Horrendous Wi-Fi signal strength

Steve.P.JobsFan · Dec 11, 2012, 09:36 PM

For about the past 18 hours, Wi-Fi on my iPhone 5 has been horribly slow. I'm averaging about 2-6 mbps download, and 0.6-1.4 mbps upload on Wi-Fi (I pay for 18 mbps down, 1.5 up on U-verse).

Before, I got excellent signal strength (AT&T's equip. only does 802.11g, not 802.11n) all over the house, and decent signal in the garage and driveway. Now, I have poor signal (one bar indicated in status bar) all over the house, and it drops out as soon as I step outside. It's bad enough that my iPhone keeps reverting from Wi-Fi to LTE, and now I've used my entire 5GB cap (at least my cap resets in two days!) because of this.

I'm going to try and reset my network settings now, and check some settings on my U-verse gateway.

Anything else I should try and troubleshoot this? I'm baffled, as it's worked without a hitch since October...

Beeplance · Dec 11, 2012, 09:39 PM

A lot of users are already having problems with the wifi issue, so I suggest you look around the forum. There's a thread saying that the wifi is "painfully slow on the iPhone 5", so you can take a look there as well.

I think said problem will be addressed when Apple releases iOS 6.1 in the future. It's currently under beta testing right now.

Maybe you can try to reset network settings to remedy the problem.

Steve.P.JobsFan · Dec 11, 2012, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeplance

A lot of users are already having problems with the wifi issue, so I suggest you look around the forum. There's a thread saying that the wifi is "painfully slow on the iPhone 5", so you can take a look there as well.

I think said problem will be addressed when Apple releases iOS 6.1 in the future. It's currently under beta testing right now.

Maybe you can try to reset network settings to remedy the problem.

Well, I reset the network settings and went from one bar of Wi-Fi to two..

...and now it's jumping between two bars, one bar, and Verizon's LTE.

What I don't get it why it just randomly started acting up. It's worked fine for almost two months straight (December 13 will be two months).

darster · Dec 11, 2012, 10:34 PM

It's likely not your phone. One way to be sure is try a different wifi network. My bet is that your AT&T router is going bad.

Applejuiced · Dec 11, 2012, 10:39 PM

If it acts up with more than one router then its most likelly your i5.
Usually a restart on my i5 fixes the very slow or completelly dead wifi connection.
Its a shame such a good device with major wifi problems like that.
Replacement iphones and restores and setup as new dont make any difference.
I dont know if it can be fixed with a software update, I really hope so though.

SomeDudeAsking · Dec 11, 2012, 11:22 PM

Ah, the perpetual poor wifi on iPhones. It just doesn't work. I bet what's going on is that Apple only makes the iPhone wifi work properly if you use an Apple router (forcing you to buy one). Any other brand and it will give you all the buggy wifi problems in the threads going on.

Steve.P.JobsFan · Dec 11, 2012, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darster

It's likely not your phone. One way to be sure is try a different wifi network. My bet is that your AT&T router is going bad.

Doubt it. I just replaced it with a brand new gateway, the old one had a faulty coax connector.

Browns2212 · Dec 12, 2012, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve.P.JobsFan

Doubt it. I just replaced it with a brand new gateway, the old one had a faulty coax connector.

So is the i5 working better now?

I haven't had any wifi problems with mine.

Funny, I noticed you are in BG. I'm in Perrysburg and went to BGSU.

Small world!

BigMcGuire · Dec 12, 2012, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeplance

A lot of users are already having problems with the wifi issue, so I suggest you look around the forum. There's a thread saying that the wifi is "painfully slow on the iPhone 5", so you can take a look there as well.

I think said problem will be addressed when Apple releases iOS 6.1 in the future. It's currently under beta testing right now.

Maybe you can try to reset network settings to remedy the problem.

Can't wait... I'm so sick of having to turn off wifi whenever I go to work. lol. I'll have max signal strength but no internet - or if I have internet it'll be 2g speeds with a high end $100+ router bought last year on Verizon Business FIOS (over 50mbps down).

But.... at home with a Netgear N600 I have no wifi issues. So yeah probably something with the router but it's business owned so I can't do much with it. My 4s didn't mind it all that much but my 5 just will not do anything internet related with the work WiFi router.

GeorgieAcevedo · Dec 12, 2012, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beeplance

A lot of users are already having problems with the wifi issue, so I suggest you look around the forum. There's a thread saying that the wifi is "painfully slow on the iPhone 5", so you can take a look there as well.

I think said problem will be addressed when Apple releases iOS 6.1 in the future. It's currently under beta testing right now.

Maybe you can try to reset network settings to remedy the problem.

Me too, so far no fix. 6.1 and I still have one bar of wifi in my kitchen when I had full bars with my iPhone 4.

darster · Dec 12, 2012, 11:26 AM

If some people are having issues, while others, such as myself, are having absolutely no problems, then a software update will not fix the problem. Either you have a bad chip in your phone, or a bad router. Can't fix that with software. I have never had a problem with any wifi router I connected to, whether home, or bar, hotel, etc. There will be no magic bullet from Apple that will fix your wifi problem.

psywzrd · Dec 12, 2012, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomeDudeAsking

Ah, the perpetual poor wifi on iPhones. It just doesn't work. I bet what's going on is that Apple only makes the iPhone wifi work properly if you use an Apple router (forcing you to buy one). Any other brand and it will give you all the buggy wifi problems in the threads going on.

