Lost WiFi Signal - Lost Mode

I would try using an ethernet adapter to get em back.

Yep. That is has been my next work around.

It's more than a bit goofy, but you can connect an iPad through ethernet. You'll need a Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, a USB to Ethernet adapter and a powered USB hub. Plug ethernet into the ethernet to USB adapter, and the adapter into the USB hub. Then plug the USB hub into the lightning camera adapter(and power, of course) and then lightning into the iPad. It takes it a few seconds to connect, and doesn't work 100% of the time, but it will generally connect if you keep trying.

One thing I do before enabling Lost mode is Clear Passcode first then Send Lost Mode Command.
Doing this first will keep the WIFI active and not go into sleep mode.

Do you folks also deploy a wireless profile?

Oh the joys of wifi dependencies. I searched this topic as I had a 'lost' iPad recently misplaced on a school bus. Over two days it was tracked to various sites within Wifi. Now found and sitting in a classroom, the iPad waits for the spontaneous reconnection but plugged in.

I first faced these issues migrating MDM servers being unable to clear passcodes that had not been provided by staff. After being powered off iPads are reticent to reconnect to a known and deployed wifi network but it eventually happens. I had two options: DFU mode or waiting until the spontaneous wifi connection materialized.

Rmoore-CESD: Did the spontaneous reconnect ever happen? I'm trying the Ethernet trick with no success.

With the Ethernet trick, bburdeaux mentioned that it doesn't work 100% of the time, but will generally connect if you keep trying?
I'm seeing both port lights on on the hub, but when the iPad goes to sleep, the port with the Ethernet goes out. :-(
What constitutes a retry? Unplugging the Ethernet cable from the USB to Ethernet cable? Repowering the Hub, the iPad?

Thanks,
Tom

@Olson Occasionally I need to disconnect the lightning cable from the device once or twice to get it to connect, but I have had times where it simply didn't work. I've also had an identical setup at a campus refuse to connect, but bringing it back to my desk to use the one I have there will work, or vise versa. I've had it work often enough that I've chalked it's eccentricities up to it being an unsupported work around, but there does seem to be some times that it doesn't work for seemingly no reason.

Has anyone had any luck sending the DisableLostMode Command to an iPad that is in AirPlane Mode? I will try with the ethernet adapter.