iPod Touch WIFI Signal Fluctuates After Upgrading to iOS4

It's been happening to me to. I think its showing that your losing a signal, but in reality your not gaining or losing anything. For example, 1 bar will have a connectivity strength the same as 3 bars.

not true sadly, it really is harming your wifi signal. I have a very powerful N router tripple antenae model and somtimes get 1 bar now when sitting next to it! And Apple close every conceievable door back to iOS 3.1.3, they are pure evil!!

My WiFi signal has always fluctuated some - with 2.x, 3.x, and now 4.x. Is it an iPod problem? Not really but rebooting your router will generally take care of the problem.

If rebooting your router doesn't reduce the problem, reset the touch network settings and then log back onto your network using Settings > WiFi > other and re-entering your network name, security, and password.

I believe ios4 on the ipod touch is modulating power to the wifi gain based on the system's needs. In sleep mode, it's nearly always at 1 bar. When I'm actively bringing up a web page, it jumps to full bars or at least 2, and once I'm done loading the page it'll cycle between them, yet when I have more wifi data requests it seems to jump up to and stay at the higher amount until I'm again done.

Of course, I should still be able to choose whether I want it connected to wifi for push needs when it's in sleep mode, that's unacceptable to me.

I live in a small apartment and after upgrading both my daughter and wife's IPOD touches and now they are fluctuating their wireless signal even when I'm right next to the wireless router. They can deal with that. Wheat they are mostly upset is that their battery runs out so quickly. when they put their IPOD on standby. My inner voice told me not upgrade but didn't listen. Boy I hear that inner voice laughing at me now.

Add me to this list. WiFi signal is erratic since updating to OS4, even when three feet away from my Airport Base Station at home. Since this happens when I'm connected to other networks, at work or in the coffee shop, I doubt restarting the router would do any good. Also, performance is indeed being affected: page loads in Safari get stuck when signal drops and videos also freeze in youtube, for example.

Add me to the list...

My 2G iPod Touch also struggles to maintain an excellent-signal WiFi connection since "upgrading" to iOS4.

Between this, the loss of Location Services, and severely reduced battery life - I really regret moving from iPhone OS 3. Totally not worth it to just get unified Inbox in the Mail app.

For those having Wi-Fi issues... What level of encryption are you using on your routers? And is your router at full power? I'm not really having any Wi-Fi issues, I'm using WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] and I switch my router to full power after I started having the iOS4 battery problem. (it was on "Neighbor Friendly" Mode). I was worried that a weaker signal would contribute even more to the already existing battery drain and I'm figuring that having the encryption on the highest level is also affecting the battery as well, but I haven't tested the difference.

Message was edited by: monepone

monepone wrote:
For those having Wi-Fi issues... What level of encryption are you using on your routers? And is your router at full power? I'm not really having any Wi-Fi issues, I'm using WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES] and I switch my router to full power after I started having the iOS4 batter problem. (it was on "Neighbor Friendly" Mode). I was worried that a weaker signal would contribute even more to the already existing battery drain and I'm figuring that having the encryption on the highest level is also affecting the battery as well, but I haven't tested the difference.

Using WEP + hidden SSID at home (I have some devices that choke on WPA). Open WiFi access with authentication at work. Router signal boosted from 42mW to 70mW using Tomato firmware.

Also, if you're using a Pre-N router, disabling "Neighbor Friendly" mode means you're using a ton of 2.4GHz channels. This prevents any neighbors near your home from using WiFi, because you've stolen all of the available channels. I had to set up my sister-in-law on Wireless-A, because her backyard neighbor hates her, and turned off "Neighbor Friendly" mode on his router. What a pain.

I'm very skeptical that changing the router's signal strength will fix the erratic behavior of the iPod touch. In any case, the problem still exists on any other network the iPod connects to and one does not have access to set, for example, a university's wifi strength.

@PharmNerd

I have only one neighbor that is close enough that it could be an issue. I called him and he said his Wi-Fi is working fine. I may somehow rig two or three layers of aluminum mess on the "leaky" side of my router, since it's on the exterior wall nearest the neighbors, just to be sure. I don't need a signal in that part of my yard anyway.

Easiest way to check interference is to use a WiFi sniffer/analyzer software tool. I use one on my android phone and I'm surprised at the number of routers close by.

For those of you with fluctuating signals, try manually setting your router to broadcast on a different channel. For example, channel 11 seems to be a bit stronger on the touch than others.

Just add my gripes to the list - maybe sometime Apple wil take notice...
I have 2 APs, and AirPort on channel 6 and a modified WRT-54g on channel 1. Both use WPA2 encryption, and on a variety of other equipment the signal strength is consistently high (S/N -24/-80 with a sniffer) the iPod constantly varies between a single dot and 3 "bars".
There seems to be some merit to the theory that the indicator goes down to one bar when WIFI is idle, and then up when it is in use; but that's not what the indicator is supposed to be showing! It should be measuring the strength of the incoming signal, not some internal value based on how much power the radio is using.

Walt

I too am having big signal fluctuations and yo-yo (up then down then up then down) networks, particularly at work where we have WPA-Enterprise, but also at home or other WEP site.

The yo-yo signal power mode seems to be eating my battery very quickly too.

Recently the wireless access point nearest my office was repaired after not working for some time. I now see my battery down significantly even when I have not used my iPod Touch 2nd gen. all day.

This really needs to be addressed--the previous iOS3.x was much better in terms of wireless connectivity and battery life. So much so that I am considering using airplane mode at work to conserve battery.

iOS4 has some pluses but this part is a real step backwards.

--bko