Can anyone tell me or give me a link to the latest response from Apple regarding very real weak wifi signal on what seems to be a batch of both the new ipad and the earlier Ipad2. I have just bought a 2nd hand ipad2 and it has a very weak wifi signal

Question

Over the last week or so I have been trawling the internet looking for references to weak wifi signals on the Ipad2 and was staggered by the sheer quantity of people who seem to have identical issues, not just with the ipad2 but also with the new ipad. What annoyed me most from reading the reams upon reams of comments made on the Apple community forum is the fairly large number of people who seemed to believe that 'these' people were either just moaners and wingers or else they must have something wrong with their router set-up rather than a serious fault with their ipad and it seems all because there ipad in question works like a dream.
Obviously I can only speak from my experience, and that is, I have an ipad2 32GB with wifi, purchased about 6 months ago and it works like dream with a good 2-3 bar wifi signal through 2 thick stone walls over 30 feet away. My router is a standard one supplied by my broadband supplier compatible with all 'g','b' and 'n' equipment. However, over a week ago now I bought second hand genuine ipad2 16GB with wifi from a close friend who has just purchased a new ipad3 to replace his old ipad2 (had it for over a year so no longer under warranty). When I started it up downstairs from my router, where I always use my other ipad2 which has a very strong wifi signal, I discovered that the new secondhand ipad2 I had purchased couldnt find a network signal at all. So after doing network resets and all other 'fixes' on the device recommended, I took it upstairs to my office where the router is based and found that the device could now locate the network, but the signal was lost over only 12 feet from the router!
I quizzed my good friend about this issue and he informed me that it has always been like this since he first purchased it and he never thought that it was a fault, it was just the way it was. When he first aquired the device he did think at the time that this distance was poor, but thought nothing of it as he didnt have any other ipad to measur ethe signal strength against, and as his router was in his living room anyway he nothing of it. Fair enough.
So, there we have it. One ipad2 with a very good wifi signal and another ipad2  with a very poor wifi signal running off the same router, both with the same IOS 5.0. ?
As well as all of the other isues that customers have picked up on, such as 'death grip' (which I must say does appear to happen, but personally i dont think that this is a serious issue if you are aware of this issue and have a strong signal anyway), my experience seems to be a good  example of a 'duff' wifi ipad versus a 'great' wifi ipad', an issue confirmed by complaints from a fairly large number of customers who have also reported the same or similar weak wifi signals with both the ipad2 and the ipad3. So, as this shows the weak wifi signal is a very real issue it seems on a batch of ipad2 and 3's, which to my logic is obviously a hardware issue on a batch of early ipad2's and not a software one, otherwise all ipad's would suffer this problem! So, is it a faulty antenna or a faukty network card in an early batch?
So, the bottom line now is, of course, firstly,  how can I get Apple to fix my other ipad2 when the warranty has run out? Any suggestions anyone?
Personally I think good Apple customer service should offer a recall with a replacement on this apparent batch of ipads, dont you?

Answer 1

Greetings,
I've never seen this issue, and I handle many iPads, of all versions. WiFi issues are generally local to the WiFi router - they are not all of the same quality, range, immunity to interference, etc. You have distance, building construction, and the biggie - interference.
At home, I use Apple routers, and have no issues with any of my WiFi enabled devices, computers, mobile devices, etc - even the lowly PeeCees. I have locations where I have Juniper Networks, as well as Aruba, and a few Netgears - all of them work as they should.
The cheaper routers, Linksys, D-Link, Seimens home units, and many other no name devices have caused issues of various kinds, and even connectivity.
I have no idea what Starbucks uses, but I always have a good connection, and I go there nearly every morning and get some work done, as well as play.
You could try changing channels, 2.4 to 5 Gigs, changing locations of the router. I have had to do all of these at one time or another over the many years that I have been a Network Engineer.
Good Luck - Cheers,
M.