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If Apple Can't Resolve the WiFi Issue will you buy an Airport

Nash Bridges

Nash Bridges

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 2, 2010
223
0
San Francisco
I was initially planning on purchasing a 64GB + 3G when they come out. All of this WiFi stuff is giving me pause. I am debating whether or not to purchase now. Since the iPad works fine with Apple's own WAP I could purchase one of them. But since I would not primarily use it at home (after the newness effect wears off) would it be feasible?

3G is good for email but web browsing isn't the best. All that I can say is that Apple better get the WiFi issue resolved soon or 3G sales may disappoint.

It would be interesting to see if there was a spike up in Airport sales this week.

Any thoughts?
 
I own two Airport Extremes for my Network. Have had them a couple years now, and they are perfect. Never have had a single problem with any device, I recommend them, although you are paying a premium. ;)
 
I've had no issues with my Linksys router which I've had for several years. It's not "N" - but it is blazingly fast.
 
I have never owned a more simple and problem free router than the AEBS.
 
jaykk said:
+1
Airport is one of the technology that just works - set it up once and forget about it.
Click to expand...

I cannot agree more with you. It's a great router and it just works. It's the easiest thing to set up. I love my airport extreme.
 
I have had absolutely zero problems with my iPad, charging or wifi. Now I have had weak signals in my house, but I live in a 150yr old(remodeled though) 3-brick-thick house with plaster walls. So wifi in this house doesn't go more than a room or two, but still my iPad holds up probably even better than my other wifi products.
 
Has anyone considered that the comparatively weaker WiFi signal experienced on an iPad compared to an iPhone in the same location is because the iPad is on a "N" network, which is known to have shorter range than the "G" network to which the iPhone connects? Just a thought...

FWIW, I have no charging or WiFi issues either, but I am running a dual band network off an AEBS which is further bridged to a Time Capsule in another location that expands the network.
 
I have to say my time capsule is my router and I have never dropped a connection once on my ipad yet. The problem is router settings not the ipad.
 
You don't mention what your current hardware/configuration is that is worrying you.
 
Star-fire said:
I have to say my time capsule is my router and I have never dropped a connection once on my ipad yet. The problem is router settings not the ipad.
Click to expand...

So, the Duke Campus network is misconfigured and my iPad is fine? I am sorry, when the network works with countless phones (iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3gs), ipod touches, and laptops, but not my ipad, I am going to blame the ipad.
 
I've had no WiFi problems with my iPad. Not at home on my network where the device seems to have great speed and connects anywhere my iPhone or MBP does. Or tethered to the iPhone with MiWi. Again the range and speed are good.
 
rayward said:
Has anyone considered that the comparatively weaker WiFi signal experienced on an iPad compared to an iPhone in the same location is because the iPad is on a "N" network, which is known to have shorter range than the "G" network to which the iPhone connects? Just a thought...
Click to expand...

N is supposed to have better range than G unless everything I have read is wrong.....


Don't think the issue with wireless is an issue with specific manufacturers routers but rather a combination of how some are configured and/or the sensitivity of the ipads wireless. I have a airport extreme and the iPad gets significantly weaker signal strength than my MacBook or MacMini.
 
Ibjr said:
So, the Duke Campus network is misconfigured and my iPad is fine? I am sorry, when the network works with countless phones (iphone, iphone 3g, iphone 3gs), ipod touches, and laptops, but not my ipad, I am going to blame the ipad.
Click to expand...

They are most likely broadcasting N and G and using the same name for both, which technically is wrong since a device that might be N capable might end using the slower G network by random choice, in a perfect world a device should always chose the fastest but it's not a perfect world.
 
Star-fire said:
They are most likely broadcasting N and G and using the same name for both, which technically is wrong since a device that might be N capable might end using the slower G network by random choice, in a perfect world a device should always chose the fastest but it's not a perfect world.
Click to expand...

Wrong. Like most schools that built out their network-they did not include N.
 
rayward said:
Has anyone considered that the comparatively weaker WiFi signal experienced on an iPad compared to an iPhone in the same location is because the iPad is on a "N" network, which is known to have shorter range than the "G" network to which the iPhone connects? Just a thought...

FWIW, I have no charging or WiFi issues either, but I am running a dual band network off an AEBS which is further bridged to a Time Capsule in another location that expands the network.
Click to expand...

The N routers have a greater range than G. See here
 
Next question:

Short of a recall of all affected units how is apple going to fix this?

iPad 2.0 = iSlate (iPad with working wireless)
 
Nash Bridges said:
I was initially planning on purchasing a 64GB + 3G when they come out. All of this WiFi stuff is giving me pause. I am debating whether or not to purchase now. Since the iPad works fine with Apple's own WAP I could purchase one of them. But since I would not primarily use it at home (after the newness effect wears off) would it be feasible?

3G is good for email but web browsing isn't the best. All that I can say is that Apple better get the WiFi issue resolved soon or 3G sales may disappoint.

It would be interesting to see if there was a spike up in Airport sales this week.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Are you going to carry an Airport to every place you want wifi? I think the iPad should "just work" at every hotspot that all other equipment can log onto without issue. why should ipad owners have to buy a "special" router to get connected? ANSWER: they shouldn't!
 
dave1812dave said:
Are you going to carry an Airport to every place you want wifi? I think the iPad should "just work" at every hotspot that all other equipment can log onto without issue. why should ipad owners have to buy a "special" router to get connected? ANSWER: they shouldn't!
Click to expand...

Could this end up ruining Apple? All the bad publicity and such. Wireless has been around for about 9 years now, why can't they get it right.

Maybe I should wait for the HP Slate
 
I have two airport extremes and an airport in my house filling my house with WiFi and I've still had issues with connection via WiFi as well as signal strength.
 
I was a bit surprised to hear of all the WiFi issues, but not, sorta. Because: I started with the notorious Actiontec FiOS router. My iPod touch (2G) wouldn't connect/download worth a damn. Windows PCs were fine.

I researched Access Points and new routers (with WiFi, of course) for a while, and found that all of them have problems. Then, I looked at the Airports, and decided I'd give it a try. My Apple devices love it and so do the Windows ones. Since then, have added what's in the sig, and everything works (including the WiFi (duh) iPad).

However, all my devices also work fine at work, where we are running HP Enterprise Access Points. (But, it's only 'G' at work, which may explain that...)

So, it's a mess. Anyone that thinks wireless technology is simple only has to look at AT&T's problems. Apple has done a good job with the Airports, but if you look at any 'Windows' WiFi Router beyond the top level, you need a lot of experience in the area to know what you are doing.

Add in the possible issues with the placement of the WiFi antenna in the iPad (and interference with metal surfaces, etc.), and people using it more often laying flat..., and you have a ton more variables in trying to troubleshoot users' problems.
 
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