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Take Control of iPad Networking & Security
Learn how iPad networking really works, and keep your iPad data safe!
The basics of networking an iPad are simple, but once you move beyond connecting to a simple home Wi-Fi network or using 3G data, you'll want to read networking expert Glenn Fleishman's discussion of how to integrate your iPad into more-complex networks and keep its data safe from prying eyes. Along with advice about Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth networking, Glenn explains how to transfer documents to and from the iPad using a variety of apps and techniques, how to protect your data in transit and on the iPad itself, how you can control computers remotely from your iPad, and more.
I am so very, very delighted with your coverage of the iPad. Previously I was always looking for answers in other manuals. None were complete like yours are. You answer the questions! Your manuals are so fantastic. —Dennis M.
More Info
Contents & Intro
FAQ
Blog
Inside, you'll find advice and steps for how to:
Make Wi-Fi connections: Connect via Wi-Fi at home or work, at a public hotspot, and with (or without) various forms of security. Glenn discusses the security pros and cons of MAC address filtering, WEP, WPA, WPA2, and VPNs.
Connect via 3G: This topic is most detailed in its discussions of AT&T's plans in the United States, but it also takes a global perspective, with brief details about some data plans outside the United States and what to consider when traveling to a different country with your iPad. You'll also learn about connecting to a 3G network using alternative methods and devices.
Use Bluetooth: Connect Bluetooth devices, such as keyboards and headsets, to your iPad.
Access remote documents: You'll learn how to access remote documents wirelessly and find steps for using a variety of file-sharing apps, including Air Sharing HD, GoodReader, Dropbox, and iDisk.
Control a computer remotely from an iPad: Use a third-party app on the iPad to take control of other computers remotely. Specific steps are given for iTeleport and LogMeIn Ignition.
Protect your data and privacy: Understand what aspects of your documents, passwords, and privacy could be at risk if the wrong person gained access to your iPad or its network communications. You'll get ideas for how to take preventative actions, such as installing remote-tracking software, and you'll find out how to proceed if you iPad is lost or stolen.
Book Info
152 pages
Version 1.1
Updated 18-Jun-10
2.1 MB download
ISBN: 1615420541
Free sample with Table of Contents, Intro, Quick Start, and section starts.
About the Author
Glenn Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and two sons, both of whom are adept at accidentally pressing the Power button on his laptop.
He’s a contributing editor at TidBITS, responsible for much of their Web and publishing infrastructure; a columnist for the Seattle Times on all things Mac related; and a regular contributor to the Economist, Macworld, and Ars Technica. He appears regularly on his local public radio station, KUOW.
This book covers how to use your iPad on a Wi-Fi or 3G network securely, making connections with ease while protecting your data and your device. It also covers other tasks that rely on a network, such as retrieving documents to read and remotely controlling computers from your iPad. It was written by Glenn Fleishman, edited by Tonya Engst, and published by TidBITS Publishing Inc.
Introduction
An argument against the iPad before its introduction was that it was just “a big iPod touch.” In reality, it is not: the bigger screen makes it possible to use it in a different way altogether. But from the standpoint of networking and other communications, the iPad is like a giant iPod touch—with some iPhone features thrown in, too.
Like the iPod touch, the iPad cannot place phone calls via a cellular network, and it has Wi-Fi built in; like the iPhone, Apple offers an iPad model that sends and receives data over a 3G cellular network—but which can’t handle cell phone calls. This combination of options—and the likelihood that you probably don’t own both a Wi-Fi–only and a 3G iPad—has implications for the choices you make about how you connect and the security of those connections.
One of the most important ongoing decisions you’ll make about your iPad is how to obtain a network connection. If you have a 3G iPad, you may choose each month whether to enable cellular data connectivity or not. Those with Wi-Fi–only iPads may spend a fair amount of time finding, connecting to, and interacting with Wi-Fi networks all over. There’s plenty of advice in this title on both 3G and Wi-Fi connections and networks.
In this book, I guide you through how to make consistent and secure network connections, whether over Wi-Fi or 3G, and how to best protect your data and your iPad.
