Q: iPhone5 issues with WPA2/AES Wifi

Same here... tested everything. BT on/off, deleted profiles, full reset of the iPhone, and so on and on and on.... it still don't work with AES. 10-15 seconds with heavenly speed (almost maxing my broadband with 60mbps down/15mbps up), but then full stop... and I have to reconnect to the network for 10-15 seconds of more "fun"...
I'm going for a replament on monday.

I saw this on another thread:

https://discussions.apple.com/message/19893419#19893419

But a couple of people there say to delete the facebook integration and that has helped them.  I'm not endorsing that solution, just passing it along. I've heard of weirder things!

Didn't do anything for my problem with AES... Connection stopped after about 30 seconds... (after I first deleted Facebook, and then reset my network settings)

Interesting, that sounds like a different problem.. they don't mention AES encryption, just slow download speeds. Either that, or they have defective chips and removing FB is just one more thing that gives them enough processing headroom to get by.

That said, I know people who probably go thru a few gigabits a day just sending & receiving FB updates, I bet it would help them. Facebook addicts are even worse than Apple Discussion Group addicts

I'm more convinced than ever there's just some bad WiFi/BT chips out there, C4RLOCO's original theory (that it relates to this chip, whether hardware or firmware) is holding up!

But great we identified one more thing to try. Returns are such a hassle, and depending on the lottery of who you get at Apple, it can either be a painless or traumatizing experience.

BigZ12 wrote:

 

Didn't do anything for my problem with AES... Connection stopped after about 30 seconds... (after I first deleted Facebook, and then reset my network settings)

Yeah, from everything you've posted, it sure sounds like you're one of us lucky folks that got a genuine lemon. Try to make them connect it to an encrypted network before you leave with it when you get the replacement.

C4RLOCO wrote:

 

Shadow,

I did that with the old phone but did not improve the situation. As for the new phone, I restored the old

Backup and without doing anything else, everything worked out of the box.

What? The replacement worked right out of the box??? There MUST be something wrong with it! Return it NOW!!!

In order to connect the highly advanced iPhone 5 to an AES encrypted wireless network, your routers & WAPs must be no more than 2 weeks old, and have every possible setting tweaked EXACTLY right in order to accommodate its cutting-edge magical capabilities! If I were you I'd get back on the phone with AppleDon'tCare immediately.

Warning, AT&T is cutting their return period, including for defective & DOA to 14 days, beginning Oct 7th:

http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/06/atandt-cutting-returns-and-service-cancelatio n-period-from-30

My new phone just arrived.  No Wifi issues! (but 3 scuffs so getting another replacement )

New phone:

MAC address:  D8:D1

Production week:  39 (September)

Factory: F2

Type: Black 32GB AT&T

Old defective phone:

MAC address:  68:96

Production week:  36 (September)

Factory: F2

Type: Black 32GB AT&T

I have the identical symptoms, with a Apple chip based on MAC address.  I'll request a new phone.  Many thanks.

Like to share with you my findings and resolution with the iPhone 5 Wi-Fi slow and unusable connection when using WPA, WPA2. I work as Network engineer and also hold a Cisco CCNP and other security qualifications. Hopefully this might resolve and help some people out.

After experiencing unusable Wi-Fi on various networks with lots of network timeouts on my new IPhone 5 16GB Black I downloaded an app that allows you to ping from iPhone/iPad I used a paid app called Scany but there are lots of free apps that allow you to ping.

What I discovered testing with my own wireless N access point 802.11n:

From my iPhone 5 I ran a continuous ping of around 500 packets to my wireless N access point IP address.. Remember we are testing the Wi-Fi connection so don’t add complications of pinging across the internet which could introduce issues and latency out of your control.

No Security – No Issues

WEP Security – No Issues

WPA with TKIP encryption - No Issues

WPA2 with TKIP encryption - No Issues

WPA with AES encryption – Approx. 70+% packet loss

WPA2 with AES encryption - Approx. 70+% packet loss

I used 2.4Ghz range and 5Ghz range. Same on both frequencies.

So the issue I suffered and I suspect most people are suffering is down to WPA2 or WPA with AES encryption. If you can change to TKIP. I would not recommend selecting Automatic encryption as it is most likely to select AES as it is preferred encryption standard.

Note WPA2 or WPA with TKIP encryption is very secure and should not really cause any real security concerns. AES is more secure though. The main difference you will notice though if you are using a wireless N Wi-Fi network is that TKIP will only allow data to pass at a theoretical speed of 54Mbits the same as a Wireless G network 802.11g

I suspect most people connect to various secured Wi-Fi networks during our daily lives you would have no way of knowing or altering the security used or encryption in use. Most Wi-Fi networks I would imagine are WPA2 or WPA with AES encryption as this is the most secure standard you are likely suffer this problem.

Don’t turn wireless off and I certainly cannot recommend using WEP as it is easily compromised.

As there is no major stories in the media although growing along with the issue on this forum. I suspect the issue is limited to a small but substantial batch of iPhone 5’s. They reckon they’ve sold 5 million+ so it might not be that many when you sell that many phones.

Resolution:

Tried two system restores one from a backup and the next one setting the iPhone as a virgin/new phone. Issue still present. Resetting just your network connections will have no effect either.

Phoned Apple Care first agent did not know about the issue, passed to supervisor who had only heard of one report of this but by the sound of it that seemed like another issue not connected to what I was reporting. They were not aware of it only being AES encryption as the issue. They only recommended dropping from WPA2 to WPA. Anyway I made an appointment with a Genius at my local Apple Store. (Milton Keynes, UK). They say they had not heard of the issue. I presented them with screenshots of the packet loss when using WPA/WPA2 with AES encryption and they were happy to exchange for a brand new phone as it was only 6 days old.

New phone has no issues with any encryption.

I have no idea if this issue is hardware or software. I have access to a IPhone 4 and IPhone 4s both running iOS6 neither of these suffer this problem. I would suggest getting your phone exchanged with apple sooner than later in case it does turn into a hardware issue.

Hope this helps some people…….

 

No Security – No Issues

WEP Security – No Issues

WPA with TKIP encryption - No Issues

WPA2 with TKIP encryption - No Issues

WPA with AES encryption – Approx. 70+% packet loss

WPA2 with AES encryption - Approx. 70+% packet loss

 

 

 

Hope this helps some people…….

Thanks for the lengthy report. The diagnosis that AES was causing 70-80% packet loss and that switching to TKIP or no encryption was reported 2 weeks ago (the first weekend after release.) For this issue, hardware replacement does apear to fix it, which is why we believe there is a quality control problem. This also jives with the recent report of Apple increasing quality standards at Foxxcom, and the employee revolt that insued.

The real issue here is that Apple hasn't officially acknowledged the issue. Some apple reps are aware and immediately swap out the phone. Others claim they have never heard of it.

Apple Store Visit #3 - Replacement

Went in to pick up the replacement. The tech was quick, and after reading the notes on my problem, got the password and connected it to the (encrypted) Apple Breakroom WAP.

As we completed the paperwork I continued to click links. They were still loading well past the point my original phone would've lost internet connectivity so I left with it.

On my way home paired with car stereo bluetooth - check.

Signed onto my home encrypted network - working fine, fast.

Restored from backup from original phone - still working fine, fast.

Mac: 98:FE (Apple) Scanning back thru, I see a few people saying their 98:FE replacements are good. My original defective phone was a 68.

Bad batch of hardware out there, no question.

PS: Thanks to everyone who contributed on this discussion & especially C4RLOCO for starting it. When Apple was telling me I was "loco" you helped me to isolate the problem & persist in getting a good replacement.