back to article New iPad can't get its Wi-Fi up

Users of Apple's new iPad are experiencing Wi-Fi issues, with some claiming to have found a new grip of death. Meanwhile, those opting for LTE are discovering just how expensive the alternative is. The Wi-Fi problems are sporadic, but numerous owners of the new iPad report putting it next to their laptops and finding the …

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  1. Ian Ferguson
    FAIL

    Well... duh

    "numerous owners of the new iPad report putting it next to their laptops and finding the signal strength to be notably less on the iPad"

    Bigger/multiple antenna = better signal strength. Hardly news.

    Also, using mobile data costs more than using wifi shocker, news at ten.

    1. Craigness
      FAIL

      Re: Well... duh

      The signal strength doesn't change, it's the reception which is the problem. People being told something "just works" when it doesn't is a problem too.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well... duh

        Signal strength won't go down, but the amout of collisions (and therefore retransmits) will go up. Even when a computer is "idle" on wifi, it's still transitting and receiving..

      2. Bill Neal
        Trollface

        Re: Well... duh

        "being told something 'just works' when it doesn't" ...but they just keep on buying it, don't they?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      ah but

      They maybe using up GB's of data

      But at least

      No one has had the iPad burst into flames yet.

      1. Morg

        Re: ah but

        Almost burst into flames .. almost . they're working on it right now ;)

        Gotta say tho, it's probably the best apple product ever . burning hot, no wifi ... very expensive, yellowish screens, low supply .

        It gets better ? ^^

  2. Dinky Carter

    Apples just work...

    I'm not really surprised about this slabby wifi problem.The WiFi on my Mac Mini only works if I stand the machine up on its end. (And the sound only works if I slap the case in just the right place. ) And AirPort on my Macbook Pro is as reliable as a baby's bum. My fanbois friends say it's all *my* fault of course...

    1. Frank Bitterlich
      Facepalm

      Re: Apples just work...

      ... maybe slapping your hardware a little less would help...

      1. hplasm
        Devil

        Re: Apples just work...

        Slapping won't help. Give it a good thump.

        1. Steve Carr 1
          Facepalm

          Re: Apples just work...

          Percussive maintenance - highly recommended as a first course of action for all malfunctioning computer devices....

          1. Morg

            Re: Apples just work...

            Dude . if it works for HDD... the rest won't mind ;)

            Anyway they're destroying apple stuff, not computer devices don't worry ;)

      2. Naughtyhorse

        Re: Apples just work...

        ahhh! careful now!

        don't go misunderestimating the value of percussive maintenance!

        tho i find a squirt of wd40 before givin' it a thump, covers all bases

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Apples just work...

      You should return to the store you bought it from and get it replaced/fixed. We've got 3 Mac Minis here and have none of these problems.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Apples just work...

        PS I'm assuming that you've tested other equipment in the same place, you've checked the Mini somewhere else, you've done all the environmental stuff etc. etc. etc.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @AC

        He can not get them replaced/fixed, that would require him to own them.

    3. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Meh

      Apple vs antennas

      It took a year of Apple flailing about with Aiport update after Airport update (one of which was actually a rollback) between 2007-2008 before I could consider my iMac's WiFi as reliable. For a month between updates I was using an open connection as nothing else would work.

      And for a more modern example if I boot from the Snow Leopard disc WiFi gives a poorer performance than Snow Leopard from 10.6.2 onwards. Unfortunately the latest WiFi driver can't use channel 1 so I'm stuck on channel 11 which has more interference. Aluminium MacBooks have their own set of WiFi problems and we shouldn't forget about the iPhone 4.

      Still, it's not as if Apple has a long history of antenna problems. You must be holding it wrong.

    4. James Micallef Silver badge

      Re: Apples just work...

      Apples just work? sort of.... I got myself an iMac a few months ago, if I leave it on for more than about a week, the WiFi starts losing signal and needs reconnecting, firefox stops and needs restarting (Safari is OK but has some annoying quirks).

      Any tablet should be able to pick up and maintain a steady WiFi connection if there is a signal. If a laptop can pick it up, a tablet should be able to do the same. End of. IF (and I emphasise if), the rumours about new iPad having a flaky WiFi connection, that immediately drops it down my list to below an EEE transformer Prime or whatever the one replacing it is called

    5. Blank Reg

      Re: Apples just work...

