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iPad problems appear to be mounting...

How's your iPad's WIFI?

  • My wifi has yet to work correctly on iPad

    Votes: 6 2.3%

  • My wifi on iPad has it's moments, but all and all it's working ok

    Votes: 45 17.2%

  • My wifi is like a box of chocolates- Never know what I'm going to get

    Votes: 13 5.0%

  • Nope, all good- not a problem with iPad and wifi

    Votes: 198 75.6%
  • Total voters
    262
tigres

tigres

macrumors 601
Original poster
Aug 31, 2007
4,215
1,326
Land of the Free-Waiting for Term Limits
First, this is not a flame thread. It's meant for some open discussion and intelligent conversation regarding the potential threat the iPad's wifi issues could be bigger than Apple would like to share.

The below is from iClarified via WSJ that hit today. Princeton university issued a statement and ban on the device this week claiming iPad is the culprit regarding the below. Additionally we have heard that Israel has put a ban on iPad imports as well as actually confiscating them from some of it's citizens.

Via iClarified:
"Apple's iPad has already been rejected by two top universities because of network stability issues, according to the WSJ.

Both George Washington University and Princeton University have rejected use of the device and Cornell University also says it is seeing connectivity problems and is concerned about bandwidth overload.

George Washington said that about half the devices which established a connection to their network were using a leased IP address "well beyond the time they should." Princeton stressed that its problem wasn't a WiFi issue.

Cornell said that the school is seeing networking and connectivity issues and is "working to ensure the iPad does not have devastating consequences to our network."

All the colleges are trying to find fixes for the connectivity, security and network problems but George Washington thinks it could take until next spring until the iPad is fully supported on its network.

Apple spokeswoman Teresa Brewer said she wasn't familiar with the schools' problems, although Princeton has reported its issues to the company. "

Source: http://www.iclarified.com/entry/index.php?enid=8909

Coupled with the stock issues in the Pipeline (I.E. Michigan has no stock for 3 days apple or BB) and the lack of explanation at store level leads me to believe problem is becoming quite large. The threads on these boards alone speak of wifi related issues that are Perplexing to say the least; and really make little sense to the many owners who's devices are exhibiting the symptoms.

Speculate all you desire; but I think this wifi issue is indeed a pretty significant hurdle for this device and Apple.

What do you make of this?
 
tigres said:
Speculate all you desire; but I think this wifi issue is indeed a pretty significant hurdle for this device and Apple.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a bug. Not that big of a deal. I'm sure Apple are looking into it and will prolly fix over summer before OS4.0 is out.

So I'm not sure that I would call this a "hurdle". Any new device is likely to have bugs. Example, the latest iMacs sold well even with all the problems reaching front page news. Those issues (some of which were hardware problems) were not a hurdle to its success.
 
The stories I've read today regarding the bans by some universities have all stated it's just a matter of reworking things to ensure there is enough capacity for iPad in case too many of them stress the networks with heavy bandwidth usage, etc... And security issues seem to involve outdated network configurations, not any threats inherent in iPad itself. They just need to update things before they let iPads on. I'm sure they will work it out.
 
Yeah, Apple is going to have to address this. Telling people to change their router settings is not a solution, especially in education and business environments as mentioned. Still hopeful it can be fixed in software. FWIW, mine is rock solid at home (Apple Airport base station), somewhat spotty at work (low signal, loses connection sometimes when laptops and iPhones work fine).
 
I'm not sure being a really popular device that people want to use a lot is a "problem" with the iPad necessarily. A problem for the school, but not exactly a design issue with the device, which would be Apples problems. Sure, there appear to be some WiFi issues (multiple threads out here about those), but the 'facts' you seem to be more issues the popularity of the device are creating for bandwidth providers.
 
tigres said:
First, this is not a flame thread. It's meant for some open discussion and intelligent conversation regarding the potential threat the iPad's wifi issues could be bigger than Apple would like to share.

The below is from iClarified via WSJ that hit today. Princeton university issued a statement and ban on the device this week claiming iPad is the culprit regarding the below. Additionally we have heard that Israel has put a ban on iPad imports as well as actually confiscating them from some of it's citizens.
Click to expand...

