Strong Wifi signal but SLOOOWWW connection? Help!

Question

Dear Folks,
I'm getting terrible throughput to the outside world over my home Wifi network with the iPad. Yeah it's DSL, but the performance is far, far below normal for that. Both my Macs are connecting wirelessly just fine. But most of the efforts to get online via the iPad (Safari, iTunes store, App Store, etc.) just time out before completion, or with a screen only partially loaded.
Ain't a signal strength thing. I'm getting three "arcs" and I'm sitting in the same room with the wireless modem. No RF problems here, bucko! Ironically, my neighbor has an unprotected Wifi network and even though I only get one "arc" of signal strength linking to it, that performs great. Data throughput is plenty fast, no problem logging into websites, app store, etc. via her network.
Clearly I have a config problem that is specific to my network and the iPad, since other computers and other networks work fine. But I can't figure out what.
Suggestions?
Thanks!
Ctein

Answer 1

Dear Jim,
Thanks for your help-- here's additional info:
1) I don't know what service class and carrier my neighbor has. I mentioned it only to note that this demonstrated that signal strength was not the obvious problem. (Aside from the fact I'm sitting 1.5 meters from the router.)
2) Run off my MacBook Pro on the home network, speedtest reported 1.3Mb/sec download speed, 300Kb/sec upload speed and 119 msec ping. IOW, typically mediocre DSl, but serviceable. The speedtest app can't even procure a server list on the iPad via my home network, and it times out (this happens with both the normal DNS of 192.168.1.1 and after I added OpenDNS of 208.67.222.222). If I log into the neighbor's network with speedest, the iPad connects fine, reporting download and upload speeds ca 2Mb/sec.
A service like the Google Maps app can function, but it loads maps VERY slowly. Safari simply times out 9 times out of 10.
3) Router is an 802.11g -- Netgear WGR614 v6.
4) DHCP settings on the iPad are
IP Address: 192.168.1.3
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Router and DNS: both 192.168.1.1
(these are consistent with what the router reports)
Router settings are
Get IP Address dynamically from ISP
Get DNS automatically from ISP
broadcast on channel 7 in both g & b modes.
WEP enabled
5) Latest OS-- 3.2.1, but I was having the same problem with OS 3.2.
Any clues here?
The help is much appreciated! I just hate this network stuff-- still makes me feel stupid every time something goes wobbly.
pax / Ctein