Definitely not true. My router is an Apple Time Capsule and I still have wifi problems with my iphone 5 running 6.0.1.

SomeDudeAsking · Dec 12, 2012, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psywzrd

Definitely not true. My router is an Apple Time Capsule and I still have wifi problems with my iphone 5 running 6.0.1.

That's your problem right there, you don't have the 2012 Apple Airport Extreme. The Apple Time Capsule is just a base model.

Obyboby · Dec 12, 2012, 11:47 AM

Just tested connection speed on my iPhone 4S and 5 together, had similar (good) results on both the devices.

My iPhone 5's chip is from Logital co. limited, by the way.

Steve.P.JobsFan · Dec 12, 2012, 09:41 PM

Reset network settings. It fixed it -- for a day. Now, it's back to same old -- slow and full of issues. Sigh.

Dec 11, 2012, 09:36 PM	#1
Steve.P.JobsFan macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bowling Green, OH	Horrendous Wi-Fi signal strength For about the past 18 hours, Wi-Fi on my iPhone 5 has been horribly slow. I'm averaging about 2-6 mbps download, and 0.6-1.4 mbps upload on Wi-Fi (I pay for 18 mbps down, 1.5 up on U-verse). Before, I got excellent signal strength (AT&T's equip. only does 802.11g, not 802.11n) all over the house, and decent signal in the garage and driveway. Now, I have poor signal (one bar indicated in status bar) all over the house, and it drops out as soon as I step outside. It's bad enough that my iPhone keeps reverting from Wi-Fi to LTE, and now I've used my entire 5GB cap (at least my cap resets in two days!) because of this. I'm going to try and reset my network settings now, and check some settings on my U-verse gateway. Anything else I should try and troubleshoot this? I'm baffled, as it's worked without a hitch since October... __________________ iPad \| 4th Generation \| White \| 16GB iMac \| Core i5 2.7 GHz \| 12GB RAM \|Radeon 6770 (512MB VRAM) iPhone 5 (VZW CDMA/LTE) \| Black \| 16GB Apple TV \| 3rd Generation
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 09:39 PM	#2
Beeplance macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Singapore	A lot of users are already having problems with the wifi issue, so I suggest you look around the forum. There's a thread saying that the wifi is "painfully slow on the iPhone 5", so you can take a look there as well. I think said problem will be addressed when Apple releases iOS 6.1 in the future. It's currently under beta testing right now. Maybe you can try to reset network settings to remedy the problem. __________________ -iPhone 3GS white 16GB iOS 6.1.3 -iPhone 3GS black 16GB iOS 6.1.3 -iPod Touch 4G white 32GB iOS 6.1
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 09:41 PM	#15
Steve.P.JobsFan Thread Starter macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bowling Green, OH	Reset network settings. It fixed it -- for a day. Now, it's back to same old -- slow and full of issues. Sigh. __________________ iPad \| 4th Generation \| White \| 16GB iMac \| Core i5 2.7 GHz \| 12GB RAM \|Radeon 6770 (512MB VRAM) iPhone 5 (VZW CDMA/LTE) \| Black \| 16GB Apple TV \| 3rd Generation
	0

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Dec 11, 2012, 10:34 PM	#4
darster macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2011	It's likely not your phone. One way to be sure is try a different wifi network. My bet is that your AT&T router is going bad.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 10:39 PM	#5
Applejuiced macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: At the iPhone hacks section.	If it acts up with more than one router then its most likelly your i5. Usually a restart on my i5 fixes the very slow or completelly dead wifi connection. Its a shame such a good device with major wifi problems like that. Replacement iphones and restores and setup as new dont make any difference. I dont know if it can be fixed with a software update, I really hope so though.
	0

Dec 11, 2012, 11:22 PM	#6
SomeDudeAsking macrumors 65816 Join Date: Nov 2010	Ah, the perpetual poor wifi on iPhones. It just doesn't work. I bet what's going on is that Apple only makes the iPhone wifi work properly if you use an Apple router (forcing you to buy one). Any other brand and it will give you all the buggy wifi problems in the threads going on.
	0

Dec 12, 2012, 11:26 AM	#11
darster macrumors 65816 Join Date: Aug 2011	If some people are having issues, while others, such as myself, are having absolutely no problems, then a software update will not fix the problem. Either you have a bad chip in your phone, or a bad router. Can't fix that with software. I have never had a problem with any wifi router I connected to, whether home, or bar, hotel, etc. There will be no magic bullet from Apple that will fix your wifi problem.
	1

Dec 12, 2012, 11:47 AM	#14
Obyboby macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2010	Just tested connection speed on my iPhone 4S and 5 together, had similar (good) results on both the devices. My iPhone 5's chip is from Logital co. limited, by the way.
	0