Ditto. My XS Max is actually joining 5ghz with 12.0.1 but is very slow to do so. Will try my work Wi-fi tomorrow.
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iPhone XS Max Xs Max - Subpar Wi-Fi Performance (Solved!!)
- Thread starter DonnieZ
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So far 12.0.1 is better for my XS Max, but it's still not even close to my other devices. My iPad mini 4 and our 6s phones in the house still work much better and stay on 5GHz far longer than the Max does.
That’s been my experience as well. It connected to 5ghz on its own and stayed connected. However, it still won’t connect to my family room AP on 5g and I’m sitting 15ft away.
Yeah similar here. I have the two Airport Extremes with the ethernet backhaul (first floor and second floor). If I move just far enough away, my Max will go back to 2.4.....and it still loves to hold onto it. Note, same location my iPad will stick with 5GHz no problem and maintain speeds. With my Max, I can walk into the room with the router and even toggle WiFi on/off/on and it won't switch back to 5GHz right away.
Wonder if it's having issues with multi-router setups?
Seems mine prefers to connect to the upstairs Airport, even when sitting downstairs in the living room (technically closer to the downstairs Airport).
EDIT: had it finally connect to downstairs router at 5GHz. While using it, not moving it switched back to 2.4.
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Updating to 12.0.1 resolved my issue. XS Max switches back to 5GHz when I walk back into the room.
My 10.5” iPad Pro still has consistently faster WiFi than my XS on 12.0.1. I feel like that shouldn’t be the case even if the phone is slightly better at staying on 5ghz signals.
Well, I guess another XS going back to Apple to keep the return window alive...
Well, I guess another XS going back to Apple to keep the return window alive...
Still having speed issues on a UniFi access point with my Xs Max. I think it’s software for me as my 9.7 iPad Pro sucks too after the updating to iOS 12.
Hoping the Apple tech contacts me tomorrow as I have more logs for him.
Sat on my couch in living room tonight. Downstairs Airport about 20’ away through one wall. Upstairs Airport about 30’ away through maybe one wall.
Wake up phone and it connects to downstairs 5GHz channel. Use the phone and after a couple minutes it switches to upstairs 2.4GHz!?!? Use it some more it switches back to downstairs 5. This goes on and on. Meanwhile, wife’s iPhone 6s sitting right next to me is connected to upstairs 5GHz the entire time.
Seems they tweaked it enough to connect now, where it didn’t before....but basically unless you are in the same room as the router, it still bounces all over.
Also wondering if it’s having issues with multiple APs.
Sat on my couch in living room tonight. Downstairs Airport about 20’ away through one wall. Upstairs Airport about 30’ away through maybe one wall.
Wake up phone and it connects to downstairs 5GHz channel. Use the phone and after a couple minutes it switches to upstairs 2.4GHz!?!? Use it some more it switches back to downstairs 5. This goes on and on. Meanwhile, wife’s iPhone 6s sitting right next to me is connected to upstairs 5GHz the entire time.
Seems they tweaked it enough to connect now, where it didn’t before....but basically unless you are in the same room as the router, it still bounces all over.
Also wondering if it’s having issues with multiple APs.
This is the same problem I have. I have a Linksys EA3500 at home as well and even with the 12.0.1 update, I randomly will have dropped connection. My phone stays “connected” to the network but nothing will load. There is zero data transfer. Turning WiFi off and on again fixes temporarily. This does not occur at my university with its WiFi or at my friends house with his WiFi. Beginning to think this is a router specific issue.
This phone is trash. Back it goes - I’ll get my third XS and if that one is having the same problems I guess I’ll get an 8+ for another year. Or a XR. Or a Pixel. There is no reason why this phone should have worse WiFi performance than an iPad from two years ago or an iPhone from two years ago. At this point (given it’s my second phone) I am wondering whether every XS is like this and people don’t notice (because not everyone runs comparitive speed tests) or whether I’m just having terrible luck.
12.0.1 is better in that the phone will now go onto my 5GHz band if I'm in the same room (12.0 at times it wouldn't even do that), but it's not even close to what I would expect from the latest flagship device.
Seems my Max still loves 2.4GHz if it has the chance, while every other device in the house sticks with 5GHz no problem. Doing a WiFi scan shows that my RSSI ranges are all good and while the 2.4GHz is stronger at times (as it should be when further away), the 5GHz is well within the good range to connect to. Often 5GHz isn't more than 10dBm lower than the 2.4GHz.
Again, I would really start to question my network if this was my first iOS device.....but it isn't. Network has been solid for years and when you have an iPad mini 4 and three iPhone 6s's in the house all outperforming my XS Max from a connection standpoint....I start to wonder how much of this is software and how much is hardware. Have to wait until someone else gets home today to test a WiFi scan with the 6s to see if the RSSI is drastically different.
[doublepost=1539092240][/doublepost]Welp, so much for the Apple tech. He basically emailed me this morning saying they don't want any of the data I collected yesterday.....essentially don't waste my time gathering/testing.
Oh well.....who needs fast internet downloads anyway
Seems my Max still loves 2.4GHz if it has the chance, while every other device in the house sticks with 5GHz no problem. Doing a WiFi scan shows that my RSSI ranges are all good and while the 2.4GHz is stronger at times (as it should be when further away), the 5GHz is well within the good range to connect to. Often 5GHz isn't more than 10dBm lower than the 2.4GHz.
