For example, if your iPad is connected to an ethernet print server that has no internet, you might want iOS to use Wi-Fi or cellular data instead.

This guide shows you how to tell iOS not to use a specific network for internet, whether it’s Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

Video:

If you prefer not to watch the video, all steps are written below.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Network Settings

• Open the Settings app.
• Choose either Ethernet (to stop iOS from using ethernet for internet) or Wi-Fi (to stop iOS from using a wifi network for internet).

For Ethernet:

• Select your Ethernet adapter (usually there’s only one).

For Wi-Fi:

• Connect to the Wi-Fi network.

• Tap the “i” icon next to the network name.

  

2. Check Current Network Settings

• You’ll see that the network is likely set to Automatic, with a Router IP address assigned.
• When a router is set, iOS tries to use it for internet access, which we want to avoid.

• iOS won’t let you remove the router value while in automatic mode, so we need to switch to manual IP configuration.

  

3. Change IP from Automatic to Manual

1. Note down the current IP address (e.g., 192.168.4.162). You’ll need it in the next step.

   Tap Configure IP: Automatic and change it to Manual.

   Enter the following:

   • IP Address: Use the one you noted down
   • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

   • Router: blank

     

2. Tap Save at the top-right.

This effectively tells iOS: “Don’t use this network for internet.”

4. Verify Your Changes

• Once saved, iOS will remember these settings for future connections to this network.
• If you ever run into network issues later, you can follow the steps above and switch Configure IP back to Automatic.