      My Macbook pro also has crappy wifi. It craps out every hour or so requiring that I turn the airport off then on to recover, sometimes it takes a few tries. Every other wifi device in the house works fine so it's not the router.

  3. Mike Brown

    In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

    As far as im aware the americans dont either. they have what is effectivly 3G+

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

      "As far as im aware the americans dont either. they have what is effectivly 3G+"

      Yes, they've had 3G+ and called it 4G .... but this is LTE which is real 4G

      1. Mike Brown

        Re: In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

        ah, thanks for the correction.

      2. big_D Silver badge

        Re: In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

        LTE is theoretically capable of being 4G, but the current implementations are too slow to qualify for the 4G label - the ITU defines 4G as 100mbps or above, ISTR.

      3. Naughtyhorse

        Re: In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

        <cough>Bollocks<cough>

        no it aint!

        never said nutthin about 100Mbit/S in the article, therefore it aint 4g

        end your internal dialogue,

        you are wrong

        get over it

        think of it as a learning experience,

        you said something dumb and got pulled up on it.

        think of it as i4G if that makes you feel better, kinda like 4G, but with the corners filed off

    2. James Micallef Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: In the UK the new iPad won't have 4G

      "3g" and "4G" do not mean anything, they're just an umbrella for standards that have certain data speeds. It's much more useful to refer to the actual standard used eg LTE

  4. g e
    WTF?

    Surely not..

    They must have learned from their first antennagate uberfail, surely.

    I can't believe they don't now test 'holding stuff' for everything they make with a wireless doohickey in it. Unless they really _do_ believe it's all the users' faults????

  5. Big_Ted
    Facepalm

    "Holding the iPad by the bottom corners seems to worsen the problem, and some users seem to have coaxed better performance by resetting their network connections"

    Or how about turning it upside down............

    Of cource even though its not stated the mobile operators are paying Apple their standard 30% on any new data plan taken out by those poor idiots who stream video on a 2GB a month limit.......

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Cue lots of anecdotal evidence

    New iPad owners proudly declaring that they have never had this problem, can't replicate this problem ergo the problem doesn't exist just like with the iPhone4

    1. Volker Hett

      sometimes it's just weird

      my beaten up and abused white late 2006 Macbook works fine with several AVM Fritz Wifi Routers but is shaky with Siemens Wifi Routers provided by german O2. The older ones work fine, but the new ones are strange. DHCP doesn't work most of the time.

      Funny thing, I have the same problems with those routers and an EeePC 901 running OpenSuse 12.1.

      So if you'd asked me about Wifi Problems with Macs, I'd say check your Router :)

      1. nichobe
        Facepalm

        Re: sometimes it's just weird

        <Roy> [picking up the phone] Hello, IT. Have you tried turning it off and on again?</Roy>

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

  7. Volker Hett

    Vodafone fixed it

    their basic data plan didn't accept logins from an ipad 3 as a valid device for the plan.

  8. Tim Parker
    Happy

    Very literally..

    "literally consume more data"

    "very guilty"

    Asphinctersayswhat ?

    1. Robert Grant
      Happy

      Re: Very literally..

      Dear sir

      https://twitter.com/#!/robertlagrant/status/172592221936291843

      Regards

      Rob

      :)

  9. Neal 5

    I can honestly say that

    I have not experienced these problems, I am not an Apple fanboi, but there is a genuine reason why I have not experienced these problems, of WiFi connectivity, overheating but not beyond thermal specifications, inability to get FaceTime to work correctly on LTE, why non HD is less than abysmal, no Siri, weak front facing camera, or why enhanced apps tke 3 times as much space on it.

    And I bet you already know what that reason is.

    1. Si 1

      Re: I can honestly say that

      Are you still waiting for Apple to ship yours? Me too!

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I can honestly say that

      coz ur a douche?

    3. Jeebus

      Re: I can honestly say that

      Because you're not a tit like literally every single iPad owner?

      Literally used correctly, and accurately.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        In the interest of fairness.

        Jeebus got turned down for the cleaning job at the Apple store which is why she is so bitter.

        1. Jeebus

          Re: In the interest of fairness.

          To be fair it was the assistant cleaners job. The cleaner is the most talented and smart person in any Apple building.

          1. Naughtyhorse

            Re: In the interest of fairness.

            yup the true creative

          2. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: In the interest of fairness.

            That shows Apples dedication to hiring the best talent if their cleaners are that good. Also explains why they are wiping the floor with their competitors.