1. The Princeton issue is an OS (software) networking problem, NOT WiFi.

2. Princeton has not banned all iPads from their network, although they are recommending that people don't connect them yet, and they will block devices that have the problem.

It helps to get the information from the source:
http://helpdesk.princeton.edu/outages/view.plx?ID=3095
 
Wasn't there a problem with some college wireless networks and the iPhone when it first came out? I seem to remember something about that and it ended up being a software fix that was resolved relatively quickly.
 
admanimal said:
1. The Princeton issue is an OS (software) networking problem, NOT WiFi.

2. Princeton has not banned all iPads from their network, although they are recommending that people don't connect them yet, and they will block devices that have the problem.

It helps to get the information from the source:
http://helpdesk.princeton.edu/outages/view.plx?ID=3095
Click to expand...
Thread title needs to be updated:
"iPad complainers appear to not be connected with the facts"
 
I thought I had fixed my wifi problems. By changing my router settings and changing password with full reset it seemed to work. The last 5 or 6 days I have had no problems. But today for no reason my iPad starts to ask for my wifi connection password every five minutes. It's almost like something in the hardware of the iPad is automatically checking my wifi settings every five minuetes. It doesn't seem to deviate in the time either. By that I mean it's like clock work. It happens every five minutes, literally.

I am not sure if Apple programmed the device that way or what. But my iPad is definitely running a wifi check automatically. I have done everything I can think of. I have turned off push notification. I don't know why I did that but I did, just in case. I have reset my router settings so many times I just made the page my homage. The bad thing is that this resurfaced today and now my fourteen days to return are up. I guess I am screwed. Oh well the dfevice basically just became a real nice picture frame or very expensive paperweight until Apple comes up with a fix.
 
splashnader said:
I thought I had fixed my wifi problems. By changing my router settings and changing password with full reset it seemed to work. The last 5 or 6 days I have had no problems. But today for no reason my iPad starts to ask for my wifi connection password every five minutes. It's almost like something in the hardware of the iPad is automatically checking my wifi settings every five minuetes. It doesn't seem to deviate in the time either. By that I mean it's like clock work. It happens every five minutes, literally.

I am not sure if Apple programmed the device that way or what. But my iPad is definitely running a wifi check automatically. I have done everything I can think of. I have turned off push notification. I don't know why I did that but I did, just in case. I have reset my router settings so many times I just made the page my homage. The bad thing is that this resurfaced today and now my fourteen days to return are up. I guess I am screwed. Oh well the dfevice basically just became a real nice picture frame or very expensive paperweight until Apple comes up with a fix.
Click to expand...
As an experiment, can you shut off your network security and see if still hiccups? Just curious.
 
I have honestly not had a problem, I am writing this reply from a wifi hotspot at a barns and noble and have a full signal. At home i run an airport extreme. Perhaps it's only issues if you have non-AT&T/apple wifi router?
 
With my home network, it asks for the wifi password about every hour. It's obviously a software issue and will be fixed with 4.1.1 relatively soon I'm sure. Btw, this is with a FIOS router and WEP security. Haven't bothered trying to change the router settings yet, since its just not that big of a deal.
 
YayMayorBee said:
I have honestly not had a problem, I am writing this reply from a wifi hotspot at a barns and noble and have a full signal. At home i run an airport extreme. Perhaps it's only issues if you have non-AT&T/apple wifi router?
Click to expand...

Nope! I have a Belkin Pre-N that's over 3 years old and no problem what so ever. AT work I use my Airport Express and again no problem whatsoever.

I think many problems are old 802.11 b/g routers and users settings like firewalls etc.... Of course that could never happen!--))) :eek:;)
 
BacklitFirefly said:
The stories I've read today regarding the bans by some universities have all stated it's just a matter of reworking things to ensure there is enough capacity for iPad in case too many of them stress the networks with heavy bandwidth usage, etc... And security issues seem to involve outdated network configurations, not any threats inherent in iPad itself. They just need to update things before they let iPads on. I'm sure they will work it out.
Click to expand...

yeah.

"network stability issue" ................ translation: "bandwidth usage is kicking our butt!"
 
So...not having enough iPads available in Michigan means that Apple has a problem with iPads?

Or:

1. iPads were popular and sold out
2. Apple didn't send as many there b/c of population size
3. iPads were popular and sold out...
4. Repeat
 
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