iPad Pro iPad Pro gen 3 USB-C to headphone adapter/ WiFi interference

[iapplelove]

Hello all, just posting to see if anyone else has been experiencing this annoying bug since release.

12.9” WiFi only 64 gb. Set up as new.

iPad will be working great, as advertised. Let it sleep a few minutes then go to use it and it’s unresponsive to the WiFi network. It will show connected but the iPad just won’t do anything.

Safari will just load, YouTube won’t open etc. apps will just loop like it’s going to connect but it won’t.

I had to restart the device every time. Does the trick as the iPad works fine again. Probably happened 3 times in a week. But once yesterday and again this evening.

This time I only put the iPad down a few minutes before waking it up to find it won’t connect to the internet even though it’s on the network.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Hello all, just posting to see if anyone else has been experiencing this annoying bug since release.

12.9” WiFi only 64 gb. Set up as new.

iPad will be working great, as advertised. Let it sleep a few minutes then go to use it and it’s unresponsive to the WiFi network. It will show connected but the iPad just won’t do anything.

Safari will just load, YouTube won’t open etc. apps will just loop like it’s going to connect but it won’t.

I had to restart the device every time. Does the trick as the iPad works fine again. Probably happened 3 times in a week. But once yesterday and again this evening.

This time I only put the iPad down a few minutes before waking it up to find it won’t connect to the internet even though it’s on the network.

Have you kept your router software up to date? And rebooted router?

 

[iapplelove]

Have you kept your router software up to date? And rebooted router?

Everything is up to date. iPhone and all other iPads no issue. I reset the network settings. If it keeps happening I guess I could start new again.

 

[kazmac]

Everything is up to date. iPhone and all other iPads no issue. I reset the network settings. If it keeps happening I guess I could start new again.

Since iOS 11.4 (I think do not quite remember), you have to turn on Auto-Join in the WiFi settings in order for the iPad to continuously hold the connection. Is Auto-Join turned on?

 

[iapplelove]

Since iOS 11.4 (I think do not quite remember), you have to turn on Auto-Join in the WiFi settings in order for the iPad to continuously hold the connection. Is Auto-Join turned on?

Yes auto join is on.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

Call Apple support I have called them many times and they are always very helpful.

 

[MK500]

Are you using the Apple USB-C headphone dongle by chance? I am having a similar problem. See thread here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623623

 

[iapplelove]

Are you using the Apple USB-C headphone dongle by chance? I am having a similar problem. See thread here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8623623

omg I am and I was last time this happened. Had the usb C to headphone dongle attached!

 

[iapplelove]

So lots of posts on this in the Apple support community pages. People complaining WiFi goes out when USB C dongles are attached, in my case the headphone dongle.

Same issues occurred with some MBPs and this was the solution I kid you not

I tested it and yup my WiFi goes out when the usb-c headphone dongle is attached, crazy

 

[Donka]

The new USB C to audio adaptor from Apple is cheap but still disappointing that it clearly isn't fit for purpose - they need to re-engineer it with a higher quality cable. We had something similar with some Macs and Bluetooth interference when they switched to USB 3.0 ports - some USB drives with poor cables caused Bluetooth connections to break up.

I wonder if they will address this or if we need to try and find a suitable alternative. Hoping Macrumors bring this up as a story and approach Apple.

 

[iapplelove]

The new USB C to audio adaptor from Apple is cheap but still disappointing that it clearly isn't fit for purpose - they need to re-engineer it with a higher quality cable. We had something similar with some Macs and Bluetooth interference when they switched to USB 3.0 ports - some drives with poor cables caused Bluetooth connections to break up.

I wonder if they will address this or if we need to try and find a suitable alternative. Hoping Macrumors bring this up as a story and approach Apple.

I may go to the local Best Buy this afternoon for a 3rd party adapter. The Apple made one is causing issues for sure I can 100% verify as well as others on the Apple support forums.

 

[Donka]

Keep us posted on what you find. Anything with a thicker cable than the Apple one would be a good candidate.

 

[MK500]

The problem may effect other devices in the iPad as well. I had my front facing camera go black; and had to reboot to fix. Here is a better description of what happened:

• My Face ID suddenly stopped working. I reset Face ID but when I tried setting it up again my face was not visible in the circle. It was just black. Weirdly I could still move my head and it would track. I powered my iPad off and back on and then it was fine.

