iOS 4.2.1 WiFi Problems

Forums › Apple iOS and devices › iOS 4.2.1 WiFi Problems

alasta

6704 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#74448 30-Dec-2010 14:53

I have just come back from a fantastic holiday which unfortunately was somewhat overshadowed by the frustration of trying to get my iPad to connect to public pay-as-you-go WiFi networks along the way. It appears that on odd occasions it will work fine, but most of the time it is plagued by a combination of the following problems:

- Displaying a simple "unable to connect" message upon attempting to connect.
- Showing a tick against a particular network as if it has connected, but failing to show the Wifi icon in the status bar and refusing to transmit or receive any traffic.
- Transmitting and receiving traffic at such a slow rate that it takes several minutes to load a typical web page.
- Dropping the connection suddenly and unexpectedly.

My iPhone 3GS running 4.2.1 appears to suffer the same problems, while users of other devices appear to be able to use these networks with no problems from the same location. This effectively demonstrates that the latest version of iOS is the likely source of the problem.

I don't necessarily expect to hear any magic quick-fix solutions as Wifi problems on iOS 4.2.1 appear to be acknowledged by many end users, but I would be interested in hearing others' experiences of how widespread these problems are, and I also believe that this should serve as a warning to anyone considering purchasing an iOS device for use with public Wifi networks while travelling.

gehenna

8502 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#422649 30-Dec-2010 15:39

I recall I had problems connecting my 1st generation iPhone to some Cafenet hotspots due to the way they were configured. This could be a similar issue. I think rather than being an issue with the iPhone/iPad or iOS it would be how the hotspot is configured.

alasta

6704 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#422666 30-Dec-2010 17:03

gehenna: I recall I had problems connecting my 1st generation iPhone to some Cafenet hotspots due to the way they were configured. This could be a similar issue. I think rather than being an issue with the iPhone/iPad or iOS it would be how the hotspot is configured.

From my layman's perspective if the problem affects all or at least the vast majority of devices then it's unfair to criticise iOS, but if iOS is the only system that's having a great deal of difficulty with a wide range of router configurations then clearly that's something that Apple needs to address.

gehenna

8502 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#422671 30-Dec-2010 17:20

alasta:
gehenna: I recall I had problems connecting my 1st generation iPhone to some Cafenet hotspots due to the way they were configured. This could be a similar issue. I think rather than being an issue with the iPhone/iPad or iOS it would be how the hotspot is configured.

From my layman's perspective if the problem affects all or at least the vast majority of devices then it's unfair to criticise iOS, but if iOS is the only system that's having a great deal of difficulty with a wide range of router configurations then clearly that's something that Apple needs to address.

i agree with you there

Partsurf

2 posts

Wannabe Geek
Inactive user

#425375 9-Jan-2011 08:26

there is a lot of fix for you here

http://appletoolbox.com/2010/12/ipad-wi-fi-slow-after-ios-4-2-1-update-fixes/

One advice, do not upgrade to the latest version unless there're some absolutely nice features you had to have...

New version updates are sometimes for anti-hacking and bricking some jailbroken iphones...

Have you tried network reset your iPhone? or Hardware reset your iPhone?
also please try to Restore the iOS completely..and see if the problem would persist.

cheers
nathan

stuzzo

534 posts

Ultimate Geek

#425389 9-Jan-2011 09:45

There seems to be a general consensus around that 4.2.1 has brought significant Wi-Fi issues for the iPad.

Check out this thread on the Apple Forums, about 70 pages long:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2657404&tstart=0&start=0

Wi-Fi on the original iPad OS was brilliant, instant on and very few issues. With 4.2.1 it is slower to connect and, when on, often loses the connection when the network has not been called on for a while. Also slow connections have been noted though this hasn't affected me. I assume some of the problems are due to resource issues with multi-tasking.

I have tried many of the fixes suggested in the link PartSurf gave. The only one that really seems to help is "Reset Network Settings" which I suggest you do when joining a new network and every few days on a given network.

alasta

6704 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Subscriber

#425410 9-Jan-2011 12:14

stuzzo: There seems to be a general consensus around that 4.2.1 has brought significant Wi-Fi issues for the iPad.

Yes, I've been participating in another similar thread in the Apple forums and whilst there appear to be a lot of people in denial about the problem there are enough people suffering from it to consider it serious and widespread.

I've been fortunate enough that my home Wifi is unaffected by the problem and 3G data is cheap enough that the hit-and-miss results with public Wifi hotspots is not a major problem, but it makes you wonder what in particular is causing the problems to arise with some routers but not others. The strangest example of this was when I was using the Wifi service on board the Interisland ferry over the holidays - on the way south on the Arahura I had no problems but I was unable to use the service on the Aratere on the way back.

The pressure is mounting on Apple to come up with some answers.

marmel

1924 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#425822 10-Jan-2011 17:22

It's bizarre but I had exactly the same problem BEFORE the upgrade to 4.2.1.

Since the upgrade my wifi connection has been excellent, max bars pretty much all the time which is what you would expect given that my router is only 5m or so from where I use the ipad most of the time.

I'm running a Telecom DSL-502T modem and Belkin Wireless N router.

Wise

Send money globally for less with Wise - one free transfer up to NZ$900 (affiliate link).

JimmyC

726 posts

Ultimate Geek

#426008 11-Jan-2011 09:20

I have no problems with wifi speeds on any of the 4 private networks I connect to frequently, but I have yet to have any success with the new free public wireless on the Welllington waterfront.

Several times I've taken my iPad to lunch with me and whilst it can connect to the network and displays full signal (whatever that's worth) the connection is completely useless, managing only partial pages. Could just be the time of day but...

Nety

2584 posts

Uber Geek

Retired Mod

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#426016 11-Jan-2011 09:54

I noticed a couple of days ago that on my home wireless even though the ipad was showing full signal it could not even steam music from the web. Have also noticed general slowness in downloads etc.

Media centre PC - Case Silverstone LC16M with 2 X 80mm AcoustiFan DustPROOF, MOBO Gigabyte MA785GT-UD3H, CPU AMD X2 240 under volted, RAM 4 Gig DDR3 1033, HDD 120Gig System/512Gig data, Tuners 2 X Hauppauge HVR-3000, 1 X HVR-2200, Video Palit GT 220, Sound Realtek 886A HD (onboard), Optical LiteOn DH-401S Blue-ray using TotalMedia Theatre Power Corsair VX Series, 450W ATX PSU OS Windows 7 x64