Q: Intermittent Wifi issues with iPad 2 and WiFi

I bought an Airport Express and sent it back immediately when I discovered that it has no web config. One has to use Apple's config software, which is an admin nightmare.

Currently, IOS5.01, Ipad2/3G, I am running OK with a Draytek 800 with the 1.0.3 firmware, but have not done exhaustive testing. I did watch one 1hr movie using BBC I-Player.

I believe the problem is not when you are continously streaming or downloading. I can see a netflix movie or download a 2G movie no problem. It happens only when the connection is idle for few second, such as when reading email, browsing the web, as well as apps such as facebook etc.

I have an Apple Airport Extreme and the iPad 2 is the only gadget with issues.

It has also dropped for me in the middle of a Netflix movie. :/

I wish I had some solution or other idea, but like we've noticed, it's so wonky that it's hard to test.

I've been suffering from very slow wifi performance from my iPad 2 in parts of the house where all other products work fine (iPhone 3GS, Samsung Laptop, Asus Netbook).  I use a Draytek Vigor 2800 VG router which NEVER lets me down.

I've tried all the usual fixes (only using 11g, encryption/no encryption/different types of encryption, power down, forget network, renew lease, adjusting brightness, turning bluetooth off, etc etc)  none makes any discernable difference to performance in areas of weaker signal.

I've been testing my iPad 2 further this morning, with / without smartcover and in various different parts of the house, I've been using the speedtest.net app to test down / upload speeds the results and some explanation are as follows: -

1) The iPad and router are communicating fine, there's no periodic dropout of signal or signing on issues when in close proximity to the router - effectively working fine with full signal strength (little or no buffering of videos)

2) When I move to other parts of the house where other products get no problems (laptop, netbook, iPhone) but signal strength is degraded due to walls etc, the iPad 2 still receives wifi signal but performance is greatly reduced (download speed of 0.33 Mbps in comparison to the iPhone at 5.33.....  rural Oxfordshire this is the best you can hope for!)

3) If I move slightly closer,  remove some obstacles (walls) between me and the router, the performance picks up fine, 5.77 Mbps for the iPad and 5.20 for the iPhone.

4) The smartcover makes little or no discernable difference to performance eg. cover on 5.72 Mbps vs. cover off 5.77 Mbps in same location

In conclusion, 1) either there is a software issue with the way the iPad deals with weaker signals, severely reducing performance once a signal strength 'breaking point' is reached, 2) there is a hardware fault with my particular iPad, 3) the iPad 2 in general suffers from weaker signal strength in comparison to other products

It's a shame Apple removed wifi analysis apps from the app store last year as it would be interesting (and helpful) to be able to accurately determine what signal strength it is detecting in comparison to the iPhone / laptop / netbook etc.

Sorry if this doesn't answer too many questions but I thought I'd add my findings.  I've got a hi gain wifi antenna coming next week which I'll try and post any results.

Hi,

I had the same described problems with my iPad 2 Wifi 32gb connecting the Wifi (interruptions), I have AVM Fritz!Box 3270 as a router. Fortunately I found an easy solution: I just made an update of the routers firmware (just check the routers website for further information. It`s not that complicated, normally you have to run a specific website with a device (laptop) within the network.)

After the update everything worked perfect!

By using the special website entering the router firmware you also have the possibility to check which devices are within the wifi network and you can choose to give a fix IP to your iPad, this might help, too.

Best regards

Ibo

http://twitter.com/IboMazari

amazing, these wifi problems, and already for so long. Was mister Jobs really needed to have things running at apple?

I loved to use my ipad for webthings, but now I need to read the news at my desktop again.

An update is needed and fast!

Ok , so finally had to join a support forum for apple coz I couldnt figure out why my shiny new Ipad2 (wifi only) is not able to hold a connection. I have updated it to the latest and greatest 5.0.1 but still my main issue is that the wifi connection keeps dropping and randomly.

I have a DLINK DIR - 655 (latest firmware yada yada) and dont have any issues with my other devices - Ipad v1,iphone4, WinPhone7, laptops, desktop, android tablet etc.

I refuse to plonk down another 180 to get an apple router .. how does a company that makes things easier to use regress wifi of all things..

Every other device can do better than this one !!

NUMBER OF WIRELESS CLIENTS: 4

SSID     MAC Address     IP Address     Mode                    Rate (Mbps)     Signal (%)

Foo     001F3BB45457     192.168.0.193     802.11g                     54     78

Foo     184617E001FA     192.168.0.151     802.11n (2.4GHz)     39     38

Foo     70DEE217FCE4     192.168.0.196     802.11n (2.4GHz)     1     18

Foo     D8A25E3989F1     192.168.0.189     802.11n (2.4GHz)     52     30

I love Apple but I think they are too arrogant to acknowledge the problem and fix it. Obviously they don't even bother reading those forums and address their customer concerns unless it breaks out from forums to main media. If we want this fixed we need to make the news just like the battery and antenna issues on iphone4. Than they will hire someone who can fix a simple software glitch.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities.

@Pseudo_pad

Does your iPad 2 connect reliably anywhere else?

Obviously in an 80+ page thread, there are lots of people encountering iPad WiFi issues, but I'm interested in your posting, because I use a D-Link DIR-655 router and have had zero problems with my wife's WiFi-only iPad 2, delivered in April. It has worked reliably since initial set-up, and with a variety of free WiFi sources out in the community and while traveling.

Based on what I read in other forums when I purchased the router, I've kept my DIR-655, Hardware Version A4 on the original firmware: 1.21, dated 2008/10/09, and I've never updated it. I'm not sure it is possible to return to an earlier firmware version. I'm aware that there is a potential security bug in 1.21, but I'm overcome that by other means.

I'm interested in some of the settings you are using:

802.11 mode

Enable auto channel scan

Channel Width

In Firmware 1.21 when logged-in as Admin, they are found in Setup, Wireless, Manual Wireless Setup:

We're in a single-floor home in a neighborhood with about 25 other visible WiFi routers within range, though most are 802.11b/g, rather than b/g/n. Originally, this router was installed in a similar neighborhood with many WiFi sources on the top floor of a 2-floor single family dwelling, and worked flawlessly with a variety of wired and wireless devices on both floors.

Message was edited by: kostby

@Kostby, just to make sure, is your router set with a password? I noticed that non password protected wifi have no issues, so want to make sure this is not your case.

I had trouble with my iPad after the iOS 5 update as well. It would intermittently drop signal every minute or so. I am running WPA2 on multiple Cisco E4200 routers that broadcast using dual band 2.4 and 5 GHz freq. I had to disable the 5 GHz band in order to have a steady connection. Most new routers will use dual band. You may check if this solves your problem.

@kostby - yes I do have auto scan on. G/N mixed mode! Channel width 20 MHz . Don't know if this connects reliably anywhere else.

@wmorrison - don't have 5ghz on this one so that shouldn't be a problem..

Btw increasing the brightness level to max on the ipad2 seems to have made it better... So far.

Increasin brightness will only make it better to read the display. Nothing to do with wifi. Tried it already. So far I think there is only one colclusive conclusion, that none of the solutions that offered works for everybody, and I believe in most cases it only seemed like it is working for someone. It is intemittent problem, sometime it gets worse, sometime better, but nonetheless it does NOT go away!

As long as my google search results for "ipad wifi problems" does not return any news website, but just a bunch of forums with frustrated users, Apple will ignore it.