iPhone 5 wifi issues

I was wondering the same thing Stephen! 2 different but similar issues involving WiFi!

Stephen Dawson1 wrote:

If you just have slow connections, LeraVent, but not difficulty maintaining a connection, maybe join in on https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?answerId=21364679022#21364679022. I think we have 2 different sorts of problems - difficulty getting/maintaining a connection, and generally slow performance.

Stephen Dawson1,

On my home wireless network Wireshark shows numerous TCP retransmissions, TCP duplicate acknowledgements, and TCP out of order segments for each of the iPhone 5 replacements I've had. I've been tracking this slow WiFi issue since October 1, 2012 when I received my first iPhone 5 and after three replacements I still couldn't get one that downloads normally over WiFi. Then Wkish over at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?answerId=21359201022#21359201022 discovered a workaround: simultaneous downloads.

I have demonstrated on my home wireless network that by simply downloading a large file via Dropbox in the background while streaming a video that it magically makes all those TCP errors in Wireshark go away. Previously, the streaming videos on Kremlin.ru (a news server in Moscow, Russia) would buffer around 3 seconds then quit since it was kept busy with TCP retransmissions but now with this simultaneous download workaround I'm able to get the streaming videos to buffer completely and I live in the USA! It's actually quite silly that this method works but it works nonetheless.

Also, when testing with the FCC Mobile Broadband Test app I notice a correlation in higher latency equaling more TCP retransmissions and thus slower download speeds.

This has got to be a protocol stack bug in iOS 6.1.2 and needs to be fixed ASAP. I've filed this issue with http://www.apple.com/feedback and I think everyone else should too.

Hi Gvanicks. Couldn't agree with you more. It certainly smacks of a major protocol stack problem. Over on the other thread you mentioned (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?answerId=21359201022#21359201022) I confirmed that I could reproduce the dual download behaviour, and I've posted this info on the Apple feedback site. On the other thread I've also posted some interesting findings regarding doing Speedtest runs to sites at varying distances and increased pings. I can consistently demonstrate that to sites with higher latency the iPhone 5 underperforms, by a very large margin, an iPad 3. I would guess an iPhone 4 performs similarly to an iPad 3. Be nice to know if others can reproduce this. The other thread might be better for posting findings.

Another user discovered the simultaneous download "workaround" depicted in the youtube video. The discussion's over at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670. I'd say everyone has the slow download problem, but doesn't know it, because it only affects performance to sites with a larger latency (ping).

William, can you try something for me? The server Speedtest is using is obviously very close to you, with a ping of only 18ms. Change the site in Speedtest Settings to somewhere in the world where your ping is larger, say up in the 200-300 range. Then test again. If possible, then repeat the test using an older device - iPhone 4, iPad 3, anything other than iPad 4, iPad Mini or iPhone 5. Do you find the older devices significantly outperfrom the newer devices to a site with a larger ping? That's what we're finding over at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?answerId=21511543022#21511543022 - very bad performance to sites that are more distant compared to older Apple iDevices. Unless, that is, you are running 2 downloads simultaneously - then things speed up!

I am having same issues with you. Everything is working fine although I am still using ios 6.1.2. Started from yesterday, out of the blue wifi connections drop in less than a minute, although I have not run any app at all. You can imagine I have to keep my phone next to me and manually click to connect to wifi to download and install ios 6.1.3. Unfortunately the issue is still there. Then I Reset Network Settings, hard reset hardware, delete all safari history and data. It seems to be slightly better, the wifi will stay for few minutes for Safari and What's app then it will disconnects! It will dropped immediately when I open YouTube and Mails. I did feedback to Apple via http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html, I hope Apple will fix this asap, and please do the testing job well before release any updates!

This is the SITE you can check your phone in terms of Warranty: https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

The moment you switch your Iphone on and connects to Apple Server, thats when the start of warranty begins, correct me if im wrong, though when you get a replacement phone, i dont know how they can determine, unless your copy over the same serial number OR update the replacement phone with your warranty details, who knows ?

As for wiFi issues, we all know its a hardware compatability with the software in the IOS versions that drive the phone and communicate with the various WiFi devices on the market.

I have the same issue, IOS 5 worked like a charm with my WAP's in the office, the moment IOS 6 came out, it was a train wreck until IOS 6.1 came out.

If now connects like IOS 5, but mind you, i still think Iphone 5 is a train wreck, id much prefer my old Iphone 4S with no dramas and LEAVE IOS 5 on it 🙂.

Best Iphone i ever had, id go and say better than my Iphone 5 🙂.

OBESEMCNASTY,

We are discussing slow performance, as opposed to connectivity issues, at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?answerId=21511543022#21511543022. There could be one other reason for your slow app store speed, although I doubt it applies to you since you are located in the U.S. But have you changed your DNS servers to something unusual? I'm in Australia, and for some time used OpenDNS for my DNS, since they have great security and fltering services. However, this made everything think I was located close to their server, meaning that some content that was otherwise available close to me was instead served from a distance. This definitely applied to all Apple content. Apple uses content distribution services that are located around the world, so you usually get content from somewhere fairly local. OpenDNS ruined this for me, to the point where Apple TV couldn't stream fast enough to be usabale, and any Apple updates took an age to download. As I say, maybe doesn't apply to you, but thought I'd mention it.

