Wi-Fi issues, including dropped connections and forgotten passwords, sudden cessation of data throughput, inability to reconnect to networks after sleep, and weak signals and slow transfer continue to affect iPad owners.
More than two months ago, Apple issued Knowledge Base article stating that the company would “address remaining Wi-Fi connectivity issues with a future iPad software update,” but no update has materialized, nor has word on a permanent fix. Apple did update the article on July 7th to echo a fix we previously noted (see below) that involves increasing screen brightness.
Speculation holds that Apple will fix the problem via a power adjustment to the Wi-Fi subsystem, as users have hypothesized that a delivery issue affects Wi-Fi–some users have experienced success with turning off screen auto-brightness or adjusting screen brightness upward.
Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.
Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.
In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.
Currently on fieldwork travelling around S.E. asia, I rely on hotspots. In the last 2 months, I’ve probably connected (or tried) to connect to a few hundred. I would roughly estimate that the iPad fails 1/2 to 3/4 of the time. My iPhone fails 1/3 of the time, and my MBP always gets on.
With the iPad, it seems to be some sort of page-rendering glitch. Especially the Singaporean [email protected] network, of which my iPad will only connect to perhaps 1 in 10 hotspots. The rest of the time it freezes after clicking the submit button (twice). On the first click, the loading wheel spins indefinitely, if I click again, the unit locks up, and the home button must be pressed. There is certainly a real bug. (for the record, Starbucks/McD always seem to work, so I think it’s something in how the login pages are being coded which is not supported by iPhone OS)
I got my iPad 3G on launch day, and I have never had one single problem with WiFi. Not one, I’ve been using it at Starbucks, at home, at work, friends house…. Not one single wifi glitch.
Embarrassing? Hardly, since few people can actually recreate it these days…
The iPad Wifi issue is a bit of an embarrassment. Either I find I can’t connect at work, or at coffee shops, or I get slow connections when this bug bites. My iPhone 4 does not have this problem when I check the same Wifi spot. In some cases I have my MBP with me and it works fine on the same Wifi hotspot that the iPad is failing on.
Oddly, sometimes it works fine, and other times I’ve got the slow or no connection on the same Wifi hotspots.
@Dr Stein: the trouble is with the WiFi only iPad not the 3G. It’s a real issue.
Currently on fieldwork travelling around S.E. asia, I rely on hotspots. In the last 2 months, I’ve probably connected (or tried) to connect to a few hundred. I would roughly estimate that the iPad fails 1/2 to 3/4 of the time. My iPhone fails 1/3 of the time, and my MBP always gets on.
With the iPad, it seems to be some sort of page-rendering glitch. Especially the Singaporean [email protected] network, of which my iPad will only connect to perhaps 1 in 10 hotspots. The rest of the time it freezes after clicking the submit button (twice). On the first click, the loading wheel spins indefinitely, if I click again, the unit locks up, and the home button must be pressed. There is certainly a real bug. (for the record, Starbucks/McD always seem to work, so I think it’s something in how the login pages are being coded which is not supported by iPhone OS)
Never had any WiFi issues with mine. No fix required.
Sent from my iPad
I got my iPad 3G on launch day, and I have never had one single problem with WiFi. Not one, I’ve been using it at Starbucks, at home, at work, friends house…. Not one single wifi glitch.
Embarrassing? Hardly, since few people can actually recreate it these days…
The iPad Wifi issue is a bit of an embarrassment. Either I find I can’t connect at work, or at coffee shops, or I get slow connections when this bug bites. My iPhone 4 does not have this problem when I check the same Wifi spot. In some cases I have my MBP with me and it works fine on the same Wifi hotspot that the iPad is failing on.
Oddly, sometimes it works fine, and other times I’ve got the slow or no connection on the same Wifi hotspots.