Dom Barnes

HOWTO: Install WiFi Certificates on your iPhone

Friday, July 11th, 2008 | iphone, macosx, work

So I now work where they employ the use of certificates for wifi security, and I want to use the wifi on my iPhone since the data connection sucks. But how?

Well with iPhone 2.0 software, there is support for certificates. But how do you get it on your phone?

Well…

1. Go to http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/iphoneconfigurationutility10formacosx.html and download the iPhone Configuration Tool. Install

2. Open up the Config tool from your Utilities folder.

3. Select Configuration Profiles and click New

4. Fill in the details on the General Tab.

5. Click Credentials. and click the plus sign, and navigate to the Certificate file (in my case a .cer file). Click OK.

6. Check the details look correct, and give it a name.

And thats it! Done.

Well not quite. You need to install it on your iphone. You have two/three options but the third involves Mac OS X Server which many personal users won’t have. So your two options are host a file on a website somewhere, or email it to yourself. If you want to host it, click the Export button, save the file to disk, and then upload it somewhere. Then navigate to that file online and it should ask you to install.

The second easier option is to email it to yourself. So click Share, and wait for Mail.app to open a new mail and punch in an email address you can access on your iPhone. Click send. Wait (or go and check your mail).

Then in the email, click the file, and you will be asked to install the file. Do so and bingo. Success. Now go test it and make sure it works!

Update: I have tested this at work, and it worked perfectly. You have to make sure you enter your username as Domain\username and your password as normal or it won’t authenticate. So now I can use the internet connection at work. Only thing is that IMAP and POP3 ports are blocked so can’t use the Mail.app to check them, but everything else works a treat!

Tags: certificate, iphone, wifi, work

5 Comments to HOWTO: Install WiFi Certificates on your iPhone

Tarzan
February 22, 2009

Ok fine, but what about installing free email certificates from Comodo on the iPhone? Do you need to download Apple’s iphone configuration utility as well if transfering free email certificates from your PC / Mac? Or it just work for self signed certificates? I think moving your email certificates into your iPhone is done by iTunes so I don’ know where Apple’s configuration utility fit in? To obtain a free email certificate You have to apply for it first, then install it into Firefox, then export your certificate, per example to your Desktop, and then what? Should I email myself the certificate file and click on it using my iPhone in order to install it, or it may be just a better idea to sync my iPhone to my Mac? I guess I will have to select the Sync Keychains / certificate option on iTunes which by default is not selected, Am I right? One thing is exporting it into the iPhone and another different issue is usability, Does imported email certificates work correctly when sending and receiving email through the iphone mail app, or through Safari? Thanks, Tarzan. Mexico.

Alpha
March 29, 2009

There’s a version for the PC:

http://support.apple.com/downloads/iPhone_Configuration_Utility_1_1_for_Windows

Travis D
April 30, 2009

I followed these steps exactly. When I finally put in my full username/pass, it just sits on “Joining (network name)” it never connects. It never say failed either. I used to be able to connect before we implemented the certificate, so I’m assuming that is the issue. Regardless, is there a way to remove that profile I installed? is it necessary to do so? Please let me know.

Thanks

Travis D
April 30, 2009

I have found where to remove the profile. I wish I could the wireless working. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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