The new iPad constantly losing cellular data connnection

Update: I work in San Jose, which has a much stronger LTE signal, and I'm not experiencing the problems I experience in San Mateo. Both cities show up as the same dark-blue color in AT&T's coverage maps, so the difference seems to be proximity to cell towers.

In San Jose, I've got 3 bars of LTE signal, and switching between WiFi and LTE works fine. No reboots, no "cannot connect" errors. Perfect.

In San Mateo, I get 1 bar of LTE signal, and all sorts of problems. Main one is that the iPad can't seem to hold onto the signal; it drops down to 4G or "No signal" while sitting still. Switching between Wifi and LTE seems to make signal retention worse.

So, in my experience, the switching radios problem may really be a failure to hold a weak LTE signal. Just thought it might help others to know.

This issue is far worse than what I read in the news. I too am experiencing this issue: coming out from WiFi connection, I simply cannot activate my 3G data even with 3G connection. Only a restart can then solve the issue. And this remedy is obviously a software/driver issue. And until i came here to read ths thread, I thought it is simply just a minor batch issue!

My message is this: Steve Jobs had only been gone for less than half a year, and this 1st major product from post-SJ era is such a shoddy piece of product?! What are the Apple engineers doing? What are the directors doing? What is Tim Cook doing?! Antenna-gate is a drop in signal, but this issue is a total loss of data connectivity! What are they doing during their pre-launch testing? You put in retina display, LTE function, quad core graphics chip, and yet you can't even get the basic function right! Steve once mentioned that beautiful design is useless if there's no quality to go with it... So where is the quality in this new iPad? Stop embasking in your "my stocks break the $600 barrier and I can now take it easy" and get down to work! There are 21 pages of symptoms on this thread alone, that's enough for the engineers to go stop blaming on the SmartCovers and get down to work. I spend so much money to buy this new iPad and yet I'm getting so much stick from the cheaper Galaxy Tabbers for not even able to get the basic function right. They maybe copycats but at least they got it right. Seriously, I won't be surprised if Samsung overtake Apple in the tablet market in a year's time. So please, Apple, people in China are selling their kidneys to buy iPads, so please don't let their efforts go to waste! Do something about this grave issue!

I hope you're wrong, but gradually we're beginning to think you might be right...

Same problem here in Indonesia using Telkomsel.

The New iPad says shows there is strong signal with 3G but it cannot connects. Resetting using airplane mode or turning on/off cellular data does not help. Both methods returns strong signals with 3G but all applications cannot access the internet. System Status application on iPad also shows Network Connected as "No" and does not have does not IP address from the 3G.

The problem occurs at random time and only way to fix this is to restart the iPad. Please investigate this issue and many of us will be happy if the patch is released anytime soon.

@ultrakyo, I have the same problem in Singapore using Singtel. For me, only a network reset or restart will resolve the problem temporarily. Upon advice by one of the apple retailer tech guys, I switched to Starhub since last week. I am happy to say that the problem has not recurred since!

This may be a combination of iPad software and service provider issue. If it's possible, do try and test out using a different provider like Indosat, PT telekomunikasi, or others. Borrow from friends' sim card for a trial. Who knows the issue may not persist with an alternative provider.

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Been there, done that. It doesn't work in Europe ...

We know what the problem is here guys – it’s been discussed here but is lost in the clutter of the thread.

The problem is caused when the iPad switches between 2G (or Edge) and 3G. That locks up cellular data on the Globalcomm multi chip. If you live in a country where 3G coverage is not so great and 2G is still common, you’ll notice the problem a lot more than when in other countries. If you live in a major city where you mostly only get 3G, the problem will be far less apparent.

I’ve tested this and it’s 100% repeatable. Whilst I stick on 3G I have no problem, if I move to an area where I get edge or 2G even for a moment, when it goes back to 3G there is no data until I power-cycle the ipad.

The ONLY solution at the moment is to use a SIM from a carrier who only use 3G cells. That way you never switch to 2G so never get the problem. Here is the UK, that carrier is Three (www.three.co.uk). I have SIMs from O2, Orange and T-Mobile and all of the suffer the same problem, only the Three SIM is 100% problem free.

If you live outside the UK, you need to research which carrier are 3G only. If there isn’t on in your country, there is no solution until Apple or Globalcomm fix the chip problem. If it turns out to be a hardware only fix, then Apple have a worldwide disaster on their hands.

