Ipad loses Ethernet(!) connection after it stays asleep for a while

Question

Ipad loses Ethernet(!) connection after it stays asleep for a while

Ipad loses Ethernet(!) connection after it stays asleep for a while (more than 30 mins?). Doing a physical disconnect-reconnect cycle temporarily re-enables Ethernet--that is, until the iPad goes to sleep again for more than 30 minutes or so. After a few disconnect-reconnect cycles like this, the disconnect-reconnect trick no longer helps, and the iPad needs to be rebooted to regain Ethernet connection, and the cycle repeats indefinitely.

One way to prevent this from happening is to prevent the iPad from going to sleep in the first place, though this is, surely, far from an acceptable solution, but more of a dirty workaround.

This started happening more than a year or so ago, so it is clearly a regression. Up until then, there were no such problems with the Ethernet connection. This bug also looks to me to be indicative of a major memory leak. After putting up with it for more than a year, this behavior has become extremely annoying.

Finally, this bug looks to be on trend with the general decay in Apple and iPad software quality.

Details: iPad Pro, 5th(?) generation, currently on iOS 26.3.1.

Posted on May 1, 2026 9:41 AM

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Answer 1

LotusPilot

Level 10

305,181 points

May 1, 2026 10:20 AM in response to RedeemerOfSouls

Are you using a static or DHCP-assigned IPv4 address? If using DHCP to assign IPv4 addresses, consider shortening your DHCP lease time on your router.

If using IPv6, or dual-stack, are you using Stateful or Stateless IP Address assignment?

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Answer 2

MrHoffman

Level 10

150,939 points

May 1, 2026 10:15 AM in response to RedeemerOfSouls

So an ongoing issue, apparently.

Has this behavior been tested on a different network?

With a different Ethernet adapter?

Not sure how this is running iPadOS 26.3.1. I’d expect 26.4.2, to test with the newest.

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Answer 3

May 1, 2026 10:33 AM in response to LotusPilot

LotusPilot wrote:

Are you using a static or DHCP-assigned IPv4 address? If using DHCP to assign IPv4 addresses, consider shortening your DHCP lease time on your router.

If using IPv6, or dual-stack, are you using Stateful or Stateless IP Address assignment?

DHCP-assigned, reserved. Haven't messed w/IPv6, so everything regarding IPv6 is default. None of this matters though, and I quote: "note that the absolutely, positively same(!) setup used to work fine a few iOS releases ago. I have had this setup ever since I purchased my iPad 4-5 years ago, and this behavior started happening roughly 1-1.5 years ago."

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Answer 4

May 1, 2026 9:55 AM in response to RedeemerOfSouls

How exactly are you connecting to the “Ethernet”?

You might also try updating to the current version of iOS (26.4.2).

However, when all is said and done, Apple doesn’t support ethernet on mobile devices.

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Answer 5

May 1, 2026 10:03 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

I am connecting to Ethernet in the usual way, namely through a docking station. (And before you start questioning my docking station setup, note that the absolutely, positively same(!) setup used to work fine a few iOS releases ago. I have had this setup ever since I purchased my iPad 4-5 years ago, and this behavior started happening roughly 1-1.5 years ago: I can't, unfortunately, give you a more precise timeline. I did, as a matter of fact, post this bug somewhere on some (other?) Apple boards not long after coming across it, and I am pretty sure I was not the only one who complained; I have not been able to find that post yet, but if I do, I will post a link here.)

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Answer 6

LotusPilot

Level 10

305,181 points

May 1, 2026 10:12 AM in response to Kilgore-Trout

Kilgore-Trout wrote:

However, when all is said and done, Apple doesn’t support ethernet on mobile devices.

For information...

When connected to an appropriate Ethernet Adapter (e.g., UGreen, Belkin etc), iPad and iPhone do natively support wired Ethernet connections:

Settings > Ethernet

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Answer 7

May 1, 2026 10:39 AM in response to MrHoffman

MrHoffman wrote:

Has this behavior been tested on a different network?

No.

With a different Ethernet adapter?

No.

None of this matters though, and I quote: "note that the absolutely, positively same(!) setup used to work fine a few iOS releases ago. I have had this setup ever since I purchased my iPad 4-5 years ago, and this behavior [only] started happening roughly 1-1.5 years ago."

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Answer 8

MrHoffman

Level 10

150,939 points

May 1, 2026 12:33 PM in response to RedeemerOfSouls

RedeemerOfSouls wrote:

MrHoffman wrote:

Has this behavior been tested on a different network?

No.

With a different Ethernet adapter?

No.

None of this matters though, and I quote: "note that the absolutely, positively same(!) setup used to work fine a few iOS releases ago. I have had this setup ever since I purchased my iPad 4-5 years ago, and this behavior [only] started happening roughly 1-1.5 years ago."

I prefer to avoid assumptions when troubleshooting; to verify, and not to assume.

I’ve been surprised by more than a few hardware and firmware and network (and, yes, iPadOS) misbehaviors, too.

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Answer 9

May 1, 2026 2:45 PM in response to LotusPilot

LotusPilot wrote:

For information...

When connected to an appropriate Ethernet Adapter (e.g., UGreen, Belkin etc), iPad and iPhone do natively support wired Ethernet connections:

Settings > Ethernet

Well, I stand corrected … partially. Allowing functionality, and fully supporting it are most certainty not the same thing. I worked in IT in a variety of roles for over 35 years, so I do know the difference between the two. I would hazard a guess that the OP would find Apple’s response to any direct inquiry to be less than satisfactory. Hopefully some of the advice offered by others will prove useful for the OP.

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