This was before this thread; so I didn’t think to unplug my headphone dongle. If it happens again I will try that before reboot.

Are the front camera and WiFi radio both on the same USB bus as the USB-C port?

 

[darkarn]

This is worrying, I'll test with the Apple USB C to HDMI dongle

 

[chever00]

Same problem here. Removed the USB-C headphone dongle and WiFi starts to work. Initially went through the pain of reinstalling iOS before discovering this.

I have the 11 iPad Pro 64gb.

 

[haruhiko]

Dang. No wonder Apple's one is so cheap, even on Taobao, a comparable USB-C to headphone jack dongle e.g. made by HTC/Xiaomi etc. is twice the price than Apple's and I thought Apple's one was a good deal. Now we know why.

 

[iapplelove]

Dang. No wonder Apple's one is so cheap, even on Taobao, a comparable USB-C to headphone jack dongle e.g. made by HTC/Xiaomi etc. is twice the price than Apple's and I thought Apple's one was a good deal. Now we know why.

I ordered this one on Amazon last night.

Should be here soon. Best Buy only sells the Apple one in store. Walmart didn’t sell any.
[doublepost=1542452600][/doublepost]Edit/ I’m kinda surprised this isn’t raising more traction...

 

[Donka]

I wonder if there are similar issues when people using USB-C to HDMI or similar. Something I would need to test but any kind of minimal Wifi interference causing video to drop out would be a deal breaker.

 

[iapplelove]

I wonder if there are similar issues when people using USB-C to HDMI or similar. Something I would need to test but any kind of minimal Wifi interference causing video to drop out would a deal breaker.

I only own the headphone adapter. And that will cut WiFi. I have yet to read anything on the HDMI version but who knows until it’s tested.

 

[Donka]

I’m planning I picking up a new pro tomorrow or Monday as time allows. This will be one of the first things I test out.

 

[iapplelove]

I’m planning I picking up a new pro tomorrow or Monday as time allows. This will be one of the first things I test out.

I’ve noticed a few things thus far. If I’m walking around the house using the adapter connected to wired Apple headphones WiFi won’t cut out.

However when my iPad is at my desk and I’m using the adapter to my computer satellite speakers and sub, it always cuts the WiFi. Every time.

 

[darkarn]

I have tested the Apple USB C to HDMI dongle. It does not exhibit the issue at all; I was able to play several online games and had no connection issue thoughout the gameplay session

I will test the USB C to 3.5mm adapter later with the same games and see if there is any problem

 

[Donka]

Great to hear.

 

[MK500]

I have tested the Apple USB C to HDMI dongle. It does not exhibit the issue at all; I was able to play several online games and had no connection issue thoughout the gameplay session

I will test the USB C to 3.5mm adapter later with the same games and see if there is any problem

I use mine 6 to 10 hours a day; almost always with headphones connected. I would say the problem occurs maybe every 4 hours of use on average? Unplugging always fixes it; and then I can reconnect 30 seconds later without problem. The last couple days I have been sitting in the same spot while using it; so pretty controlled environment. I cannot find any particular thing that causes it...seems random.

I don’t think a test over an hour of use would likely show the issue. Not for me at least. You would need to test for many hours to have it happen.

This is all especially frustrating for me as my number 1 complaint with the new Pro is the elimination of the headphone jack. Now it feels like Apple is rubbing salt in the wound by making the USB-C port or dongle buggy.

 

[sorgo †]

Thank you so much for this thread. This issue has been badly affecting my experience using wifi while listening to music using the Apple USB-C to USB-A/HDMI/USB-C dongle and a USB DAC/amplifier (to which I connect my headphones) on my new 11” iPad Pro; the aluminum foil cable wrapping sort of did the trick at least for the time being.

I’m not holding out hope that this issue will be (or even can be) fixed with a software update since essentially all of the newer USB-C-equipped MacBooks seem similarly afflicted with no real fix or acknowlegement from Apple (the video explaining the foil-wrapping trick was posted in January 2018).

I need to decide whether this issue is going to be frustrating enough to return the iPad; thus far things have been rather rough, even—although to a lesser degree—with the foil-wrapped dongle cable. Quite a bummer all around. Playing lossless music files from foobar2000 has been otherwise superb and overall I quite like the device itself. A bummer indeed.