@FazerWzi: In Germany the problem occurs when switching from WiFi to 3G at different sites (think: travel from WiFi at home to 3G on the road and try to get connected. You can't).

2G and Edge are not really in the discussion here. So as helpful as your comment may be in the UK, it doesn't seem relevant to us.

And yes, dear monitor at Apple, we are getting short on patience here...

Hi kaykrum,

I am not sure if this is true. I'm in Germany using an O2 SIM card (already the 2nd SIM card i tried) and in my perception the issue happens more often when travelling e.g. in an ICE-train and when the iPad switches between 3G and EDGE. Usually it works when I leave my home-WiFi and the iPad switches to the mobile data carrier (O2).

What do you think about that? Is it different with your iPad?

I'm also not sure that's entirely accurate. I'm a US AT&T user and it was happening in a 4g area with good coverage. Furthermore, it was happening when I was stationary - not moving around. I could have been being bounced between towers but it was happening in 3 different, separate areas. If what you're claiming is even partially accurate, then you have to consider that it could be happening between 3G and 4g, or between towers.

However, I don't even think that is the case, as I've had 3 replacement iPads since I first had the problem, and none of them had the issue.

@Chiefmastafunk. Yeah, it is different. At home I can switch back and forth from WiFi and 3G without too much hassle. But yesterday (for example), when I used my iPad on WiFi at home, then travelled about 100 km north and tried to use my iPad to check something for the people in a meeting it wouldn't reconnect (embarrasing, to say the least). I rebooted and it worked on 3G fine. And when I got home it switched back to WiFi automatically and well. Other iPad'ers I know are having the same problem. So I stick with my description: reconnecting from WiFi to 3G at different destinations is the bug.

Another piece of random information: The SIM card I am using (or let's say trying to use) in the new iPad works beautifully in my old iPad 2 (glad I still have it). So it doesn't look like a card/provider issue to me, but rather an Apple issue.

But what makes you wonder is the fact that such a serious -and obviously- global problem has not yet leaked to all the tech sites. The overheating has leaked but this hasn't. This is strange...

Fazerwiz is absolutely correct here. I too have experimented with various carriers, Vodafone, GiffGaff(pseudo O2) and Three. In the UK Three is the only provider that is 3G only, both the others experience the problem we are all talking about. I switched to Three last week and have no problems since. I therefore concur that the problem is switching (generic, ie from 2G to 3G etc). I am not suggesting we all go to Three or your country equivalent but until Apple sort this, it is a working alternative.

Adrian

I can confirm. The same is in Poland. Only one of four providers (Play) is using only 3G. I use SIM card form this particular provider with some prepaid plan for almost two weeks and did not have single issue. Everything works perfect, connection is stable and fast, switching to/form WIFI without any problems. With all other three providers this issue exist, because they also uses 2G cells. I still follow this thread because my main provider (becaue of company I work in) is one of those three :( unfortunatelly.

manoskap wrote:

But what makes you wonder is the fact that such a serious -and obviously- global problem has not yet leaked to all the tech sites. The overheating has leaked but this hasn't. This is strange...

Actually, they have picked it up, here are a few I found:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/06/apple_connectivity_problems/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57410454-37/new-ipad-owners-complain-of-3g-con nection-issues/

http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2012/04/06/first-wi-fi-now-3g-issues-reported-with -new-ipad/

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/04/06/users_report_3g_connection_issues_ with_apples_new_ipad.html

@kaykrum+ I originally thought it was a problem was switching between wifi and 3g, but it turned out to be a red herring. In fact, I left WiFi turned off all the time and it was three days before I saw the problem again. Then I though the SIM PIN fix worked - but again the problem returned. The problem is that the results are very random because of the way the ipad hunts between cells and you can be easily misled into thinking you have a solution when you don't.

The only thing I have found that is 100% repeatable, is that it locks up when switching between 2 and 3G. I have an area about a mile from my home that only gets a 2G reception and when I drive there and it switches cells, it 100% locks the iPad up and needs a power-cycle. That, coupled with the fact that I have had no problems whatsoever with a 3G only provider leads me to be very confident that this is the problem.

I've seen people in other countries say that they have a 3G only provider and they also have no problems. Maybe it'd be useful to draw up a list of providers in each country so people could at least try a cheap PAYG SIM and see if it fixes for you.

So far we have:

UK: www.three.co.uk

Poland: http://www.play.pl

Any others?