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iPod touch Weak WiFi Signal?

MVallee

MVallee

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 8, 2007
810
183
Ontario, Canada
ok my router works fine with my MacBook and my iMac. The signal is always really strong and I rarely have trouble. I got an iPod touch this week and my wifi signal is always at 1 bar. Even when I'm in the same room right next to the router its 1 bar. I tried connecting to the neighbours wifi and I had a better signal from them. I'm wondering why. Is it some setting I'm missing on either the iPod or the router. Don't get me wrong the iPod works fine just slow in parts of the house.

Any ideas?
 
Is your router set to 64 bit or 128 bit encryption? The iPod pretty much needs 128 bit to operate correctly.
 
It was 64 bit so I switched to 128. It still shows one bar and I'm about a foot from the router. I use WEP, is that ok?

I'm stuck for what to try next.
 
MVallee said:
It was 64 bit so I switched to 128. It still shows one bar and I'm about a foot from the router. I use WEP, is that ok?

I'm stuck for what to try next.
Click to expand...

I use WEP and it is fine...tell us about the router you use.

Also, do you have a case on the touch? Though cases have not been known to depreciate signal quality, I think there could be a link.

MVallee said:
I tried connecting to the neighbours wifi and I had a better signal from them. I'm wondering why.
Click to expand...

This would make me believe it is your router settings. I have no idea what to suggest to "change" though, because doing so could screw up your macbooks..

You could use your macbook's wifi card that is connected to a router wirelessly and share its connection.
 
my router is 2.4 ghz Linksys wireless G.

I only have Power Support Crystal Film on it so that wouldn't hinder it.

I may try taking the security off all together just to see if I get a boost. That's not a viable solution though since I want some security.

The iPod still works I just think it could work faster.
 
ok I think I may have solved it. I was playing around in my router settings and saw it said "Transmission Rate: 2Mbps". I changed it to default and now I have the full 3 bars on my iPod. I don't know why it was set like that but my MacBook always worked fine and had the full 4 bars.

Anyway now I'm wondering if it makes a difference really if its set to 128 or 64 bit. If I go back to 64 bit will it make the iPod slower? What's the difference?

Its just because I'd like to avoid changing the paswords on my iPod, MacBook, iMac, Nintendo DS, & Nintendo Wii.
 
MVallee said:
ok I think I may have solved it. I was playing around in my router settings and saw it said "Transmission Rate: 2Mbps". I changed it to default and now I have the full 3 bars on my iPod. I don't know why it was set like that but my MacBook always worked fine and had the full 4 bars.

Anyway now I'm wondering if it makes a difference really if its set to 128 or 64 bit. If I go back to 64 bit will it make the iPod slower? What's the difference?

Its just because I'd like to avoid changing the paswords on my iPod, MacBook, iMac, Nintendo DS, & Nintendo Wii.
Click to expand...

Go ahead and set the router to 64 bits. If the iPod works okay then don't worry about it. It's just that some iPods seem to like 128 bits better.
 
The difference between 128 and 64 is how strong the encryption works. However, WEP is not considered a good way to protect a wireless network anymore. 128bit, while obviously harder to crack than 64, can take less than a few minutes to crack nowadays under the best conditions. So you imagine how fast 64bit can be cracked.

WPA-TKIP/AES or WPA2-AES with random passwords are the better options and the touch supports both as well.
 
Hey everyone. I hate to revive such an old thread, but I'm having a similar problem as the OP.

I have a MacBook 2.2 GHz (Model MacBook 3,1) from last fall. I got it on December 22nd, 2008.

Until March 15th I was living with my parents and I could get online just fine using a Linksys WRT 54GL router, and my WiFi was fine. Then I moved to an apartment the following day (March 16th) and I started to have problems.

Finally, I had to move out of that apartment due to being jobless, and not being able to pay rent, etc. I moved in with my brother, and he's got an ASUS WL-520GU router. It's across the apartment, and I'm the only one having problems with the WiFi reception. This machine has a Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.38.9) Airport Card in it. My brother has the MacBook 2,1 and he's got an Atheros Airport Card, and he never has fluctuating WiFi as I do.

My friend suggest that it could be faulty drivers. If that's true, where can I get BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.38.9) drivers for Mac OS X? I know for Windows you can find them on many sites. Also I should note that I believe there are lead pipes between here where I use my MacBook the most often, and the router which is down the hall and in my brother's apartment mate's room where the internet is setup.

Thanks in advance.
 
Your DS may not work anymore (that may be why you changed it), but your connection should be faster.

The Nintendo DS is not really 802.11b 11mbps Wi-Fi. It's an older 802.11 implementation that's only 2mbps, and some router's won't work with it unless they are forced to that mode.

Likewise, the DS doesn't support WPA.
 
Okay, it seems that I solved my own problem, though I still find it weird that I was the only one that had it. Though it may seem trivial, I moved my entire setup (MacBook and external HDD) to a table that's closer to the router, though in the same room, and the fluctuation doesn't happen anymore.

It's still a curious thing that my brother has never had the issues I've had and he uses his computer where I did before.

Oh well... if anyone can suggest anything (other than the obvious, i.e. router not reaching that spot, which isn't true since my brother has no problems), I'd appreciate it. = )

Also, I can provide pictures of where I was sitting opposed to where I cam now, even a video if you'd like, so we can possibly find out what's going on...
 
I have a Macbook that is not getting any reception at all unless it is sitting right next to the router. Cound this be an Antenna issue? Can they come loose in the white Macbooks?

-Beau



ShiggyMiyamoto said:
Okay, it seems that I solved my own problem, though I still find it weird that I was the only one that had it. Though it may seem trivial, I moved my entire setup (MacBook and external HDD) to a table that's closer to the router, though in the same room, and the fluctuation doesn't happen anymore.

It's still a curious thing that my brother has never had the issues I've had and he uses his computer where I did before.

Oh well... if anyone can suggest anything (other than the obvious, i.e. router not reaching that spot, which isn't true since my brother has no problems), I'd appreciate it. = )

Also, I can provide pictures of where I was sitting opposed to where I cam now, even a video if you'd like, so we can possibly find out what's going on...
Click to expand...
 
Linksys

I use linksys and my ipod touch works fine with it. Maybe bring it to your local apple store and ask them what the problem could be.
 
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