Poor wifi reception on new iPad

Hi. Could you try to determine if you are dropping packets with either traceroutes or pings? I am concerned about packet loss?

--Sam

Same problem here in the netherlands.. After reading alle these replies and Views..😟

46488 Views 570 Replies

Can't belive that Apple does not or can't fix this problem quickly... IF you are such a big company you must know how WIFI works...

Apple please don't make the same mistake as Blackberry... Fix it.. so I can be happy with my new PAD..

46488 Views 570 Replies WITHIN 16 DAYS!!!!!!

A few points:

1. You aren't addressing Apple here. This is a user to user technical help forum.

2. The number of views of a thread is meaningless.

3. There have been over 5 million new iPads sold so the 500 posts here (many of which are not even problem reports) doesn't mean much.

4. Apple certainly understands how Wifi works. A problem reported here could indicate either a network problem (possibly a router problem) or, perhaps, a hardware problem with a particular iPad. If so, the only fix is to get new firmware for the router or, if the problem is with the iPad, to get it replaced by calling Apple support.

I went through 4 and gave up. I try again in a few weeks. I know some people are getting good ones from the exchange and some are not. I was not so lucky but maybe in a few weeks I will be.

JimHdk, is it possible to make your post a sticky so more people get to read it?

I'm just reporting back in to the board with my update. I noticed the weak wifi within the first 10 minutes of using the device (32g wifi only black) 14 days ago. My device was crashing apps, dropping wifi signals without reconnecting and generally experiencing horrible wifi. Through this forum I also came to realize the exact same death grip issue with my wifi where I could essentially bring my iPad to a dead halt stop using the Speedtest.net app. I brought it back to Apple store and at their advice I restored the OS from iTunes and the crashing and wifi connectivity issues did become resolved. However, the weak wifi when compared to all other devices in my house was not resolved and neither was the death grip issue. So I elected to return the device today and will continue to use my iPad 1 until I hear these issues die down. My guess is that they ramped down the power to the wifi antenna to conserve battery and that they will fix this with a firmware. The death grip issue is one that I am surprised is not being more widely reported. I tested it on an in-store unit today and there was a clear drop in signal strength. This does seem like a major design flaw, IMO. The Apple reps were super helpful here so if anyone is experienceg issues I wouldn't hesitate to go to the store and explore you optoins.

I read in an article that the new battery that is bigger on the iPad3 is blocking the way of the wifi transmitter. A friend will bring me my new iPad3 already bought in Canada the 4th April, but I think that I will keep my iPad2 that I was about to sell. I have problems with the 3G on my ipad2, and now with the wifi issue on iPad3, if I keep both I should be OK. iPad2 for wifi and iPad3 for 3G (no 4G here), Conclusion, you need 2 iPads to get everything you need...Don't know what apple is doing?

It's pretty obvious that these are all defective units. The question is how many had fell through the crack and ended up in our hands. Not small. It's already 14 days, and still no SW fix, because there isn't one. A tablet computer without wifi is a royal piece of junk. Oh, you can still use it as a high definition digital photo frame if you were not lucky enough to get the HP touchpad.

I canceled my order for a ipad after reading this thread, 3 days later I thought to myself... Couple hundred posts on wifi problems with 5 million ipads sold? What is that .01 percent?

I went to my local shop and bought a 16 gb white wifi only ipad, no problems at all... Go Figure?

I've read every single reply. My iPad shows up next week. What would be very helpful to me is if someone could outline a "test methodology" that I could use to see if mine is ok. As a first step, I'm going to mimic the video that uses speedtest and the "grip." I have nothing to compare speeds to, other than my PC, so I really can't make a maximum speed comparison, just a "grip" degradation during the speedtest. I regularly get 20mbps/4mbps on my ancient Core 2 Duo PC. Should I expect these numbers on the iPad? Anything else to test?

In the event that I have to head to an Apple store, I want to come with more than "it doesn't work" in my back pocket.

I'm faceing as well some problems but in slightly an other manner - wfii connection is ok but breaks unmotivated while I'm surfing through the net. So then I've to go into the "Flight mode" and back to norml after approx 15sec and it works again for..... 2min or 10min or sometimes as well for hours. In the end this is not stable and very boring. APPLE PLEAS TAKE CARE AND FIX IT ASAP! Thanks!

First check your router for firmware updates. Also make sure you have a routr that is at least fairly modern. If the firmware is good then check your connection on another wifi network ( coffee shop, friends house, etc.) if it still doesn't work call Apple or visit a store and exchange the device. Waiting on a fix isn't going to help you. Several have exchanged their devices that had this problem for new ones and the wifi issue was resolved. Good luck.

They should be fairly close if the device is working properly and your router is not to old and the firmware is up to date.

If that article is correct, then the only way to resolve it would be to come up with a new hardware configuration for any units manufactured from here on out. The only thing that a software patch could do is mask the issue by making the strength fan less sensitive to showing fluctuations in wifi strength. But this doesn't explain all the people that got ones that don't show wifi issues. I would think that if they are all made the same, then they would all show the same problems.

And the number of posts to this forum is unimportant. I'd imagine that the vast number of iPad owners don't know that this forum is even here. It is not like everyone with issues is going to report in.

The thing is that most people are reporting bandwidth degradation, but they are bandwidth degradations that don't actually matter for everyday activities in some cases. So I would suggest turning off cellular data. Connecting to wifi using the normal procedure. Does the connection stay? Walk around your house? Does it still stay? Can you surf the web? Stream video? Then you're done.

With these high speed connections, shaving a few mbps is no big deal because 6-10mbps is suitable for everyday activities. There are DSL lines that are 3-4mpbs. I share my internet connection with an entire building, and most of the time have no trouble.

Note: I am not saying that some people do not have a problem. I am just saying that the anecdotal tests are sometimes more important. I do run speed tests for end users that are concerned. There was a post earlier that said that the speed test app might have made things worse, which is unlikely, but who knows.

If the connection is dropping, it's a problem with DHCP release and renew. (esp. if you have to reboot the ipad to get the connection back.)

Routers that are dual-band may need to be seperated into two separate networks or limited to only one band.