The Song Fight Bulletin Board

My wife just bought an iPad. Got to admit - I really don't understand it. And my wife is more clueless than I am.

I got it working perfectly on the 3G network (sorry - I don't know if "3G" is a generic term or a trade name - it means "the mobile phone network" as far as I can tell) - but I can't get it working on my home wi-fi network. I have 2 laptops that work fine on the home wi-fi - but the iPad is really, really, really slow.

Is this normal? Should the ipad be really slow compared to a laptop on a wifi network?

You have to go into your settings and connect it to your wi-fi just like you would a laptop. I believe the wi-fi should supersede the 3G connection, but im not sure. May have to turn the 3G off too

what he said should do the trick. Wifi will supersede the 3G and if you have the wifi on in your settings, it shall pick up wifi wherever it can; prompting you as to whether or not you'd like it to. If the particular wifi is a public-nonpassworded one, it will be listed on a popup window without a lock-icon. Yours should come up either that way or in settings (with a lock, perhaps, to keep miscreants away??). Enter your password and you'll then always connect to it automatically and to any other wifi locations you do that for as well.

(dunno if this is duhhhhinformation or not...)

I've experienced WiFi problems with the iPad before. Is your network secure? Do you know with what technology? What does the iPad do when you turn off 3G and try to connect to the WiFi? Have you tried restarting the iPad? Is it up to date on the latest iOS version? Have you tried a device restore (complete wipe)? How far from the router are you?

BBABM wrote:You have to go into your settings and connect it to your wi-fi just like you would a laptop. I believe the wi-fi should supersede the 3G connection, but im not sure. May have to turn the 3G off too

I can connect to wifi - but it is just really slow

Manhattan Glutton wrote:I've experienced WiFi problems with the iPad before. Is your network secure? Do you know with what technology? What does the iPad do when you turn off 3G and try to connect to the WiFi? Have you tried restarting the iPad? Is it up to date on the latest iOS version? Have you tried a device restore (complete wipe)? How far from the router are you?

I think my network is secure. I recently put a password on it.
I have everything connected through an Apple Time Machine
We got the iPad about 3 weeks ago and connected it to wifi and it works - but is painfully slow.
I only put a SIM card in it yesterday - and through that the iPad now works fine on 3G - but I don't want to waste money using the 3G while at home.

I will try to restart and stuff and see what that does.
We have been using the iPad in our house - and the router is in my studio - in a separate building about 20m away. I have 2 laptops that work fine with that arrangement. I just can't understand why the iPad is so much slower than the laptops.

I have not experienced that problem on either an iPad 1 or my current Ipad 2. The network is via an Airport Extreme (same as your Time Machine, without the hard drive backup in case anyone isn't aware) connected to a cable modem. Also on this network are frequently our iMac, my wife's laptop, my laptop, and a mac mini on our TV.

Your iPad should be as zippy on WiFi as your laptop. I suspect a defect. Don't delay, replace today.

JB

Also, if you haven't spent the five bucks to get GarageBand on that iPad, wtf are you waiting for? Don't need WiFi to make a song, Tex.

jb wrote: Your iPad should be as zippy on WiFi as your laptop. I suspect a defect. Don't delay, replace today.

You may be right.

I have done all the things MG suggested and restored the whole system to factory (we had not put anything on it yet anyway) and reloaded latest ios (although ios was actually current) - and no change.


It seems to be a distance issue.

By using this:
http://speedtest.net/

I was able to work out that my 2 laptops in the house (about 20 - 30m from Time Machine) seem to download at about 6 - 6.5 Mbps. My iMac which sits next to the Time Machine is a little faster.

If I sit right next to the Time Machine - the iPad can download at about 5 Mbps - but if I go back into the house, it slows right down often loses signal completely.

So it appears that the iPad simply can't pick up the wifi signal as well as the laptops can. This doesn't seem right - does it? Especially since one of my laptops is about 2006 vintage.

I would expect that the iPad should perform as well as the laptops in picking up wifi signal. Is that a reasonable expectation?

jb wrote: Also, if you haven't spent the five bucks to get GarageBand on that iPad, wtf are you waiting for? Don't need WiFi to make a song, Tex.

I got a song in this week. Where's yours?

...hmmmm

a 77 page thread here seems to be reflecting my experience
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/23 ... 5&tstart=0

and confirming JBs diagnosis of a dud unit

Caravan Ray wrote:I have done all the things MG suggested

I suggest that you stick your dick in a light socket.


.......same end result, but mine almost killed you.

In my experience, iDevices aren't as good at WiFi as laptops, but it doesn't hurt to talk to Apple about it and try for a replacement.
I know a guy who had his iPhone replaced for having shitty WiFi, and the new one had the same problem.

Caravan Ray wrote:

jb wrote: Also, if you haven't spent the five bucks to get GarageBand on that iPad, wtf are you waiting for? Don't need WiFi to make a song, Tex.

I got a song in this week. Where's yours?

Don't make me punch you in the neck!

jb wrote: Don't make me punch you in the neck!

Go on. You know I love it



But just to give closure on this issue:

I called Apple and they told me to take it to the local service centre - who have been closed over xmas.

So today they told me that there is nothing wrong with it. Apparently iPads have crap reception for wifi compared to macbooks.

Here at Caravan Ray Mansion - I keep my Time Machine router out in the servant's quarters. It has always been good enough for the macbooks, but the iPad can't cut it. I will have to bring the router into the main house. I think I have some space in the Cocaine and Hooker Room.


Do you think the problem may be due to my extraordinarily large penis?

Caravan Ray wrote:Do you think the problem may be due to my extraordinarily large penis?

I've been calling you a giant dick for years.

Caravan Ray wrote:Do you think the problem may be due to my extraordinarily large penis?

When are you going out of town again? You're cock blocking me from your wi-fe connection.

Billy's Little Trip wrote:

Caravan Ray wrote:Do you think the problem may be due to my extraordinarily large penis?

When are you going out of town again? You're cock blocking me from your wi-fe connection.

I could have a really funny response here - but I know that Americans pronounce "router" as "router" - not "rooter" and Americans don't know what "rooter" means anyway. So why bother? Just trust me. I have a response. And it is frikking hilarious. And it involves sexual intercourse.

I do give you credit for the "wi-fe" thing. Nice. I will use that myself in future. The world can never have too many thinly veiled sexual references.




CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK:
Put a lower case "i" in front of something rude to give the ghost of Steve Jobs ideas:

iWank?
iVomit?

Hey, I've been reading your third world sexual references for years here. I feel I'm well versed in your silly language. Never hold back and lay it on me. I'd like my innuendos and pick up lines to be international for times of travel.

sometimes when i'm watching ice hockey, they are carrying some other team's feed. some other teams are carried on a network called ROOT and that always makes me think of caravan ray... ouch!
-bill