Q: Poor wifi reception on new iPad

Thank you for the clarification. I did mean repeat the signal. I also got the Speed Test app (mentioned in another message on this thread, and have tried it in my office, where there is no PERCEIVED problem, The rates here over DSL WiFi with a Westell router are:

Download 6.06 Mbps

Upload 0.69 Mbps

ping 44ms

I have no standard for comparison but will look through other messages to get an idea. I will try it on the more problemaic system with the Airport Extreme and Express over the weekend and post more later

donhaupt wrote:

 

Download 6.06 Mbps

Upload 0.69 Mbps

ping 44ms

That's pretty much the max for DSL.  Do you work in the telco Central Office?  I'm maybe two cable-miles (WAG) from the C.O. and I get 4.8 Mbps.

Be aware that the 6M DSL is an extra cost version.  There are two lesser versions with nominal rates at 700K and 3M.  All nominal DSL rates are based on location next door to the C.O.  Actual rates are lower relative to cable distance from the DSL.

Incidentally, the Westell WiFi (AND the Airport WiFi) can provide a higher rate but, of course, the link to the ISP is the bottleneck.

I'm also wondering if there's an issue with the Airport's WiFi channel.  I've found that the "auto" mode isn't all that good.  In my case, Auto usually chose Channel #2 and I got 1 Mbps on the back porch where my Westell couldn't reach at all (I now have an Airport Express as prime and a second Express as extender).  I manually tried every channel and was able to get 2.5 Mbps on the back porch with channel #9.

Using Speedtest X.  This NetUse Traffic Monitor running on my iMac displaying the results.  I held my iPad 3 in landscape hand on left, hand on right and then two times the other way, hand on each side.  The one with that dip is landscape hand on the side with the home button so the results were just a tad less (12 Mb/s average versus 14 Mb/s) average.  I'm using an airport extreme, lates firmware, N network, and WPA2 Personal connection.  Advertised speed by my ISP is 15 Mb/s down and 5 Mb/s up.  My router is on a different floor and maybe 30 feet strait line.  I'll go outside and post that result shortly.

I've been watching this thread with some concern.  I'm seeing a very slight hit when holding my iPad in landscape using the "death grip" and I suspect my results are why you are not seeing a huge traction with this issue.  Bought mine via Apple online and it was delivered on the first day last month.  Just saying, this might be why I don't think this is a design flaw. 

BTW, I got nearly identical numbers using my iphone and wife's Mac Book Pro.  It is not a design flaw......

Did you check the RSSI as well as through put (data rate) with  the Apple  Air Port App ? It may shed some light on your differences. Look under your client connections.

I do pay extra in the office for the higher rate DSL, and I don't think the central  office is THAT close. But I didn't expect the office  to be the problem, but rather home, where I get no WiFi connections in spots where I used to gat a modest to weak one with the first iPad and the iPhones and mid range ones where it used to be strong. How do you reset the Airport Extreme channel? Hardware or Airport Utility?

FWIW, I too got my iPad "3" first dasy mail order from Apple directly

More reports later from the "cold spot" at home

From driveway, in my truck, I'm getting 6 Mb/s down and 4.5 Mb/s up. I'm about 40 - 45 feet from router and through two walls.

Crossing street signal fads rapidly and I'm getting about 1.5 Mb/s down and 500 K up. I would guess 60 feet from my front door.

Airport Utility

Got my wife's iPad 2 and went back out to truck. I did get a bit better performance at 9.37 and 4.29 so there was a difference. Also noticed new iPad got pretty warm sitting there doing testing.

Something I didn't expect, got further from house with iPad 3 than 2 before signal dropped completely. By about 5 feet.

So there is my testing.

donhaupt wrote:

 

Airport Utility?

Airport Utility.  Wait for the main router to display a green dot and then double-click on it.  Click "Edit" select the Wireless tab and then select Wireless Options.  No need to do anything with the extender as it merely follows orders.

ArmyOfOne33W wrote:

 

Something I didn't expect, got further from house with iPad 3 than 2 before signal dropped completely. By about 5 feet.

Insignificant.  Measure with a micrometer and cut with a hatchet!

Also, your test is not a controlled test in the slightest.  You have no clue what channels your neighbors are using and what's their signal strength where you are doing your testing.  The free Mac app iStumbler will help there.  I understand that there is a Windoze version but I don't know what it's called.

By the way, if you do get that app, do not assume that the other WiFi radios are always radiating.  I have some neighbors that routinely turn off their WiFi radios.  In fact, mine is off whenever we're away for several days or longer as I use the Airport in the hotel.

OK ran 20 speed tests on two devices (IPAD 3 & Android Phone) to compare.   My IPAD consistently had better reception (full bars) and was also consistent in PING.  The IPAD was also fairly consistent with UL speeds.  However, where everything fell apart was during DL speeds.  The IPAD was really inconsistent and erratic.  I averaged almost 3.0 Mbps better DL speeds with my Android device versus my new IPAD.

Should I return it?  Thoughts?  Here are my test results below.

I'm a software engineer with over 30 years of experience so yes I understand that is not controlled but when people post no connection after 10 feet and I'm only trying to point out that I was able to keep a signal at a much longer distance.

What were you expecting?  I don't have a lab in my backyard. Sorry I bothered the group.

Watching this with interest. I've had an iPad 3 for a few weeks now but have been disappointed with the wifi performance. As a workaround I now have two wireless acces points it the house so that I can have acceptable signal. This however is a kludge and a pain especially since the iPad does not switch to the strongest signal.

I'm hoping apple are looking at this pretty hard, this s my first apple product - which I don't plan to swap for another iPod unless it's certin that it will improve things.

Your posts are welcome. I went through 4 new iPad3's before taking the refund and keeping my old iPad2 I'm now about 2 weeks out fom trying again. But the ones I tested we're half the range of my 2, my iPhone 4s, Mac Book Air, and my two Wondows laptops.. Please see previous posts details. I also test two that friends of mine got and they were fine, had similar range and throughput on all bands. For the record I have New model Airport Extreme routers, two at home and one at work as well s Netgear WNR 3500 and a WNR 3700. All had similar results. You did the best you could and the results were posted were appreciated.