One function of the iPhone that regularly causes owners grief is the wi-fi capabilities, and the struggles many users go through to get connection at a commercial hot spot.

Here is a guide to help iPhone users understand how the Wi-Fi function works, and what you need to do to get connected:

First thing first: Check your WEP Password.

If you are using WEP encryption on your network, you have two choices, WEP Password, or WEP hex or ASCII. Notice the little bar at the top that says “WEP Password”. If you’re entering the Hexadecimal code for your WEP network, you need to toggle it to WEP Hex or ASCII.

If you’re still having trouble, it is recommended renewing the hot spot’s DHCP lease.

To do this you will need to tap Settings > Wi-Fi Networks, then pick the network you are trying to connect to. In the DHCP panel, click the Renew Lease button.

A common problem is when an iPhone’s Wi-Fi connection keeps reverting to EDGE. For instance, your iPhone looks like it is connected to the Internet over Wi-Fi, but goes to EDGE when you try to access a Web page–you may be experiencing a problem related to MAC address filtering.

This can happen when the wireless router is using MAC address filtering and the iPhone’s MAC address hasn’t been entered into the filter list, or if you’ve entered a WEP password incorrectly.

If you experience this and use a WEP Password, then go to Settings > Wi-Fi. Then tap More Info ( > ) next to the Wi-Fi network name and tap Forget this Network. Then try accessing the Wi-Fi network again.

If you are experiencing a weak iPhone Wi-Fi signal then try turning your Wi-Fi off on the device so that the iPhone can use EDGE instead, this might help.

It can be an annoying and frustrating experience trying to get your Wi-Fi working, I hope this guide helps and good luck getting connected.

All four of the major networks in Australia offer 3G and HSDPA to consumers. In the case of 3, they deal exclusively in 3G, and Telstra’s NextG network is widely regarded as one of the strongest and best networks in the world. On top of that, both Vodafone and Optus have ambitious plans to expand the reach of their 3G networks over the coming years.

In terms of the iPhone, it offers a spiffy tri-band HSDPA chipset that works on the 850 MHz, 1900 MHz and 2100 MHz networks. At the moment, NextG uses the 850MHz spectrum to offer mobile voice and data to 99 per cent of the Australian population, while 3, Vodafone and Optus all use the 2100 MHz spectrum for their HSPA offerings.

The problem for those thinking about getting an iPhone is that both Vodafone and Optus – the first two Australian companies to offer the iPhone 3G – are expanding their network using the less popular 900 MHz spectrum, which will not work with the iPhone. Optus have committed to expanding their network to cover 98 per cent of the population by the end of 2009, however most rural areas will be exclusively on the 900 MHz spectrum, meaning the iPhone won’t work in large areas of the Australian country.

In any case, it’s an important fact to consider for anyone considering an iPhone – especially those who live in a rural area, or need to travel to rural areas regularly. The iPhone may still work in those areas, but there will be no thrill of 3G and HDSPA speeds – rather you’ll be crawling along the 2G network with GPRS speeds.

How to Connect
No matter where you are, you’ll need to turn on the iPhone’s Wi-Fi switch, located in the Settings section. In most cases, the connection is very easy – the iPhone will search for all the available networks and you select the one you want, enter a password if required and begin browsing.

Sometimes it’s not so simple. If the network administrator wants to restrict who can access the network, they can switch on MAC address filtering which means only devices that have had their unique MAC address added into a safe list will be able to connect.

Other networks will be hidden and can only be found by your iPhone if you know the name of the network and enter it manually in the “Other” option on the Wi-Fi settings page. It will be case sensitive so make sure you enter it exactly.

Once you’ve selected which wireless network to connect to, you may be asked to specify a password. There are two different types of encryption technologies that require you to enter a password – WEP and WPA – but you don’t need to know the differences to connect your iPhone, just the password. This can be obtained from the network administrator.

The original iPhone was only capable of EDGE speeds (or slightly faster than dial-up speeds) and in Australia, only Telstra offers an EDGE-capable at the moment. Anyone else using an iPhone on any network would have been stuck with a slower GPRS connection.

The iPhone 3G has since put an end to that issue. The iPhone 3G incorporates a tri-band HSPA chipset that will work on most Australian 3G networks. It offers incredibly fast data speeds, theoretically capable of 7.2 Mbps download speeds although will be slower than that in reality.

The iPhone also allows you to make and receive phone calls and browse the net (at EDGE or GPRS speeds) even when you’re outside the 3G network. Although the quick speeds of browsing will be gone, you’re unlikely to ever be able to go back to the slow speeds of a GPRS connection.

Of course, it’s important to remember that the cost of mobile data in Australia is considerably expensive. Contrary to popular belief, the introduction of the iPhone has not been a catalyst for cheaper data plans from the Australian Telcos. Out of Telstra, Vodafone, Optus and Virgin who have released the iPhone in Australia, Optus have the most consumer-friendly pricing, although they still don’t use the true potential for internet browsing over 3G on the iPhone.