  10. big_D Silver badge
    Paris Hilton

    User stupidity...

    is not a design flaw.

    I'm not a big Apple fan, but users getting a limited data plan and using it to stream video for hours on end isn't Apple's fault.

    The wi-fi could be a genuine fault...

    Paris - because she seems to sum up these silly sheeple.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: User stupidity...

      On a product that is supposed to be both easy and intuitive to use for non technical, non computer literate people then it is a design flaw if you do not cater for those people.

    2. sisk

      Re: User stupidity...

      Unlimited data plans are getting hard to find in the US. The only reason I still have one is because I had it before Verizon stopped offering them and they haven't (yet) forced me to switch to a limited plan.

      1. TheRealRoland

        Re: User stupidity...

        It's not that difficult to find unlimited plans? Aren't they all naming them as such?

        Oh, wait - when they say 'unlimited' it literally doesn't mean 'unlimited'?

        Ah.

  11. Cutman

    My partner's iPad (3) has no problems at all with wifi. She has spent the morning using Citrix Receiver to work at home. Windows 2000 running on an iPad, a weird juxtaposition!

    The iPad screen gave much more screen space than her actual work PC and was consequently much nicer to use.

  12. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
    Black Helicopters

    Upgrade options

    Wi-Fi in his local café to be too choppy for streaming video, so switched it off in preference for LTE and managed to burn through 2GB of data in less than a week, prompting him, and lots of others, to consider upgrading their plan.

    Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Oh is sir unhappy with the performance of sir's purchase, would sir care to upgrade?

    I’ve heard of planned obsolesce, but that’s the quickest I’ve ever seen it happen.

    Suspicious? Moi? Never!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Upgrade options

      Mentioning built in obsolescence makes it sound like you are blaming apple for the sales person who incorrectly identified the customers needs and just sold them whatever they could get away with to 'earn' their commission.

      1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
        FAIL

        Re: Upgrade options

        Try reading my post again fanboi Micky, see if you can spot where I mention Apple, here's a hint I don't

        Planned obsolescence can apply equally to a service, software or hardware.

        Fail, yours.

  13. TeeCee Gold badge

    iPad Wifi problem?

    ˙ƃuoɹʍ ʇı ƃuıploɥ ǝɹ,noʎ

  14. Rupert Stubbs

    What will they think of to complain about next?

    Already Consumer Reports is backing off from its apocalyptic "burning iPad" claims. How nice to know that the next storm in a teacup has already been manufactured.

    Out of the 3 million devices that were sold just last weekend (the total now must be significantly higher than that) statistics would expect there to be quite a few that aren't performing correctly. Now if Apple refused to exchange those for working ones, or claimed that massively reduced WiFi performance was "within normal parameters", then I would accept that there was a story.

    For the record, mine works just fine on WiFi, and doesn't get even noticeably warm.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @Rupert

      Well, problem is that we don't know all the facts yet IMO.

      I do agree with you though; it seems as if Apple stores make no fuss what so ever about replacing the device. But I think its also too early to conclude that the problems aren't as huge as some people claim.

      After all; we should never forget that not every story about issues will hit the Net. A lot of people use tablets for their own needs (e-mail, surfing, video's, etc.) because its easy, it suits them and its all not too technical. Do you really think such people would look up technical fora ?

      Then there's the number of people who may have merely noticed something going wrong and then went back to the store to either replace or refund the device and (hopefully) that was the end of it. I don't think you'll hear much from those people either (esp. not if they fall within the range of people I mentioned above).

      Not everyone will make themselves heard on the Net.

      IMO we wouldn't have heard about this at all if it actually were a non-issue which was taken out of proportions.

      Finally.. Yes, there is always a margin for errors. But a lot of cases which have the /exact/ same failure? That doesn't compute. Sure; some devices will b0rk, others may act weird, that stuff happens, totally agreed. But IMO it gets different when such devices all share a same problem.

  15. Paul F
    Thumb Down

    No problem on mine.

    I think news outlets are trying to make crap up about the new iPad as sour grapes.

    1. paulll

      Re: No problem on mine.

      See AC@10:46...

  16. Stevie

    Bah!

    This is an outrage! There is no way on this Earth that anyone could possibly have known that streaming video would consume bandwidth like I consume Cherry Garcia ice cream. Clearly these iPad users are being victimized for their lifestyle choice. All iPads should be recalled and fixed so they run as expected.

    Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells.

