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Some users reporting Wi-Fi issues with iPhone 5

Does the new iPhone 5 have a Wi-Fi problem? Some users seem to think so.

Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Brooke Crothers
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The iPhone 5 isn't delivering ultrafast wireless to everyone, according to postings on the Apple Support Communities page.
The iPhone 5 isn't delivering ultrafast wireless to everyone, according to postings on the Apple Support Communities page. Apple

Comments about Wi-Fi issues with the iPhone 5 are beginning to pile up on user forums.

While the cause of the issue is not clear at this stage, a thread on Apple's Support Communities page makes repeated references to Wi-Fi router security settings.

"I deactivate... the WPA2 Personal Wifi Security [on the router] and the iphone started to browse the web normally," wrote one poster identified as C4RLOCO, on the Support Communities forum.

And Apple enthusiast site MacRumors, has its own thread on the topic titled "Painfully slow WiFi on new iPhone 5."

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This issue appears to be different from the iOS 6 Wi-Fi issue, according to a number of comments on the MacRumors' thread.

"For me, I don't find it to be an ios6 issue. It's an iPhone 5 issue. My iPhone 4S is absolutely fine with wifi and I updated that to iOS6," said someone identified as Mjlivesimmortal at MacRumors.

"Very, very slow and frequent drops, almost unusable. Had no issues with the iPhone 4. I am using wpa2 and have no interest in switching to wep. Did apple even test this thing?" said mleary on the MacRumors forum.

While the preponderance of comments on the Apple Support Communities and MacRumors forums are about the issues cited above, other posters report no Wi-Fi issues with their iPhone 5.

This wouldn't be the first time that Apple has had Wi-Fi issues on a new product. The third-generation iPad had its own Wi-Fi scare earlier this year.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment.

Watch this: iPhone 5: Hands-on at CNET