Amid accolades for Apple's iPad, which launched Saturday, some customers are complaining about the performance of the new device. In particular, a sluggish Wi-Fi connection is one of the key complaints showing up on Apple's discussion board and elsewhere.
"Wi-Fi reception seems weak with slow downloads," wrote a user called Dr. JB on the evening of launch day. Tangerine 23 replied with a report about "the same issues," which were temporarily fixed after shutting down or resetting the network settings -- but then the device gets hung up again.
Dual-Band Routers
In general, the Wi-Fi complaints concern weak signals or the inability to join networks from standby.
Apple released a support bulletin Monday, noting that, "under certain conditions, iPad may not automatically rejoin a known Wi-Fi network after restart or waking from sleep." It noted that this can occur with some third-party, dual-band Wi-Fi routers when the same name is used for each network, or when there are different security settings for each network.
Dual-band routers often have 2.4-GHz and five-GHz bands as one network under the same name and password.
If the issue is encountered, Apple said, the user should try to create separate network names to identify each band, such as adding one or more characters to the network name. For example, it suggests, a "g" can be added to the network name of an 802.11b/g network.
The company said another possible fix is making sure that both networks use the same security type, such as WEP or WPA.
Finally, the support team said that, if the issue continues, the user should try to reset network settings and make sure the router firmware is current.
Not 'A Large Stumbling Block'
Although the fixes may work on a user's personal or business router, changing network names or other fixes are not an option for public Wi-Fi hot spots.
While many of the complaints have centered around Wi-Fi reception, there have also been some reports of difficulties in charging the iPad through the USB connection, or syncing it with other devices.
Avi Greengart, an analyst with Current Analysis, noted that he has not encountered the issues being reported. He said he received an iPad with "a slightly defective screen," but Apple replaced it immediately, "as they would do for anyone."
He added that he has no reason to doubt that some users are having problems, but said this isn't uncommon, as devices move from "being tested locally to real-world conditions."
Greengart said "Apple has been pretty responsive" to the complaints, and "it wouldn't shock me if an operating system update" is needed in the near future. But overall, he said, the complaints "didn't appear to be a large stumbling block" to the iPad's success.
