iPad Air, updated to iOS 8.1. Wifi almost unusable

I agree, For bad updates, we should have the ability to undo the damage they caused.

I agree, 7.0 was useable, 8 has been a disaster from the start.

I was having the same wifi issue with my iPad Air after updating to iOS 8.1. Here's what I did to fix the issue:

1. Backed up to both iCloud and iTunes.

2. Erased All Content and Settings.

3. Setup as a NEW iPad. Did NOT setup iCloud.

4. Tested to see if wifi was working. It was. Downloaded Hearthstone. Played Hearthstone off and on for the rest of the night, never had any wifi issues. (Note: Downloading and playing Hearthstone is probably not necessary, but highly recommended.)

5. Next day, Erased All Content and Settings.

6. Setup by restoring from iCloud backup.

7. Resumed playing Hearthstone, have not had any wifi issues since.

Hope this helps!

What does Hearthstone app have to do with having Wifi problems?. It may help restoring the Ipad, but already did that. Seems someone is just trying to promote a game. Not really relevant to the problem.

Possible temporary fix.

Most of our newer wireless routers have dual channel mode. Well, you can tell each network mode to use a different SSID. Before in my Linksys EA4500 wireless router, I had the same wireless router name or SSID and the iPad would connect to the 5GHz or 2.4GHz channel. I am now using strictly 5GHz with the iPad and that seems to be working with the WiFi issue. Keep both channels enabled but tell te iPad to forget the slower channel's SSID and only use the faster 5GHz SSID.

My iPad Air 2 with iOS 8.1 continues to be connected to the Internet even after being on standby (or asleep).

IOS 8.1.1 beta is out for dev users, unfortunately there is no mention of a wifi fix.

https://developer.apple.com/library/IOs/releasenotes/Miscellaneous/RN-iOSSDK-8.1 /index.html

If anyone with a developer license want to test the waters out it and report back it would be appreciate.

Unfortunately, developers are under a "Non Disclosure Agreement" with Apple so would not be able to discuss this on an open forum.

I also trusted Apple to have its act together. After updating to iOS 8.1 on my iPad 2 I can no longer log into my home wifi. It doesn't recognize my password. I also have an iPhone 5 that's running iOS 7... and it works and connects just fine. Also my iPad now runs so slowly it makes it almost useless. I'm looking into replacing both my phone and iPad with Android devices, but will wait a few days to see if Apple can help resolve these issues. BTW, I've been with apple since my first iPhone years, and years ago, and this is the first time that something like this has happened. Does this foretell Apples future in the mobile biz?

I agree with the comment about wishing Apple would let us roll back to a previous version. They make a big song and dance about the percentage of people who have updated to the latest iOS. And then gloat about that high percentage relative to Android users who don't update. What they fail to mention is that at least Android users have a choice. For the rest of us with Apple, we're forced to tow the company line and accept their updates. Especially when faced with a problem that requires a full restore. Then there is no choice but to accept what Apple forces the user to install. In many cases this can break the functionality of the phone. Especially if you rely on third party apps that may not work as expected or at all following an update. Apple needs to respect that the consumer owns the device, and let the consumer decide what OS they want to run. The way Apple runs the show lately is nothing short of a dictatorship.

Who I forcing you to update? It isn't as if it is automatically installed on your phone!

I've now had 4 iPhones - the original one, the 4S, the 5 and now the 6. I've updated OS software on all of them with no trouble at all.

IF you use odd 3rd party apps, then perhaps you should choone not to update, but that doesn't mean the rest of us would make this choIce. No one forced you to upgrade. Perhaps your anger would be better directed at yourself for making a bad choice.

I am same problem too, ipad air

at IOS 7.1.2 very well in wifi connection.

but after upgrade IOS8.1, wifi very unstable.

i am use 11bgn/40MHz.

tried change channel, reset all config, re flash in dfu mode....but the result in negative...

😟

You may have missed my point. The fact you used the word "upgrade" tells me that you have.

What I am saying is that many of us have been forced onto the current iOS when we did a full restore, because of a glitch with the device that troubleshooting could not resolve. In any case, if you want to restore your device, you should be given the option to restore the software it is currently running or upgrade, not just forced into the upgrade that may not be wanted.

What I can say from my personal experience about the impact of 8.1 on wifi is this: I have an iPhone on iOS 8.1 (which I had to accept as the iOS when I restored, as there was no choice) and an iPad running on iOS 7.2.

Apart from the problems making a full restore necessary for the phone, I'd say that it and the iPad worked equally well on wifi.

Now that my phone is on iOS 8.1 and the iPad is still on iOS 7.2, only the iPad connects properly to wifi.

I have a great deal of trouble even downloading small files over wifi on my phone, yet if I switch wifi off and use cellular data, it downloads in a matter of seconds versus almost an hour.

So if I had the choice of going back to iOS 7.2 I would.

And why shouldn't customers be able to make that choice? On Mac computers, users are eligible to decide which version of OS X they want to use. There is no requirement that a Mac customer has to use the most current software. S/he can download any version of OS X that's compatible with the machine s/he owns. Why can't the same freedom of choice be extended to the software running our iDevices?

Please read my references to iOS 7.2 in my last post to mean iOS 7.1.2

Similarly, please read "upgrade" to mean update.

I am having issue with wifi dropping every few minutes as well as slow connection. It seems that if I turn on airplane mode, then turn on wifi, the problem is gone. I have cleared network settings, rebooted my router (AirPort Extreme) and cable modem, but still have issue. Hopefully 8.1.1 will fix this as I didn't have issue with 8.0-8.02

Purchased Ipad Air 2 64Gb 3 days ago at Apple store. Out of the box, wifi issues with IOS 8.1. Tried all the resets, reboot, etc etc in the forum multiple times. What I discovered is once connected it will work great for 5-10 minutes on 2 or 5 GHz. If left for 30 minutes or more not being used, wifi icon says connected, but no wifi connectivity per Safari or other internet based apps. Ipad programs like clock, calculator work. I found a quick way to use the ipad until a new updated is issued: If 2.4 GHz is being used and ipad not responding, selecting 5 GHz will put ipad back into operation. Visa versa if 5 not responding and switch to 2.4. I have separate SSIDs for 2 and 5 GHz to make this possible. I could not find any difference in wifi issues between 2.4 or 5 GHz. Linksys EA 3500, channel width auto, channel auto and network mode mixed. Current firmware.

Considering making appt at genius bar next week to see what they say. Will probably have to go through all the reset stuff without any resolution or acknowledgement of a software problem