There are a few iPad settings you can customize for your networks, whether you're hopping into the Internet or accessing your company's intranet. Under the iPad's General settings, you'll find options for virtual private networks, for Wi-Fi networks, and for 3G networks.
Accessing a VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) allows you to access a private network, such as one at your office, over the Internet. A VPN lets you make such a connection securely, and your iPad allows you to adjust settings for activating your connection.
In Settings you can do two things: turn VPN on or off, and configure a VPN network.
To turn VPN on, follow these steps:
Tap the Settings icon on the Home screen.
Tap General and then tap Network.
Tap VPN and, in the following dialog, tap the Off button and slide it to the left till it reads On.
Note that if you haven't yet configured your VPN, an Add Configuration dialog appears.
Tweaking Wi-Fi settings
The Wi-Fi settings include simply turning Wi-Fi on or off, choosing which network to connect to, and activating a feature that joins recognized networks automatically.
To adjust Wi-Fi settings, follow these steps:
Tap the Settings icon on the Home screen.
Tap General and then tap Network.
Tap Wi-Fi and you see settings.
Here, you can do the following:
Tap the Off button and slide it to turn Wi-Fi on or off.
Tap the arrow on a listed network to see its details. Because you are connecting with a network set up on another device, you can't edit this information from your iPad.
Tap the Ask to Join Networks button and slide it to turn this feature on or off. If you turn it off, iPad won't join available networks automatically.
If you have the Ask to Join Networks feature turned on and there are no known networks out there, iPad will ask you whether you want to join any new networks that surface.
Going 3G
Let's not forget 3G. If you have a 3G iPad, you can change some settings for your 3G connections through the General settings, including
Turning a data network on or off: If you don't want to connect to your data provider, turn this setting off.
Turning data roaming on or off: If you don't want to allow your iPad to use roaming signals, which might cost you more, turn this one off.
Viewing your account information: You can both view and change your 3G account information from your iPad.
Adding a SIM PIN: To protect the data on your iPad's micro-SIM card, you might want to add a PIN (personal identification number) to it. If somebody doesn't have the PIN, the SIM card stays locked so nobody can hack it to get to your data.
Note that if you have a Wi-Fi + 3G model of iPad, you can also use Airplane mode settings to turn your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals off when in flight, and quickly turn them back on again later. On a Wi-Fi-only device, you won't see the Airplane mode feature under Settings.
