Q: Poor wifi reception on new iPad

I'm on my third iPad.  I returned the first one due to uneven backlighting and the second one due to dead pixels.  I finally got one that has a nice, even screen.  But since moving on from screen issues, I've noticed that my iPad also suffers from this issue.  I do not "death grip" it.  I just naturally sit with it in my lap in landscape, with it resting in my left hand.  So I grip it just enough to hold on to it while tapping.  I am about ten feet away from my router, and I lose one bar on the signal strength meter.  I don't have blazing fast internet like some of you all (jealous).  I normally get 5.0 down.  When I sit with it in landscape, I get 1.5 - 2.0 down.  If I turn it so that it is in portrait, I get full 5.0 all the time.  So far I haven't had any problems with it dropping  my connection, but it does slow down quite a bit.  So I brought it to work to take a look.  We have several WiFi routers blasting all over the building.  When I turn it to landscape, I lose a bar, no matter which router I'm connected to.  In fact you can see them all drop a bar at the same time when you go to the network setup.  It's almost comical.

I don't see how this can be anything but a hardware issue.  I know that there are some people that are not having the issue.  But it seems like quite a few are.  Does anyone think that this can be fixed with anything but a hardware reconfiguration?

Just adding my name to the list.  I noticed the wifi issue the first weekend I had the new iPad, my 2 year old htc incredible has better connectivity than my iPad.  It only works in my apartment near the router, it's unusable out in public places.  Hope this is a software thing otherwise I have a $800 digital picture frame.  I have already told my friends and family to hold off on getting an iPad until this is sorted out.  Oh and the battery charging issue, that's true too, it's excruciatingly slow to charge.

I've had success with the Wifi issue and fixing it. When you connect to Wifi the iPad searches for your router or other routers within range. It seems to be unstable when connected to the router when selected from the list of routers that shows up when you turn wifi on. So try this.

Go to the Wifi section in settings and turn wifi on.

When it searches the nearby wireless connection you will see 'other' at the bottom of the router list.

Click on 'other' and enter your Wifi details manually.

The name will be whatever your router is called eg: wireless.

Select the security that matches your router security eg: WPA2.

Enter the wireless password and then hit join.

Now my Wifi remembers the password I entered and has become stable with a stronger connection I'd like to know if this solves your problem and I'm sure Apple would be too, so please post your findings here!

Other than the odd person such as yourself these methods generally do not work otherwise there would be plenty of responses saying it did. None of the so-called "fixes" have made a dent in the postings in this thread.

I posted way back on page 3 or 4 with my issue and waited for 14 days before returning my 32gb model and exchanged it for a white 64gb and have the same symptoms. Iif anything, my newer one is a bit worse than the first one. At least with the first one I could always connect to my home network if it showed up on the list of available networks. This new one is finnicky for some reason and occasionally will flat-out refuse to join the network given the correct password. 

I think this thread occasionally gets off-topic but reading through all 40+ pages those of us affected indicate that the some new iPads have weak wifi reception. I tried some of the fixes posted earier with no positive rsults. I am not about to begin replacing routers, mess with encryption methods, reset settings etc etc when EVERY single device in my house, including the iPad 1, work just fine where the new iPad won't.

Hopefully a real fix from Apple is in the works otherwise this 2nd unit goes back within the 14-day return period and I'll continue to do so until a fix is forthcoming.

I have minimized the symptoms here at home by using a spare router I had in the bit-box and setting it up as an access point 5 feet from where I usually sit...but I am the only one in the house needing to use it. If I go downstairs I need to connect to the router down there, something the iPad 1 never had to do.

This has solved someones problem in another thread. The specific issue of the password not being remembered and subsequently being booted off the network has been resolved for one user. I'm sure this is just a bug in IOS and it will be resolved soon enough. For now, the points I set out seem to have alleviated my problem.

I agree with it getting off topic.  There seems to be two issues here.

1. WiFi can't connect or stay connected.  iPad may ask for password multiple times, etc...

2. Holding the iPad in landscape orientation causes a weaker signal, a drop in upload and dowload speed, etc...

While it is certainly possible that some people might have compatibility issues with their equipment, that would probably only address issue #1, and only in a few cases.  Not everyone having weak WiFi reception or no reception has a bad router or bad setup.  Especially when multiple other devices have had no problem connecting and staying connected.  And I can't see how the router would ever address issue #2.  If I am getting full strength when I have my iPad in portrait orientation, but it drops down within five seconds of being turned to landscape, that seems more like a definite hardware defect.  I don't see how router setup would affect that even a little.

Quite frankly, I am surprised that the media hasn't picked this issue up.  They reported the so called overheating issue within days of people starting to complain about it.  Maybe because where the media likes images of people burning themselves on iPads, there is no drama in a WiFi issue.  No idea.  But just from this one lonely forum, this issues seems a lot more widespread.

Ok, Jayed1, this seems to be the first fix that actually made a difference. My logging in manually I got the same strength and speed anywhere in my house. It was a very big difference. If Apple folks are reading this, maybe it will give them a clue about actually how to implement a real fix. But for now, I seem to be ok. I will report back if it fails later.

Interesting. This survey of new IPad users didn't pick up the wifi problem at all.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57408016-37/new-ipad-owners-reveal-their-likes -and-dislikes/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=News-DigitalMedia

That article kind of seems like a fluff piece. JMO.

I'm having the same issues, had it since launch date and was working ok till the weekend then wont load any internet pages at, keep getting the following message "safari could not open the page because the server stopped responding"

tried all of the fixes, even done a full reset and nothing. Funny thing is my iphone 4s has started doing the same thing around the same time.

I know there isnt a problem with the internet in the house cause im using it now.

So i suppose what i'm asking is should i go back to the shop or is there anybody i can call?

thanks

Sorry to hear.  Drive to your local Apple store or whatever store you bought it from, return it, get your money back and buy a different brand of tablet, because you will never be satisfied.

Why do you put yourself through all the agravation when the solution is so simple?  Get your money back and buy a different brand and hopefully you will enjoy it, but I doubt it.  Anyway, just do something and quit whining in this forum because nobody here can help you.

@ray68 sorry about your trouble.  Don't pay any attention Alaska.  He gets a kick out of abuse.  Everyone's been on his back but he just gets a kick from punishing others for who knows what reason.

Not good news to report. jayed1's fix worked the best and longest of all the fixes BUT it's back to problems now, some number of hours after if was working. Back to hoping Apple is hard at work on this. This is now very frustrating.

I'm sure Apple is looking into the problem. There are too many people here reporting problems and we're surely the tip of the iceberg as most people can't even figure out how to get here for support. That wasn't meant to sound harsh but in my line of work most users, generally speaking, are not exactly computer smart.

I've also read somewhere in this thread that somebody talked to someone or some genius at an Apple store and was told this is a non-issue and that a fix would NOT be coming. The only thing we can be sure of is that Apple rarely, if ever, discusses or comments on "alleged" problems. The only thing I would be sure of is the swift termination of an Apple employee saying something about what they may or may not be working on.