Q: Poor wifi reception on new iPad

If you want apple to acknowledge the issue or help you fix it (preferably both), contact apple support.

This isn't all ipads. As I said, my neighbor has one that works fine.

I think often times apple discussion threads amplify issues specific to a very narrow range of setups. As an example, I installed ios 5.1 on an ipad 1 after updating all of the apps and had no problems such as the ones reported on this forum.

So much of this depends on the router in question. The most useful post on this so far suggested that apple can fix it by reflashing the ipad firmware. Either way, Apple support is your best remedy if you are unsatisfied with the help we can provide.

Sorry, but you are wrong. Clearly the issue with the new iPad is not a router issue. I am now on my second new ipad (wifi only version) and both have weak wifi reception. Both ipads can only detect 4 signals in my apartment, while my  android phone picks up 8 and my apple tv (new version bought at the same time as the new ipad) picks up 8-10. Also, when connected to my router, which is less than 15 feet away, my android and apple tv show excellent or good signal strength. Both new iPads will show 3 bar strengths but would often slip to one bar and occasionally drop the signal.

My apple tv and android phone have not once dropped the signal nor showed poor wifi reception.

When I returned my iPad to the apple store, I was able to demonstrate the issue to an apple employee. While connected to their router, the signal strength dropped to one bar which affected Internet speed.

There are far too many people with the new iPad exhibiting poor wifi reception and dropped signals to blame this on router or set up issues. Also, given that the problem seems to specific to the wifi model only points to a problem with the device.

When you look at the facts: inconsistent wifi reception, while other devices connected to the router do not exhibit the same issue; that the problem is with the wifi model only; and the device has a poor ability to detect wifi signals. You can only come to one conclusion. It is the device. In my case, two devices.

The fix will have to come from apple in either a hardware replacement or firmware update. Apple could save a lot of people's time and frustration and acknowledge the problem.

Apple doesn't acknowledge problems. They just fix them or they don't. I hope that for those with wifi issues, there is a software fix. My wifi only drops when the iPad is held in landscape orientation and the area on the bottom side of the button is touched. I believe that is a different problem has to do with the position of the antenna and I think that it has been around for a long time. I can reproduce the same issue on my wife's iPad 2.

Of course I live in a more compact two story townhouse. I have no idea what my signal is like when in a hotel or bookstore or other place with public wifi.

Got the iPad(Wifi 16GB) after making my uncle waiting in queue for a good 5hours (5am to 10am) on the 16th of March in the US. I was waiting to get my hands on my first apple product. After i got it, here in India, i was thoroughly disappointed.

I tethered it to my friends phone(Note with 3G) & had to wait endlessly for the iBooks app to load.

Same case with almost every game/app i tried loading through Wifi. The signal only shows 1 bar or just drops. Very frustrating to download anything.

The GPRS on my nokia is faster. Funnily though the browsing is quite crisp.

Very frustrating to download anything.

The joy of being one of the first people to lay their hands on the over hyped "bigassCamera" in my city, soon turned to distress.

I mailed apple on 7th April 2012, no reply as yet.

To add to my woes, the iPad 3 releases only next month here in India. So the apple resellers are absolutely clueless as to what the POA is.

Im anxious whether my "bigassCamera" will be replaced or will i have to live this substandard equipment.

Tim, are you aware whats "cooking" with the iPad? You have a serious "job" ahead.

All the best.

I have had two ipads ...

1st one  wifi did not find hotspot from phone  factory DM (China) production week 12 (March)

2nd one seems to be working so far.!!!! factory DM (China) production week 13 (April)

Mine is 4g 64G DM (China) week 8 (February) and I think it has the wifi issue.

Agreed.  Clearly not an issue with everyone's routers.  I get full strength in my case (full bars).  There is no problem with connectivity in my case.  It's simple performance (upload/download).  My router is performing just fine with my wireless phones, TV, Blu Ray Player and multiple laptops/PC in the house.

The IPAD is only one struggling at the moment which tells me it's specifically related to the IPAD hardware and or software.

Expert Says iPad Wi-Fi Issues May Be Caused By Bad Power Management.

http://www.cultofmac.com/159611/expert-says-ipad-wi-fi-issues-may-be-caused-by-b ad-power-management/

All-

I was the first person to respond to the original poster.  Talked to AppleCare today on the phone and they want me to take it into the Apple Store/Genius Bar for diagnostics.  Problem is, I can't replicate how it acts in my house!  I'll let you all know what I find out.

Sooo.....doesn't this prove taking your IPAD in for replacment fixes nothing?  I am pretty confident Apple has not done a redesign since release.  Basically what this means is that we need to wait for a Software Update to fix the issue since exchanging it for a different IPAD will have the same result.

No?!?

http://www.cultofmac.com/159611/expert-says-ipad-wi-fi-issues-may-be-caused-by-b ad-power-management/

(Let me begin by expressing that I haven't read all the posts above... just so you know)

I have the new iPad 4G+Wifi... but don't have the 4G active so I just use the Wifi @ home.  I've also been having trouble w/the Wifi... It seems as if there is no connection, which makes me go and verify the router and then w/my provider...  Or I may be connected and it suddenly drops... BUT... if I turn the iPad around (from landscape to portrait), it goes back up, full!!!... I've done this a few times and have gotten the same results...  I told my husband and remembered the issue the iPhone 4 had regarding the antenna & dropped calls... So I have kind of associated it... Again,  this iPad is 4G + WIFI (AT&T) BUT the 4G is NOT activated and celular data is set to off... ONLY Wifi...

If someone has a similar problem & is lucky to get some answers, please lmk.

I just made a post below very similar to yours... and its true!!!! If I have it in Landscape it drops terribly... but in portrait it ups full!!! I have the 4G + Wifi (AT&T)... 

yara-bqnPR wrote:

 

I just made a post below very similar to yours... and its true!!!! If I have it in Landscape it drops terribly... but in portrait it ups full!!! I have the 4G + Wifi (AT&T)... 

You may care to Google "new pad death grip" or check on YouTube for same.  Make sure to find the one for the new iPad.  In landscape, if you hold the left side, with thumb on home button (and home button on left), you'll have the "death grip".  My otherwise flawless "new iPad" falls to zero connectivity with this grip.

Apparently it is common for wireless devices to have a way "not to hold them".  I've been having to experiment with my BlackBerry; depending on how I hold/place it, it can go from 5 to no bars.

Hopefully there will be a software fix too, though, to improve wireless (per above, sounds like a power-saving issue).

I wouldn't trust the videos unless you see the back and maybe even insides of the ipad.

A person could easily put shielding tape on the back or inside to make the drop out easier to cause.

However, since you report this as well I doubt the videos are fraud, just wanted to point that out.

Thanks God. I was about to grab an IPAD 3 today. Apple online store in the UAE took off the IPAD 3 from the showcase. It just clicked me to check out whats realy happening to IPAD 3.

Now, I can see tons of problem with alomost every IPAD 3. I should wait for the fixed release to get the 3rd Gen IPAD.