Problem with iPhone 5 and WiFi Connections

Two of my friends are having this very problem with their iPhone 5's.

I have this exact same problem, but don't know what to do about it :/

There are well over 100 pages of posts on the Apple Forums regarding this problem. I am on my third iP5 - haven't activated it yet - that comes later tonight. The general issue is that when my other apple devices are able to get 10 - 15 Mbps download speeds over WiFi, the iPhone 5 can only muster about 500 - 756 Kbps. Some devices can't connect at all. With my original iPhone 5 I waited for 20 minutes for Instagram to update. Can't watch YouTube videos, email attachments don't download, etc. 

I was lucky enough to get a smart and seemingly honest "Advisor" on the phone the first time that I called and he's been able to help me through this problem. He said that Apple does know that there is a problem, that the engineers have not gotten it nailed down to a specific hardware / software / combo issue. Of course, there's a question as to when Apple will officially admit that there is an issue, and then, when will it get fixed...!

I activated my second replacement iPhone 5 this morning and it has the same problem as my original phone and the first replacement. I have yet to find a WiFi AP that will keep a robust connection. I'll be talking with my new friend at Apple next week, but this is ridiculous. I can't operate nor should I have to for $400, with no more than 500 Kbps download. It took 40 minutes to restore just the Hipstamatic phone app this morning. My phone provider is ATT, they said that they knew nothing about the problem. I work for a broadband wireless company, so that is who I get internet access in my home from. Never had a problem there before this. The wireless router is an Apple AirPort Extreme. #fail
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by StuartDMT 

I activated my second replacement iPhone 5 this morning and it has the same problem as my original phone and the first replacement. I have yet to find a WiFi AP that will keep a robust connection. I'll be talking with my new friend at Apple next week, but this is ridiculous. I can't operate nor should I have to for $400, with no more than 500 Kbps download. It took 40 minutes to restore just the Hipstamatic phone app this morning. My phone provider is ATT, they said that they knew nothing about the problem. I work for a broadband wireless company, so that is who I get internet access in my home from. Never had a problem there before this. The wireless router is an Apple AirPort Extreme. #fail
 

Of course it does. Because it's not the phone. The hardware is fine.

It's something in iOS 6 and how it's talking to the software in the routers/modems. Could be that iOS 6 needs a tweak, could be that the routers do. I wouldn't be shocked if the Comcast hot spots do. Seems like they are always bonked in my area. For a while they wouldn't allow mobile devices to connect at all. I actually had an engineer tell me that the free access to hotspots with my service was 'computers only'. I demanded a supervisor and pointed out to him that the terms say 'all devices' not 'all computers' and he was setting up the company for a lawsuit and within a couple of weeks they had changed it. 

I would check your ATT account. I fear that said 40 minutes is because you weren't on wifi, you were on your cell connection. If you don't have unlimited you could be in for a shock when bill time comes. I discovered such a thing but a nice and polite chat with one of their account supervisors is supposed to get me a one time waive of my overages since in the year plus that I've had the phone I've never gone over by more than perhaps 100MB and this was several GB. And in like 2 days. I wasn't even on an iphone 5, this was my 4 that I had just updated. I'm having to keep cell data off unless I need to get a voicemail because Apple hasn't released 6.0.1 and I don't feel confident that the full restore and set as new fixed the issue. 

I have tried for 2 weeks now to connect my new I-phone 5 to Comcast mail. I have spent at least an hour on the phone with T-Mobile, Apple and Comcast.

Comcast told me they could solve my problem if I signed up for their Advanced Technology Support for an annual fee of something like $29.99. I am thinking this is a new revenue strategy at Comcast. They won't help you unless you sign up for their service.

I have a solution.  Go to your wifi name and slide the arrow to the right.  Click on "Forget this Network"  Shut down your phone for a minute.  Turn it back on and it will work.

The simcard is remembering the protocol that was on a previous iphone.  By clicking on "Forget this Network"  It sends out a new request.  and it works.

Hope this helps

Rita - thanks for the suggestion. I've tried that (and I just tried it again, just to be sure) and it did not work. I spent several months going back and forth with Apple and I went through 5, yes FIVE different phones. I spoke with engineers and troubleshooters and did some fairly complex things with my router, my phone and my brain to try to solve the problem. Nada. All of the phones were from the same lot and Apple would not allow me to get one from a different lot - the explanation was long and involved and not worth repeating. I've learned to live with sub-par on this device. IF I choose to get another iPhone in the future, I will NOT order it from Apple but purchase it from a store where I can just go in, demand my money back and go buy a brick someplace else.

Again, thank you for your suggestion. I always appreciate someone trying to help.

(p.s. Just for the record, I worked for 13 years as a hospital IT pro and then several years in a 4G communications company. I'm pretty good at working these types of problems out. )