iPad Users: Good Luck With Those Wi-Fi Problems

Jared Newman
Apr 7, 2010 10:23 am
If your iPad is having trouble connecting to the Internet due to Wi-Fi issues, we have good news and bad news.

The good news is that Apple has acknowledged the problem and offered a list of possible solutions, and Apple's forumgoers have chimed in with their own fixes. The bad news is you have to troubleshoot from a long list of potential problems to figure out what's really wrong.

In other words, don't expect an easy patch that'll make all the iPad's Wi-Fi troubles go away.

Let's start with the one workaround Apple is offering. The company notes that "under certain conditions," the iPad doesn't automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi after waking from sleep mode. The solution applies only to multi-band routers, and requires users to create separate Wi-Fi profiles for each band.

Apple forum member "batzgam" found a weirder solution to the no-Wi-Fi-after-sleep problem: Set the iPad's brightness above minimum. "I don't know if this is a bug, or an undocumented power-saving feature for low-power night reading, but I'm happy with my iPad again," batzgam wrote. Other users found success with the same fix.

Apple's other tips are more general, such as "move closer to the Wi-Fi router or hotspot," or "check for any sources of potential interference," such as microwave ovens. My advice? Go to a coffee shop or library that you know has free, public Wi-Fi (think of it as a chance to show off your new, not totally functional slab of hardware). If the iPad connects, it's a router problem. If not, it's an iPad problem.

At least one iPad owner claims that problems with weak or intermittent signals went away after exchanging the iPad at the Apple store. I doubt Apple will encourage people to do this, but it's worth keeping in mind after exhausting all these other options.

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We were a 3 Ipad family. Two 3G and one Wifi only.

First, we love the product except for it's Wifi problems. And, yes, there IS definately a glitch with its wifi. We returned one of the two 3G's today. My husband was not willing to wait for a "fix."
Though they both work, on Wifi depending where they are used, they don't work as WIFI should.
Spending that kind of money should not require a new IPAD owner to invest in a new router when everything else wireless works on the network...ie...iphones...printer...laptop...wirele ss desktops.

At work, the only connection I can use is the 3G.
Some of the problems that exist at different locations...extreme speed fluctuations...No it's not the DSL....connectivity/password error...no it isn't the wrong password...full Wifi connection but no connection to the Internet...not its not a firewall.

At a car dealership it took FIVE tries of connecting and "forgetting the network" before a solid conncection took place. Then it stayed on and was wonderful.

Please don't misunderstand. I love the Ipad. I will more than likely keep the 3G though I have some time to decide and we will keep the wifi only model. I believe when they come up with a firmware update it will solve some of the problems. At least, that's what I'm hoping for!

I am having issues as well with my wi-fi too. I have the 3G 64 gig version.

I had two iPads in a week. Neither had a wifi problem. Both 32g Wifis.

No WIFI problems here with 2 64G 3Gs.

No 64Gb WiFi problems here.

My Ipad drops connection all the time, and causers me to re enter my password repeatedley (one every 15 minutes or so).

I talked to apple and they confirmed it is a hardware problem. They are currently tracking serial numbers to trend it, and may be either fixing or replacing. My next step is to see a genius and they will either fix or replace my unit.

I am going this weekend and will let you know...

Fortunately I've had no wifi issues with my 64GB 3G. I have the WRT600N on the complete north side of my 3800 sq ft house. From the furthest southern end I get 1 bar in portrait and 2-3 bars in landscape if the plastic antenna window is pointed to the north. Connects every time after being awakened. The only difference between my g & n router is a capital n at the end of the n radios' name. I have no security but I do not broadcast the ssid. What I did find upon the initial setup is I allowed the router to broadcast for the ipad to find and the second I removed the broadcast it couldn't find it. I had to enter it manually for the ipad to remember the ssid while it wasn't broadcasting. A bit long but maybe it can help someone.

No problems here, but not a whole lot of range either.

No problem with wifi here 32G Wifi model.