iPad activation issue - never used an iPad before.

[TwistedHelixis]

Sorry, I could not find an iPad forum and this seemed the best place :0)

 

I have recently taken over a very small primary school. They have a very small trolley of iPads (8) and what I think is a Mac mini on the top, which looks like it is turned off.

 

I have just received an email from a teacher saying that one of the iPads has the following error - Your iPad could not be activated because the activation server cannot be reached.

They have also tried to connect the iPad to their laptop and iTunes, but that does not work.

 

What is the best way for me to start fault finding this issue, what questions should I ask the teacher?

 

BTW - I had planned to learn the iPad setup when I started, but the network & server were in such a bad way that most of my time until now has been spent fixing this.

[noelmm]

Have you checked the date and time on the iPad? If they are not correct it won't activate.

[luke1]

Possibly firewall preventing access to Apple Activation server?

[Brimstone]

This is your network blocking Apple's APNS Servers, you need to check the following ports and firewall settings....

 

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203609

[TwistedHelixis]

Does the following help anymore. Just had this email message back.

 

The time is correct, however it is on the white screen phase, as if setting an iPad up, so cannot see/change the date.

[Jawloms]

Set your phone up as a hotspot and try via that?

[TwistedHelixis]

Possibly firewall preventing access to Apple Activation server?

This is your network blocking Apple's APNS Servers, you need to check the following ports and firewall settings....

Firewall is controlled by our LA. I have sent them a massage but think it should be fine as they will have other schools with iPads

 

Set your phone up as a hotspot and try via that?

Not an option as the school gets no phone signal.

[Brimstone]

Firewall is controlled by our LA. I have sent them a massage but think it should be fine as they will have other schools with iPads.

I would very much doubt just because other schools have iPads they have enabled access for yours.....

[TwistedHelixis]

I would very much doubt just because other schools have iPads they have enabled access for yours.....

 

They have 7 other iPads at the school that do work, so they must have had the firewall & ports setup at some point.

[TwistedHelixis]

So the LA who setup the ipads have suggested they activate through the Mac mini.

 

I have just arrived onsite and the network cable plugged in to the Mac Mini is not actually plugged in to a socket. It has been located in a corridor where there are no sockets for at least a year.

 

So my first question is, should the Mac mini be switched on for the activation to work?

[LukeMoss]

If they are indeed being activated by the Mac mini then yes it should be switched on and connected to the internet to be able to activate... I would spend some time actually figuring out what has happened previously even if that means booting up the Mac mini and having a look... It sounds like it wasn't very well managed anyway, but the iPad should still activate via the apple activation service regardless if it has been restored to original factory settings.

 

I take it these were probably set up via the apple configurator originally.

[TwistedHelixis]

Well I did try switching it on last week and managed to log on to the Mac and then into configurator, but I got asked for the VPP password, which the schools does not have. I then contacted the LA and they do not have a copy of this but have said it might be on the main server.

 

I cant find the password on the server, so my next job will be to reset the password.

 

Then I need to get my head round configurator. If anyone has any basic things for my to check in configurator, things I should note down, or something that will tell me how it is actually configured, it would be very helpful.

[Bompalompalomp]

Not an option as the school gets no phone signal.

 

I've had to do this before by taking the devices home with permission and doing it there.

[Primax2000]

Apple configurator can be as basic or as complex as you need.

In my case i use it just to get the devices "supervised" and then on to meraki to do the rest.

In Apple Configurator , Click Apple Configurator and Preferences. Add your Organisation and Server (My server will be meraki)

Once done click account and sign in with your schools account.

I have had issues in the past where devices wont download their activation record. Go on to the ipad and turn off "Find my iphone/ipad" !!

Create a basic profile with your wireless details (you want this to get them talking to the outside world and saves you doing this)

Prepare your iPad

Rest is up to you. Either with meraki / intune / mac config etc.

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Paul

[LukeMoss]

Also, if you're starting from scratch I would highly recommend looking into DEP especially if you're likely to be increasing the amount of iPads you are using, I've done this with two schools using Lightspeed MDM and the Mac mini for content caching (so it isn't redundant). There's much easier ways than using Apple Configurator, but it does work if you want a free way.

 

I would also agree with the trying on a mobile network outside of school or on your personal home Wi-Fi, we had an issue with activating on our school wireless as something was block, and oddly try another location in school.

[Foresthippy]

When I see this it's usually proxy settings. When you get to the screen for connecting to wifi, press the home button. This will give you extra options to put the proxy server in. Once you do this, and the ipad is connected to the wifi, it will most likely activate. Edited March 20, 2019 by jdmackay

[TwistedHelixis]

I have just taken the Ipad home, connected it to my network but it still says

 

Your Ipad could not be activated, the activation server cannot be reached, try connecting your iPad to ITunes to activate it.

 

Just about to install iTunes on my home computer

[TwistedHelixis]

OK so I have just noticed that the proxy is enabled even for my home network, but every time I try to disable proxy and click save it gets re enabled.

[TwistedHelixis]

Just installed iTunes but when I try to login it says 'enter the verification code sent to the other devices'

 

this is doing my head in now.

[tmoon-mint]

Sounds like they are activation Locked to an Apple ID. It also sounds like you have a profile installed with global HTTP proxy settings in place which would force all traffic to use your proxy even your home network.

[TwistedHelixis]

Is it possible to reset all this?

[Brimstone]

Yes.....unless the iPad is enrolled into DEP or as above has a Personal Apple ID signed into the iPad see below for reset instructions via iTunes

 

iPad DFU Mode Instructions

[TwistedHelixis]

Just managed to get in to DFU mode. Will update when I have more info or questions

[TwistedHelixis]

Almost got to the end of the process and iTunes displayed two errors

 

not haveing the best of luck

[TwistedHelixis]

Now all I am getting is this