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Don't bother with wireless N on the iPad unless you're really close to your router.

W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
I've been doing some tests on the iPad, and just a few rooms away, my signal rate is only 29mbit via my Time Capsule's logging/stats menu in N mode, whereas I get a solid 54mbit via G mode.

So:

N = reduced range, and most of the time reduced speed. Stick to G mode. Thank you for reading. Carry on.
 
P

Pared

macrumors 65816
Oct 19, 2007
1,127
1
Not my experience either. Thanks for posting your very formal and thorough test as fact, however. :rolleyes:
 
brn2ski00

brn2ski00

macrumors 68020
Aug 16, 2007
2,239
12
MA
maybe a dumb question, but you would need to switch the router to G mode correct?

this wouldn't be something that can be done via the iPad itself.... right?

would it be beneficial to switch my 21.5" iMac to G mode as well?
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
Why don't you actually check at what rate your iPad connects at, and you'll see? I've actually repeated this test on THREE routers. Two dual-band Time Capsules, swapping back and forth between G and N modes on the iPad, and a Netgear N router as well.

So if you'd like to refute my points, please be so courteous as to at least present some data that contradicts my findings.
 
E

emaja

macrumors 68000
May 3, 2005
1,706
11
Chicago, IL
You are the one who took the dismissive tone with the "don't bother" and "carry on" so don't blame us for returning comments in the same tone.

Solid 10 Mbps up and 6 Mbps down for me no matter where I am in my place.
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
emaja said:
You are the one who took the dismissive tone with the "don't bother" and "carry on" so don't blame us for returning comments in the same tone.

Solid 10 Mbps up and 6 Mbps down for me no matter where I am in my place.
Click to expand...

Oh I get those same speeds, and MORE. I'm talking about RAW speeds. As in, which is faster.
 
Chupa Chupa

Chupa Chupa

macrumors G5
Jul 16, 2002
14,835
7,396
WilliamG said:
Why don't you actually check at what rate your iPad connects at, and you'll see? I've actually repeated this test on THREE routers. Two dual-band Time Capsules, swapping back and forth between G and N modes on the iPad, and a Netgear N router as well.

So if you'd like to refute my points, please be so courteous as to at least present some data that contradicts my findings.
Click to expand...

With the utmost respect...

irejectyourre128622493201557302.jpg
 
Scooterman1

Scooterman1

macrumors 6502a
May 15, 2008
939
12
Houston, Tx
I guess that I'm just a little confused at the logic here. There must be a lot that I don't understand.

Let's see.....
Wireless 'N'..to Wireless 'N' ~ 300 mbps
Wireless 'N' to Wireless 'G' ~ 54 mbps
Wireless 'N' to Wireless 'B' ~22 mbps
O.K., even to wireless G is good.
Most home router/gateways are a max of 54 mbps
Most DSL/ADSL is below 18 mbps, and average is 6 mbps, or so.
So, what point is there to having a Wireless 'N' when, by the time the standard technology catches up in order to get full use from the Wireless 'N', your iPad will probably be outdated, and you will get a new one.

Am I missing something about all the thrill of this fast capability?
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
Scooterman1 said:
I guess that I'm just a little confused at the logic here. There must be a lot that I don't understand.

Let's see.....
Wireless 'N'..to Wireless 'N' ~ 300 mbps
Wireless 'N' to Wireless 'G' ~ 54 mbps
Wireless 'N' to Wireless 'B' ~22 mbps
O.K., even to wireless G is good.
Most home router/gateways are a max of 54 mbps
Most DSL/ADSL is below 18 mbps, and average is 6 mbps, or so.
So, what point is there to having a Wireless 'N' when, by the time the standard technology catches up in order to get full use from the Wireless 'N', your iPad will probably be outdated, and you will get a new one.

Am I missing something about all the thrill of this fast capability?
Click to expand...

Actually, my home internet is 30mbit. :)

In any case, my point is that there seems to be NO benefit to wireless N (aside from running on the 5Ghz band, of course). I've found wireless G to give me a consistent 54mbit, whereas wireless N is only giving me 29mbit at the same location in my house.
 
W

wilycoder

macrumors 6502
Aug 4, 2008
337
0
Airport extreme in basement and iPad on 3rd floor, connected using 5ghz band....

FULL STRENGTH

OP has no point :rolleyes:
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
emaja said:
You are the one who took the dismissive tone with the "don't bother" and "carry on" so don't blame us for returning comments in the same tone.

Solid 10 Mbps up and 6 Mbps down for me no matter where I am in my place.
Click to expand...