Hi guys I have the same problem with my iphone 5, I can see the connections but I can't connect , only if I near the router(2 meter) , but it *****!, with my iphone 4s I could connect easily(6.0.2).

I'm from Peru, my uncle gave me the iphone 5 (6.1.2) locked by AT&T(I unlocked it by IMEI on a webpage) and had the problem that I mentioned, I updated to 6.1.3 and it was the same.

I check the warranty on the page: https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

and says: Repairs and Service Coverage: Active (limits apply)

Your product is covered for eligible hardware repairs and service under AppleCare+.

Estimated Expiration Date: November 14, 2014

My friend will going to USA on the next month, my question is , if my friend arrive the iphone to any apple store, could they change my iphone 5? it will be locked and I will have to unlock again or it will be unlocked?

I really appreciate your answers! Thanks

Help please:

Hi guys I have the same problem with my iphone 5, I can see the connections but I can't connect , only if I near the router(2 meter) , but it *****!, with my iphone 4s I could connect easily(6.0.2).

I'm from Peru, my uncle gave me the iphone 5 (6.1.2) locked by AT&T(I unlocked it by IMEI on a webpage) and had the problem that I mentioned, I updated to 6.1.3 and it was the same.

I check the warranty on the page: https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

and says: Repairs and Service Coverage: Active (limits apply)

Your product is covered for eligible hardware repairs and service under AppleCare+.

Estimated Expiration Date: November 14, 2014

My friend will going to USA on the next month, my question is , if my friend arrive the iphone to any apple store, could they change my iphone 5? it will be locked and I will have to unlock again or it will be unlocked?

I really appreciate your answers! Thanks

Guys,

this is weird but please do try the following:

1. define your wifi network to use Auto - Proxy

2. define the proxy server address as http://www.apple.com/library/test/success.html

Please test and update.

thank you.

Hi guys I have the same problem with my iphone 5, I can see the connections but I can't connect , only if I near the router(2 meter) , but it *****!, with my iphone 4s I could connect easily(6.0.2).

I'm from Peru, my uncle gave me the iphone 5 (6.1.2) locked by AT&T(I unlocked it by IMEI on a webpage) and had the problem that I mentioned, I updated to 6.1.3 and it was the same.

I check the warranty on the page:https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do

and says: Repairs and Service Coverage: Active (limits apply)

Your product is covered for eligible hardware repairs and service under AppleCare+.

Estimated Expiration Date: November 14, 2014

My friend will going to USA on the next month, my question is , if my friend arrive the iphone to any apple store, could they change my iphone 5? it will be locked and I will have to unlock again or it will be unlocked?

I really appreciate your answers! Thanks

TJ888,

You have the same slow WiFi issue as me. See my post in this thread about "simultaneous downloads" (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4322714?answerId=21477054022#21477054022) for a workaround.

Some of us are pretty convinced there are (at least) 2 different issues going on here. The majority pf people on this thread have connectivity issues - they can't get their device to connect to an access point reliably. Personally, I've never seen this issue on the 6 or 7 iPhone 5s I've had access to (thank goodness). The other issue is the one of wifi performance. I personally believe that ALL newer iDevices, like the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, iPad 4 and probably the iPod Touch 5G have this particular issue. All these devices have a newer radio chip in them. I think most people don't see the problem because they don't download large files, or because they are geographically located where the issue isn't too noticeable.

The thread at https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?start=0&tstart=0 discusses the performance problem in particular.

Update from me, I have also posted this in another similar thread - https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4820670?start=60&tstart=0

Sadly my experience with both Beta 1 and Beta 2 of the new iOS release shows no improvement at all in the slow WIFI throughput on iPhone 5.

I now have quite a lab setup with two different access points (with different chipsets) and my 4G MyFI device.

No matter what WIFI network I choose, what channel it is, if it is 5.0 or 2.4GHz, if it is just N/A/B/G, secured by WPA/WEP or open, high medium and low channels......throughput for podcast downloads (and other apps like Evernote or Dropbox) is very very slow.

The only fix I have found is if I deploy a proxy service on my local network, then configuring my iPhone to talk out via the proxy. Must be some kind of TCP window issue with longer term downloads, meaning either some kind of driver issue or a hardware issue (so bascially meaning anything).

An example of the order of magnitude, a 25MB podcast download this morning, when straight WIFI with no proxy 15 minutes, with a proxy configuration on the same network 1-2 minutes. My iPad 3 with no proxy on the same WIFI network downloaded the podcast in 1-2 minutes, as did my iPhone 4.

So this is, for me at least, an iPhone 5 specific issue that is not linked with iOS6 or 7 (b1 or b2).