Q: Intermittent Wifi issues with iPad 2 and WiFi

I had big problems with my home router but I never had problems with public hot spots.  I think it's because most don't have any security (password).

That's probably why Apple's first respose when you report a WiFi problem is to ask "have you tried it in a hot spot?"  Or, you go to the Apple store and it works fine on thier non-password protected system.  Then they conclude "must be your router"

Latest news about my iPad2: the intermittent wifi problem has worsened. Now it disconnects every ten minutes.

What's new is the fact that, before disconnecting, the signal indicator starts showing a signal weakening (especially using Skype) then, suddenly, it goes to zero and the iPad tries to connect using the phone connection (that I have disabled) then, finally, it asks for the wifi password.

If I input the password it reconnects in a while. But also if I skip the password wizard and I simply wait for five seconds.

The same pattern is reproducible with two different routers (a "pure" g model and a certified n) using both wep and wpa.

My old iPad (1), side by side with the new iPad2 shows no problems at all (and a stronger signal).

I have reset both routers, installed a new firmware but the problem persists.

I have tried almost all the suggested tricks with no chance.

Standing closer to the router does not help...

Getting ridiculous! Have tried the following, all SEEM to work for a few hours or a day but the DCs always come back.

iTunes Sync = nope

Forget networks = nope

Ask to join = nope

Renew lease = nope

Static ip = nope

Router firmware update = nope

WPA/WPA2 = nope

Adjust screen brightness = nope

Router mixed mode changes = nope

Every other suggestion on the Internet = nope

I can be standing on top of my router when this happens, all of my other devices stay on 24/7 from a hundred feet away. Clearly an iPad 2 issue that needs to be fixed yesterday!

en Chile se presenta el mismo problema y nadie responde, mi ipad 2-wifi, perdio la posibilidad de conectarse a wifi en cualquier lugar y tampoco se conecta a ningun dispositivo bluetotht

Sr. de apple cuando daran una solucion real al problema de miles de usuarios, no es problema de nuestros routers, es problema del IPAD 2

Tengo el mismo problema. Recién comprado y no se conectaba al router, tenía que reiniciar el router y  de ahí a cruzar los dedos para que el ipad no perdiera señal en cualquier momento. Es el IPad 2 de 16gb Wifi comprado en Perú. Espero que sea algo que se pueda corregir con el firmware y no nos dejen colgados. Tengo un Ipod de 8 gb que no ha tenido ningún problema similar.

I too have same issues with wi-fi connection dropping.  I also experience the connection drop when the device goes to sleep mode. Have tried every suggestion and even bought two routers to try. Called cable company to troubleshoot tomorrow but after reading all the posts on this issue most likely nothing wrong with cable internet. My husband bought this ipad2 for me and even had it engraved. He thought tne Apple product would be simple to use with no frustrating setup. This has been the most frustrating device and definitely has not been reliable or provide good user experience. I took to Genius at Apple store who is blaming cable company or router. I was on the phone with Apple support who walked me through updating both the os and iTunes. Even though this is engraved i am taking it back for a refund and I sure hope that will be possible. My husband and i have put hours into this issue and i only got the thing 2 months ago and have not taken it back until i exhausted all possible solutions. My first and last Apple device.

hi debrafromcupertino

I'm angry for you that the Genius person told you it is a cable provider or router issue. They definitely know it is a hardware problem, because they WILL replace your ipad if you stand your ground with evidence. 

When I took my ipad to the Genius store they connected to their own instore wifi successfully and were not able to replicate the problem of wifi non-connection that I have at my home and every other wifi hotspot where I have tried to access wifi.

They tried to tell me the same as they told you : router issue. I told them that I also could not connect to internet at wifi cafes. They responed that would be because wifi cafes often have poor internet connection. However I told them that when I could not access wifi at cafes on my ipad, my son easily accessed internet on his iphone.  Also at home where I cannot access internet on my ipad - our 2 macbooks and 1 windows laptop both access wifi no problem. Genius conceded there was a real issue with the ipad and replaced it.

You need to press them to get your desired result. My ipad was also engraved. I'm sure that I would have been entitled to having the replacement ipad engraved, however, I didn't want to have to wait days for it, so just took the replacement  ipad and ran.  That was about 3 weeks ago. Touch wood, I have not had this issue on the replacement ipad (although it was after 3 weeks of the 1st ipad that issues developed)......so I'm still waiting with baited breath....

The evidence is overwhelming on this Forum. However this is not an Apple forum, only an Apple Users forum. Apple would never admit to reading this site. But believe me, they ARE aware of this problem and WILL replace if you stand your ground..  If you have an iphone or someone you know has an iphone, you can go to a McDonalds  (who are wired with free internet) and access the internet on the iphone and ipad at the same time. If the iphone gets internet and your ipad doesn't get internet, then you will then know if it is your ipad that has the problem.

