Router too old for iPad?
August 11, 2010 1:26 PM Subscribe
My friend bought an iPad. It works great everywhere but at home - apps take a long time to load or don't load at all. Apple says her existing router (Netgear) is too old and sold her an Airport Express. Can she plug in the existing router to the Airport Express (instead of connecting it to the modem) to create a stronger wireless signal or will that just create conflict? What else can we do?
The existing router lives upstairs and is plugged in directly to the Dell desktop while sending out a wireless signal to the Gateway laptop downstairs (which connects just fine).
I told her not to unplug the existing router because the Airport Express only has one Ethernet cable connection and can therefore not connect to both the modem and the desktop.
Whether or not the two things can run at the same time I don't know. I'm not there to try it and she's not really tech savvy enough to experiment with it.
She's going back to the Apple store tomorrow but asked me to do some research so she can be informed when she talks to them. What else should she ask them? I, for one, can't believe this is happening and am highly annoyed on her behalf.
Thanks!
The existing router lives upstairs and is plugged in directly to the Dell desktop while sending out a wireless signal to the Gateway laptop downstairs (which connects just fine).
I told her not to unplug the existing router because the Airport Express only has one Ethernet cable connection and can therefore not connect to both the modem and the desktop.
Whether or not the two things can run at the same time I don't know. I'm not there to try it and she's not really tech savvy enough to experiment with it.
She's going back to the Apple store tomorrow but asked me to do some research so she can be informed when she talks to them. What else should she ask them? I, for one, can't believe this is happening and am highly annoyed on her behalf.
Thanks!
For what it's worth I have terrible issues with my Mac laptop and my parents' Netgear router. If you Google a bit, you'll find people have the same problems with Netgear and Apple. I don't have a suggestion for your new setup necessarily (though you may just want to return the Express and get one of the fancy Aiport base stations to replace the router); just wanted to let you know it's not just you and, for better or for worse, this is a known problem.
posted by olinerd at 1:34 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by olinerd at 1:34 PM on August 11, 2010
It's entirely possible that her dinky old Netgear router didn't support either 802.11n or g, the two more recent wireless standards. That said, pretty much any modern router would do, but if she was going to get an Airport base station, she should have gotten the Airport Extreme instead of the Express.
posted by Oktober at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by Oktober at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
Depending on the router model, it might support WDS, which is a way to bridge two or more wireless access points to extend the wi-fi signal coverage area. This bridging or connecting of the two access points is usually done wirelessly.
The AirPort Express supports WDS. Your Netgear access point might not, if it is an older model.
However, this would mean moving the Netgear to another part of the home entirely, presumably another floor of the house, or the other side of the house, etc. You would not plug the Netgear into the AirPort Express directly (unless you have a very long Ethernet cable, and even then you do not want to go further than 100' via a wired connection).
If you did plug the Netgear into the AirPort Express without bridging, you would have two separate wireless networks, each with their own respective signal coverage areas — they will not "boost" each other. Without careful configuration, the two access points will almost definitely interfere with each other. Unless you are setting up WDS bridging, you really do not want to do this.
Look into setting up WDS, either by configuring the Netgear (if supported) or by replacing the Netgear with a modern access point that supports it (e.g., another AirPort Express or other access point).
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
The AirPort Express supports WDS. Your Netgear access point might not, if it is an older model.
However, this would mean moving the Netgear to another part of the home entirely, presumably another floor of the house, or the other side of the house, etc. You would not plug the Netgear into the AirPort Express directly (unless you have a very long Ethernet cable, and even then you do not want to go further than 100' via a wired connection).
If you did plug the Netgear into the AirPort Express without bridging, you would have two separate wireless networks, each with their own respective signal coverage areas — they will not "boost" each other. Without careful configuration, the two access points will almost definitely interfere with each other. Unless you are setting up WDS bridging, you really do not want to do this.
Look into setting up WDS, either by configuring the Netgear (if supported) or by replacing the Netgear with a modern access point that supports it (e.g., another AirPort Express or other access point).
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
I can't think of anything that would cause apps to load slowly at home but nowhere else. But wireless networking sounds like the most plausible thing I can think of. How does the iPad perform when the radios are turned off? Slowly? Then it could be a wireless-related issue. But it just seems unlikely to me...
