Too Many iPads in Class Can Cause WiFi Problems
Use "Airplane Mode" to Fix The Problems When Devices Are Idle
I volunteered today in my son's 1st-grade class and noticed a big problem with the WiFi in the classroom. There were 41 devices simultaneously connected to the WiFI network. 12 of those devices were iPads and iPods that were "sleep mode" but they were connected to the network even though they were off and in the closet. These devices were slowing the network down so much that the PCs stopped working in the class.
26 of the other devices were Windows-based PCs that have never previously had a problem connecting to the network until the Apple devices were introduced into the classroom. I have also noticed this problem at home as well. Whenever my network is running slow it always seems to improve when I put the 3 iPads and 1 iPod in my home on airplane mode.
I think Apple needs to get smarter about managing multiple devices communicating on the same network. The problem with changing devices into airplane mode in the classroom is that it makes the devices untraceable. Network administrators are currently able to view devices if they are removed from the classroom by tracing which Wifi network it connects to. If anyone else is experiencing these issues please let me know.