I think I can easily make that claim having spent many hours testing my theories. But you can believe whatever you want. :)
 
M

melman101

macrumors 68030
Sep 3, 2009
2,751
295
Count me in for not having this problem.

I'll check when I get home, but I'm pretty sure it's solid all over my apartment.
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
wilycoder said:
Airport extreme in basement and iPad on 3rd floor, connected using 5ghz band....

FULL STRENGTH

OP has no point :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Full strength?

Why is it IMPOSSIBLE for people to provide some data? HEY guess what? My iPad shows "FULL STRENGTH" too! But that doesn't mean 300mbit N speeds.

Nobody is connecting at 300mbit (i.e. the *real* full strength*) to their Apple Time Capsule/Airport. Nobody.

So what we have here is a lot of people refuting my comments, and nobody providing me some numbers.

I also get consistently faster readings through the SpeedTest app over wireless G than I do over N. So feel free to try that, too.
 
W

wilycoder

macrumors 6502
Aug 4, 2008
337
0
WilliamG said:
Full strength?

Why is it IMPOSSIBLE for people to provide some data? HEY guess what? My iPad shows "FULL STRENGTH" too! But that doesn't mean 300mbit N speeds.

Nobody is connecting at 300mbit (i.e. the *real* full strength*) to their Apple Time Capsule/Airport. Nobody.

So what we have here is a lot of people refuting my comments, and nobody providing me some numbers.

I also get consistently faster readings through the SpeedTest app over wireless G than I do over N. So feel free to try that, too.
Click to expand...

When I use connect to the wireless G from the third floor I get the weakest strength one can get without disconnecting.

Wireless N (5Ghz) is vastly superior.

If you knew how wireless N works on the 2.4ghz band you would understand why your signal sucks.
 
W

WilliamG

macrumors G3
Original poster
Mar 29, 2008
9,926
3,800
Seattle
wilycoder said:
When I use connect to the wireless G from the third floor I get the weakest strength one can get without disconnecting.

Wireless N (5Ghz) is vastly superior.

If you knew how wireless N works on the 2.4ghz band you would understand why your signal sucks.
Click to expand...

What are you talking about? I know exactly how wireless works. I know that Wireless N 5ghz is *supposed* to be vastly superior. However, in the case of the iPad it simply isn't.

Did I mention I tested this on two different iPads?

Again, show me some numbers. I've given you some.
 
W

wilycoder

macrumors 6502
Aug 4, 2008
337
0
WilliamG said:
What are you talking about? I know exactly how wireless works. I know that Wireless N 5ghz is *supposed* to be vastly superior. However, in the case of the iPad it simply isn't.

Did I mention I tested this on two different iPads?

Again, show me some numbers. I've given you some.
Click to expand...

You are asking for numbers but you didnt tell us what band you are using.

Is it 2.4 or 5ghz?
 
G

gillybean

macrumors 6502a
Jul 21, 2008
788
2
Seattle, WA
My router (wndr3700) does both N (5 ghz) and G (2.4 ghz) and I found that the iPad has an easier time finding and staying connected to the G when I'm in other rooms.
 
P

Pared

macrumors 65816
Oct 19, 2007
1,127
1
wilycoder said:
You are asking for numbers but you didnt tell us what band you are using.

Is it 2.4 or 5ghz?
Click to expand...

If you don't have the issue, it might not even be worth entertaining the thread. It's quite obvious the OP has laid down the law.
 
J

jtara

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2009
2,008
536
This is neither an iPad-specific problem nor a wireless N-specific problem. It's related to 5 gHz vs. 2.4 gHz. I experience the same issue with my aluminum Macbook and Cisco WRT610N.

5gHz signals have less of an ability to go through walls than 2.4 gHz signals. The tradeoff is that you have more bandwidth available in the 5gHz band, as well as less interference from neighbors routers, Bluetooth, microwave ovens, etc.

In the same room, you will almost always get better performance with 5gHz. A few rooms away, you are almost always better-off at 2.4gHz.

I do get 300mbit/sec connections with my Macbook in the same room, BTW.
 
T

tacoshell

Contributor
Oct 9, 2008
218
142
I have no problem at all with my connection but wanted to mention this. In my room on the second floor, I use both my appleTV and iPad. While both see my router and connect to it fine, the appleTV also sees the routers of bunch of houses around mine that the iPad does not see. While it is not an issue for me, it does suggest that the iPad wireless N is not as strong as the appleTV wireless N.
 
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