As for the wireless; you can use your old router and the AE at the same time. Plug the AE into your router, visit the router config and turn off wifi, and all will be fine. (The AE might need some extra configuration; you want to turn off DHCP and let the original router do that.)
I am not sure how helpful Apple is going to be for your friend. They will probably blame her for holding it wrong, or something.
(In the back of my mind, user error (or rather "user-induced factors") does seem like the most likely problem. I am not sure how you use an iPad wrong, but perhaps she uses a different set of apps when she is at home, and they just happen to be flaky apps?)
This is all very weird, so I am not sure you are going to get a good resolution. Sorry :(
posted by jrockway at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
As for the wireless; you can use your old router and the AE at the same time. Plug the AE into your router, visit the router config and turn off wifi, and all will be fine. (The AE might need some extra configuration; you want to turn off DHCP and let the original router do that.)
I am not sure how helpful Apple is going to be for your friend. They will probably blame her for holding it wrong, or something.
(In the back of my mind, user error (or rather "user-induced factors") does seem like the most likely problem. I am not sure how you use an iPad wrong, but perhaps she uses a different set of apps when she is at home, and they just happen to be flaky apps?)
This is all very weird, so I am not sure you are going to get a good resolution. Sorry :(
posted by jrockway at 1:35 PM on August 11, 2010
Unless I have a huge misunderstanding of all things Apple, plugging the Airport Express into the router isn't going to help matters.
But that said, if the router is old, she may want to check and see if Netgear has a firmware update for the router. Worked wonders for my old one.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:36 PM on August 11, 2010
But that said, if the router is old, she may want to check and see if Netgear has a firmware update for the router. Worked wonders for my old one.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:36 PM on August 11, 2010
I'll just note that my iPad has the weakest/worst wireless performance of any device in my house, so I've had this issue as well. (And you can very easily think "this app is slow to load" when it's really trying/failing to connect.) I'm told that the latest firmware update for iPad specifically addresses this issue. I haven't tried it yet--damn thing takes *hours* to synch--but will soon.
posted by donovan at 1:45 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by donovan at 1:45 PM on August 11, 2010
Why not throw an inexpensive wireless card into the Dell desktop, disable the wireless signal from the Netgear router, plug it directly into the Airport Express and set everything up as usual? From a wired connection, the Express should work regardless of the age of the Netgear router.
posted by urbanlenny at 1:45 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by urbanlenny at 1:45 PM on August 11, 2010
My advice is to forget the Apple Store (and their crappy advice).
Check if a firmware update for the netgear is available and if that helps.
If not, get a replacement for it. You in no way should feel limited to Apple. My recommendation is a Linksys WRT-54G, but anything in the $50 range should easily remedy the problem, if in fact the netgear router's interoperability with the iPad was indeed the problem.
posted by mcstayinskool at 1:46 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Check if a firmware update for the netgear is available and if that helps.
If not, get a replacement for it. You in no way should feel limited to Apple. My recommendation is a Linksys WRT-54G, but anything in the $50 range should easily remedy the problem, if in fact the netgear router's interoperability with the iPad was indeed the problem.
posted by mcstayinskool at 1:46 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Netgear router, iPhone x 2, iPad and laptop. The Apple products have problems connecting reliably. Apple was no help. I just reboot the router.
posted by fixedgear at 2:34 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by fixedgear at 2:34 PM on August 11, 2010
Just to clear up a little confusion, by "load", do you mean launch when you tap the app icon or download from the App Store?
posted by secret about box at 9:19 PM on August 11, 2010
posted by secret about box at 9:19 PM on August 11, 2010
Response by poster: Mikey-San, I'm not entirely sure on that point. My friend doesn't really have the vocabulary to describe the problem, which is a problem I thought the iPad was supposed to eliminate.
Anyway, these answers were all very helpful. She decided to get a new Linksys router. Hopefully that will work.
posted by amethysts at 8:45 AM on August 13, 2010
Anyway, these answers were all very helpful. She decided to get a new Linksys router. Hopefully that will work.
posted by amethysts at 8:45 AM on August 13, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by inturnaround at 1:34 PM on August 11, 2010 [1 favorite]