  17. Sir Barry
    Coat

    I think I've worked out what is going on. Apple have closed their quality control dept to save money.

    The customerbase is a free worldwide QC team who can perform real world testing, and, they pay Apple for the pleasure...

    1. FlatEarther
      Big Brother

      The customerbase is a free worldwide QC team who can perform real world testing

      So they can learn something from Microsoft

  18. Not_The_Droids
    Facepalm

    Overheating, Charging Problems

    One morning, as I was taking my Galaxy S2 off the charger, it was quite warm and the battery was at 10% - after charging overnight! How could it be that I purchased a complete piece of junk like this? How dare it get hot, and how dare the battery not charge on a 2 month old phone?

    Well, as it turns out, I'd left my security camera software running, and it had been streaming video (behind the locked screen) all night (on WiFi). Streaming video chewed through the battery and caused the CPU to warm up.

    I have a feeling that a lot of these are growing pain problems; getting used to how the apps are handled on the devices. Leave a CPU intensive program running, and duh... it's going to get warm.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I like the fact that I only have to pay once for my home internet but the hardware, software, and comms businesses probably wish that Wifi could be uninvented. They’ll kill it off if we let them.

    It starts with Blackberry apps that for no real reason will only work over a mobile connection, and now this – an Apple device on which LTE outperforms Wifi, something that ought to be impossible.

  20. andreas koch
    Trollface

    Problems with an Apple product:

    I'm sure that all these minor hitches could be avoided if the users would use proper hardware. Instead of a 'whatever' router you use an AirPort if you have an iPad and you will not have any connection issues. Don't Google (totally the wrong company!) for some useless junk to watch, but go to the iStore and buy some quality material and it won't overheat.

    It's us users that haven't adopted the right attitude yet that make the hardware look less perfect; as soon as we realise what we are supposed to do and then do it, it will all be OK. It will be a steep learning curve, but I'm convinced that it will be worth it in the end and lead us all to a nirvana*-like experience of the group-mind: we will all do what we will like once we learn what that is supposed to be.

    Bliss.

    iOmmmmm.

    *Makes it sound as if Apple was founded by a Buddhist...

  21. Mike Judge
    FAIL

    4G LOL

    One of our idiot salesmen proclaimed how his 4G iPad3 will be here next week.

    We just laughed at the wanker....

  22. Wile E. Veteran
    Devil

    You don't understand

    Cell and content providers are constantly beating the drum that sheeple *have* to have streaming video with commercial-laden content running 24x7 on every possible electronic device in their environment else they are missing out on "something important" in their lives. If you can't watch the Kardashians all the time or miss other (un)reality shows you are just not an acceptable part of society.

    Data caps are just a part of the scheme to milk the sheep for everything possible in order to enrich the media fat-cats even more. Don't forget the Fruit's 30% cut.

  23. Phil Atkin

    ADSL speed?!

    5-6MBits - "That's easily comparable to the ADSL speeds most of us enjoy" - try living in the rural Cotswolds, 1MBit is Ferrari pace round here.

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Re: You don't understand

    "... to milk the sheep ..."

    And LTE antennas and spectrum grow on trees, sure.

    It is true that "Modern video codecs alter the amount of compression based on the speed of connection", and the fact that the iPad3 begs for HD content certainly doesn't help.

    However, I fail to understand why "mobile operators are very guilty of layering their own compression on top, so the same dancing cat video might be twice the size on an LTE network"

    Compression certainly _reduces_ data volume, and won't expand it.

  25. Fab De Marco

    No usually a defender of the fruit but

    The Data Plan issue is the end users own fault. You surely know that you have a data cap and the faster your connection, the more you use the more expensive it becomes. Maybe there should be a minimum data cap if you even want to entertain the idea LTE say minimum 20GB Data cap.

    Its the same as buying a Ferrari, driving at 100mph everywhere you go then complaining about your fuel bills, you should know what you're getting in to.

    The Wireless issue I also belive to be a bit hit and miss. I mean you laptop could show 100% signal @54Mpbs, whereas the iPad could show 50% signal and also be connected at 54Mpbs, because that may be the limit that your router has, So the iPad is showing less signal because it has the potential to go faster but is limited by the router.

    The Guy that was compaining about choppy Wifi in his Cafe. No Shit, you're sharing a connection with 20-30 other people, and the connection could be a low (4-6MB) to begin with.

    If this is really an issue proper testing needs to be done.

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