iPad Air download speed one third of upload

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Level 1

4 points

iPad Air download speed one third of upload

It started when we were trying to access a specific site yesterday (Thy Kingdom Come / Resources / Videos) and our old iPad was SO slow and in fact, never managed it. We could access the site / page and stream quite happily on my new HP, my wife's old HP, my iPhone, her Samsung, but the iPad? No.

I tried Chrome, Firefox and Safari... no difference.

So I tried a broadband speed test (we have fibre into the house). The download speed was 20-25 whilst the upload speed was 80-100. Still slow for Fibre that offers up to 900 but it's an old iPad Air. By comparison I'm getting multiple hundreds from the three other new devices.

The weird though was seeing the download speed 1/3 up the upload. It's usually the other way around right? I've tried all the advice that I can find.

Yes, there's way more than 1Gb of free space

Yes, closed all the open apps in the background

Yes, got rid of apps I don't use

Yes, rebooted.

Yes, disconnected and reconnected the router.

Yes, forgot the network and rejoined.

Yes, reset the network and rejoined.

Yes, tried updating the iPadOS but it's up as far as I can get it.

Yes, tried the other hacks to get it past that limit (they didn't work).

It's STILL downloading at only 1/3 of upload; still only getting 20 odd on download; and we still can't open that site/page on the iPad, whereas the rest are OK.

I'm out of ideas. Other than jacking it (the device) in and getting a new one, probably a notebook to replace my wife's clapped out HP AND the iPad Air, I can't see or think of what's wrong.

Any constructive advice?

iPad Air, iOS 12

Posted on May 21, 2023 1:23 AM

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Answer 1

Allan Jones

Level 10

81,060 points

May 21, 2023 9:04 AM in response to SJD53

My first impression for advice is to post in the iPad forums where more people will see your question. No need to retype; I will ask our Hosts to move this there.

Apple does not make the site map for thisplace easy to find. This is it:

Site Map - Apple Community

I recommend bookmarking it for future needs.

As for the current situation...

1) Does this happen only with your home/office ISP or do you see it when away from your own network access (other businesses; hotels; libraries: etc)

2) If this is only with your ISP...Have you inquired of your ISP if they are clocking older devices, or even if they know of any limitations that their service or equipment may encounter on older devices? We have an iPad 2 (2011) running iOS9 that is slow but still shows a normal ratio of download to upload speeds.

I am encountering more sites on the iPad 2 that do not play well with older iOS version but that should not affect a speed test site.

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Answer 2

SJD53 Author

Level 1

4 points

May 21, 2023 10:35 AM in response to Allan Jones

Thanks for the transfer.

Point 1) I'll know tomorrow. Currently only tried at home.

Point 2) My old laptop (replaced by the newer HP) was giving poor times (albeit in the usual sort of ratio). When I called my supplier to ask the exact question you posed, they denied it. I tend to believe them because they advised ethernet cabling it to the back of the router as a comparison and it went seriously fast. We're talking up near the max available. So it seems it was the wifi within that device (a Dell) that was not up to high speeds.

I did try using a USB from iPad to the back of the router, but that didn't pick up at all. Might try it again.

The biggest "Weird" for me is the disproportionate results download / upload. Very strange.

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iPad Air download speed one third of upload

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