Again, I would really start to question my network if this was my first iOS device.....but it isn't. Network has been solid for years and when you have an iPad mini 4 and three iPhone 6s's in the house all outperforming my XS Max from a connection standpoint....I start to wonder how much of this is software and how much is hardware. Have to wait until someone else gets home today to test a WiFi scan with the 6s to see if the RSSI is drastically different.
[doublepost=1539092240][/doublepost]Welp, so much for the Apple tech. He basically emailed me this morning saying they don't want any of the data I collected yesterday.....essentially don't waste my time gathering/testing.
Oh well.....who needs fast internet downloads anyway
Third and final XS on the way. I’m further concerned by @netnothing post that Apple seems to think the problem is fixed.
I hear ya. Apple got back to me (after installing a profile to gather data as to why my Max prefers the 2.4 network over the 5 & why it doesn’t switch to the stronger network on its own like the 6,7, and 8 plus’ ive Owned do) to let me know that I need to change my SSID’s (2.4 & 5) to the same name. I told them no, since I have 3 iPhones that have no problem and my network has been solid. It’s been 2 days haven’t heard back from them. I’m really getting irritated at this moment.12.0.1 is better in that the phone will now go onto my 5GHz band if I'm in the same room (12.0 at times it wouldn't even do that), but it's not even close to what I would expect from the latest flagship device.
Seems my Max still loves 2.4GHz if it has the chance, while every other device in the house sticks with 5GHz no problem. Doing a WiFi scan shows that my RSSI ranges are all good and while the 2.4GHz is stronger at times (as it should be when further away), the 5GHz is well within the good range to connect to. Often 5GHz isn't more than 10dBm lower than the 2.4GHz.
Again, I would really start to question my network if this was my first iOS device.....but it isn't. Network has been solid for years and when you have an iPad mini 4 and three iPhone 6s's in the house all outperforming my XS Max from a connection standpoint....I start to wonder how much of this is software and how much is hardware. Have to wait until someone else gets home today to test a WiFi scan with the 6s to see if the RSSI is drastically different.
[doublepost=1539092240][/doublepost]Welp, so much for the Apple tech. He basically emailed me this morning saying they don't want any of the data I collected yesterday.....essentially don't waste my time gathering/testing.
Oh well.....who needs fast internet downloads anyway
the 2.4 network over the 5 & why it doesn’t switch to the stronger network on its own like the 6,7, and 8 plus’ ive Owned do) to let me know that I need to change my SSID’s (2.4 & 5) to the same name.
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Maybe some routers are in need update to firmware or more? Next year should see WPA3 and better suited for the congestion in home environments.
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Maybe some routers are in need update to firmware or more? Next year should see WPA3 and better suited for the congestion in home environments.
I have the latest firmware installed on my router and even if I didn’t, why do all other iPhones/iPads I have are able to switch with no problem with the exception of the Max?
Always first thing to look at. Apple has a lengthy guide to router configuration updated July 2028.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202068
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202068
LMAO....you must work for Apple.
I'd think this was a conspiracy from Apple if they still sold Airport routers (buy our new phone, but you'll need our router to make it work).....but they don't sell them anymore.
The issue isn't so much the XS phones are having problems....it's that all other devices AREN'T having problems. We have three iPhone 6s in the house and none of them have this issue that my fancy new XS Max has. Not about to tear up my network that's been working perfectly fine for years.
Just received my third iPhone XS. Was hopeful since things seemed to be working well but the problem has reappeared. Getting 50 mbps download on a 100 mbps connection 30 feet away from Wi-Fi router when my iPad Pro and iPhone 8+ are at 90. If I restart the phone it “fixes” itself but only temporarily.
The chances of me getting three bad phones in a row is absolutely minuscule if this problem isn’t incredibly widespread. My guess is that this is affecting a large proportion of phones but people don’t realize because:
1) they don’t do speed tests if the WiFi is connected and seems to be working
2) their use cases don’t reveal the difference between 50 mbps and 100 mbps
3) they don’t have their old device to compare speed tests
This is shameful from Apple and 12.0.1 absolutely did not fix the issue.
The chances of me getting three bad phones in a row is absolutely minuscule if this problem isn’t incredibly widespread. My guess is that this is affecting a large proportion of phones but people don’t realize because:
1) they don’t do speed tests if the WiFi is connected and seems to be working
2) their use cases don’t reveal the difference between 50 mbps and 100 mbps
3) they don’t have their old device to compare speed tests
This is shameful from Apple and 12.0.1 absolutely did not fix the issue.
Thanks for testing this. I agree, unless you are one of the ones having Wifi drop out completely, I'm guessing most people won't notice as they use their phones for normal things like web browsing, email, messages, etc. Not a ton of difference between loading a webpage at 50Mbps and 150Mbps.
12.0.1 tweaked things for me so that at least when I'm in the same room as my router I'll get 5GHz.....but anywhere outside the room the phone really struggles to connect to 5GHz.
I was experiencing issues as well. I was looking at returning my phone. Did a factory reset using iTunes and it seems to have fixed the issue in the first 24 hrs. I did notice that once updated I was prompted for carrier settings update as well so hopefully that fixes everything with LTE and WiFi.
I would suggest everyone try it if having issues.
I would suggest everyone try it if having issues.
So something I’ve noticed is that after resetting my network settings, turning off my LTE, rebooting the phone, turning back on the LTE data, I can confirm for several days that I connect directly to my 5Ghz network first even though my router is broadcasting both the 2.4 & 5 GHz. When I go upstairs it switches to the 2.4 Ghz automatically since the 5 GHz is weaker upstairs.