Best of luck!

debrafromcupertino wrote:

 

Even though this is engraved i am taking it back for a refund and I sure hope that will be possible. My husband and i have put hours into this issue and i only got the thing 2 months ago and have not taken it back until i exhausted all possible solutions. My first and last Apple device.

As donnafromredfern said above you need to stand your ground and be insistent. I got a full refund on mine. (They did give me a replacement first, but that exhibited exaclty the same symptoms) As donnafromrefern said Apple are definitely aware of this problem and they are also aware of this thread. When I first raised the issue with Apple and got asked to talk to their senior engineering people (who seemed already aware of the issue) I mentioned this thread the senior engineering staff asked for a link to it which I emailed them. However I doubt they are still monitoring it. Hopefully they are still working on a technical or commercial resolution to the problem. This thread now has over 142000 views! and 47 pages of posts and I suspect is one of the largest active Apple iPAD threads. I am very surprised that any of the Apple support people would still be pretending that the iPad WiFi-Gate issue as it has become known exists anymore.

I am continually amazed stunned beyond comprehension that some consumers are willing to put up with this nonsense from Apple. It may be that some cultures (American consumers?) have come to expect this kind of core product issue is acceptable. Other countries like the one I live in don't put up with this ridiculousness and have robust and workable consumer protection rules to deal with this. We do not make special exceptions for categories of products. Whether it be a spade, a computer or software, a product must be free from faults.

This is simply a work around for those of you that may have a dual band router.  I encounter this same situaiton with the PC's and a mac at home.  My wife's PC will only do 54mbps or G mode, my pc will do 450 or N and our mac will do 130 which is N.  So instead of using the 5mhz band in my dual band router for video streaming, I have setup the 2.4mhz bandwith on auto and restricted the 5mhz to strictly N mode and I no longer have any problems with the mac or pc on N dropping the signal.

I am not currently using streaming video, but I cant imagine even if I did there being a problem with the computers.  The problem arises from the tranceivers in the routers downgrading to G when the one laptop is connecting and the tranceivers in the mac and other laptop wanting to continue searching for a faster connection so it will drop the carrier and look for a more preferrable connection.

Like I said it is not a fix but a workaround.  I hope this helps and good luck.

oh my goodness, Fastbikegear.......a sane voice in the wilderness, at long last!!!

I have lived a while and one observation I have made is that GenY are so used to a culture of non-service that, generally, they accept poor service and workaround it. Whether the majority of these complainants are GenY or not, who knows - I just can't fathom why any sane thinking person would put up with this rubbish from Apple. All this stuffing around with routers etc etc is such nonsense!

Like your country, my country also has stringent consumer protection rules (maybe the same country?) and no matter whether the companies are 'Davids' or 'Goliaths', the same rule applies to all.

Would Americans, the world's greatest consumers, not be protected by their government in the same way???

Everytime another WiFi-Gate complaint comes into my mailbox I shake my head in disbelief.  I mean, this is now a KNOWN issue - it's not like 8 weeks ago when people experiencing the fault didn't know the problem lay with the ipad. Now it's out there - and anyone who reads this thread will know........it's an ipad fault! It's APPLE'S problem - so make APPLE deal with it.

I have made previous complaints about this problem further back in this thread.

Well it turns out that my problem wasn't caused by the iPad (not directly anyway). I have been using a small router as a 4 port switch without checking whether the DHCP in it was turned on or not. It worked fine and none of my laptops complained when connecting. It fell down behind a cupboard and I forgot about it when searching my house and office for an offending DHCP issuer. Replaced it with a proper swich and my wifi problems all disappeared. Rock solid now.

So the iPad was finding something that nothing else could. I couldn't even ping the offending IP. Would love to know what or how the iPad was doing this.

Symptoms of my failure are exactly as everybody has been complaining about so my experience might apply to a few others out there. Check for ONLY ONE DHCP server.

Trying revjoemac's work around. My router is a dlink DIR 655. Diddnt have the 5 MHz but there are settings for the chan and MHz. I turned off the "use best" on these settings and picked a random available option. After the router rebooted my iPad auto connected without having to go into settings/wifi and asking for a password, which it's never done. I'm not getting booted while using the iPad in places that would Boot me before (in bedroom, back yard etc), Been a few hours now. However, it's done this a couple times now. A few days without getting booted and I will be a happy camper. I will update.

Llevamos tres días con nuestra iPad2 y también la conexión wifi se cae cada 10 minutos aproximadamente. La solución es activar modo avión e inmedianamente desactivarlo.

I was having the same issue and after reading doczeuhl's post I restarted my router. Problem gone!

I am thinking we need to track down the reporter(s) that broke antenna-gate and tell them about wifi-gate!