Information related to 3G iPads is highlighted: I use a special blue box to call out information particular to the 3G iPad.
iPad Networking & Security Quick Start
This book explains how to use an iPad safely on a network, including how to connect and customize a connection, and how to secure data that’s on your iPad or that’s passing over a network. You can read the ebook in order or skip to topics of particular interest.
To make a connection right away with a minimum of fuss, skip to an option in the “Make a connection fast” list, just below. For Wi-Fi connections, note that Connect to a Secure Wi-Fi Network explains security and password options and Wi-Fi Troubleshooting has advice for fixing problematic connections.
Also, if you have a Wi-Fi–only iPad and are wondering how you can make a 3G connection, don’t miss Alternatives to Built-in 3G.
Make a connection fast:
Get on a Wi-Fi network without fuss. See Connect with Wi-Fi at Home or Work
Connect to a Wi-Fi Hotspot while you are out and about.
Set up your iPad’s 3G service plan, and connect to a cellular data network. See Connect with 3G.
Add Bluetooth devices to your iPad. See Set Up Bluetooth.
Ensure you’re secure:
Set up a secure Wi-Fi connection. See Connect to a Secure Wi-Fi Network.
Prevent others from sniffing your passwords and data over wireless networks. See Transfer Data Securely.
Don’t let your iPad’s data fall into the wrong hands. See Keep Data Safe.
Find out what to do When Your iPad Goes Missing.
Learn to use cellular data services:
Discover the ins and outs of cellular data plans. See How to Use 3G.
Keep cellular data costs under control outside your home country. See Cross-Border 3G iPad Use .
Find alternatives for cellular access without buying a 3G model of the iPad. See Alternatives to Built-in 3G.
Discover other networked uses of an iPad:
Control a computer’s screen and input from an iPad. See Remote Access and Control.
Grab and view documents, images, and videos over a network or the Internet with apps. See Access Documents.
Go under the hood, gain more control, and solve problems:
Read Managing Wi-Fi Connections to learn the ins and outs of joining and forgetting hotspot networks, configuring your iPad to connect in complex scenarios, and work through problems with Wi-Fi Troubleshooting.
Find tips for setting up a residential Wi-Fi network to work well with iPads in Tweaking Your Home Network for Faster iPad Performance.
Get advice on setting up a secure wireless network in Connect to a Secure W-Fi Network.
Learn how to turn off the iPad’s Wi-Fi and cellular radios in Airplane Mode.
Can I read this ebook on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch?
There are lots of great ways to read PDFs on these devices. For more details, please read our latest Device Advice.
Ask a Question
Feel free to ask us if you have a question about this book!
Send Us Your Comments!
How could we not publish such kind words? If you'd like to send us your comments (good or bad, though we hope they're all good), just click the Feedback link on the cover of your copy of the ebook. Be sure to let us know if we can publish your comment. Thanks!
Update Plans
June 18, 2010—Now that version 1.1 of this ebook is available, we have no immediate plans to do another update. We are discussing the possibility revising the ebook for iOS 4, and we'll firm up those plans later in the year.
The new version of MobileMe Mail is out of beta, so whether you read your email on the MobileMe Web site or you have a MobileMe-based email account, you'll have a smoother email experience if you review the new options and consider how they may affect the way you handle your email. I explain why the new version of MobileMe is interesting, run through the major new features, and offer helpful tips for using the new version in the TidBITS article MobileMe Mail Adds Server-side Rules, SSL, and More.
Apple released a Find My iPhone app today, which, despite its name, works with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The app comprises all the features found on Apple's MobileMe site, as described in Take Control of iPad: Networking & Security, but in a well-presented compact form, with the ability to refresh the current location of any registered device with a tap.
The MobileMe Web site, me.com, was also refreshed with a new Web app version of Find My iPhone, which looks and works nearly identically with the iOS app.
I've written up a full description of how the new app works both on the iPhone and iPad—the display is slightly different—and information about the updated Web app at me.com for TidBITS. Please see Apple Adds Find My iPhone App and Updates Web App.
by Glenn Fleishman
Glenn Fleishman is a technology journalist based in Seattle, where he lives with his wife and two sons, both of whom are adept at accidentally pressing the Power button on his laptop.
He’s a contributing editor at