Comments on: Duke reports Wi-Fi trouble with the iPhone

A report has surfaced that iPhones are apparently knocking out Duke University's Wi-Fi network with an abnormally high number of requests to connect.

[MadKiwi]

As others have pointed out...

... elsewhere in response to this news, it appears that their network is badly set up and iPhones have exposed the issue rather than this being a problem caused by the iPhone.

[buffer_overflow]

nailed it on the head

eom

[Jesus#2]

Typical IT comment..

Blame the user...

I guess they don't have problems when people open their laptops?

[buffer_overflow]

But... It;s true sorry, that's the way it is.

eom

[Sniche]

Zune to blame

High influx of Zune users

[aka_tripleB]

Here's a new one

After repeated comments that there are only a few people with a Zune, you blame a problem that arose after the iPhone was launched on a "high influx of Zune users."

Apple fanatics can't have it both ways. They need to accept that the Zune has moderate sale figures and I have met a few people who have bought one that openly made it apparent that they had one; not by having white earbuds in their ears like iPod owners. But by saying that they had one and were looking for accessories for it, or saying that they wanted to buy a different color than her brother.

But reguardless of how many Zune users there are, it could not possibly be the reason for the problem at Duke. The Zune does not connect to access points or to the internet, they only connect to one another. Therefore, they cannot be the problem with Duke's network.

[Sniche]

It's Apples Fault according to CNET

THEY COULD CHANGE THE HEADING BUT NO, THE BLAME RESTS
WITH APPLE

[aka_tripleB]

There's nothing wrong with the heading

C|Net isn't saying that the problem is becuase of the iPhone, Duke University is. And to change the heading would probably be misleading. The head states what the article is about, and it goes on with detail on what is going on. It clearly states in the article that it's Duke's assertion that it's Apples fault. And because Apple wasn't available for comment so C|Net couldn't put its side in the article. So this article is basically C|Net relaying what Duke staff had to say about its problems.

[andrewcalvin]

Devices don't ask for MAC addresses

The MAC address is the hex id of the network card.

The story sounds a bit suss.

[ThatScienceGuy]

What's going on...

According to other reports, the iPhones are making about 18,000 Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) requests PER SECOND for the MAC address for a specific IP adddress on the network, which the iPhone appears to know.

Sounds like it's doing something like this:

It connects to one wi-fi router, gets on the network fine, then the user wanders closer to another wi-fi router, and the iPhone then goes into a panic trying to request the MAC address of an IP address that no longer exists, as far as the new router knows... this floods the network with about 10Mbps of noise. The panic apparently stops when the user wanders back into the range of the first wi-fi device.

They don't appear know for sure where the IP address is coming from, or why the iPhone wants that IP's MAC so badly, but it IS requesting a MAC, and it IS a design irregularity on iPhone's end, at least according to other articles... (Google: "Duke iphone" for lots of detail.)

[buffer_overflow]

True

If the people here would understand what they are talking about forst. May I suggest for some of the more anal idiots out there Neworking 101 for Dummies. Check it out on Amazon.

Because when people post like previous posters here, they just look very stupid, to those of us that work, live and breath this stuff eberyday.

[dondarko]

glad some people are waking up

People have been having problems with those things from day 1. Here is a nice site for looking up problems and possible fixes: http://www.iphoneatlas.com/.

Besides, wait for a second gen or a good software update from Apple. Besides they need to enable flash natively so people don't have to mess around with tweaks and fixes to get something so simple and prevalent on the web.

And for all iPhonies out there...better hope that Apple opens up their phone and you are able to carry it over to another network. Otherwise you are stuck in AT&T hell. I've said it before and after launch that iPhone will be causing congestion problems on AT&T network. I've tried to switch to them only to get very poor data connection no matter where I was, even in their fully covered areas such as D.C. Besides having that issue you could run into other "billing" issues or something something.

Not to mention you have to send the phone in to replace the darn battery. Apple needs to learn. It's one thing for your MP3 player to die out on you b/c of battery, it's another when it's your phone and you have to wait for repair. Yes, you can get the loaner while you wait but at the current price that will cost ya good $150, at least. Enjoy your phone.

[thatxbxtchxnicoll]

AT&T

I've been an AT&T/Cingular customer for 4 years, and I've never
had one problem with slow data transfer, nor have I ever had any
billing problems. The one time there was a miscommunication
about a feature of the plan I was on, they were very quick to help
me out, and even credited back my account since it was their
mistake.

I have an iPhone. I'm also in school... funny how Duke has these
problems, but other schools don't... There's at least 150 iPhones
running around my campus, with no problems expressed by the
school.

All in all, I think your predictions about the iPhone are pretty off
base... Sorry, I just don't see them happening at all...

[antiherostars]

$150?

its only $30 for the loaner, which you don't have to use. you can
throw your sim card back into an old phone if you want

[buffer_overflow]

Another idiot that knows nothing of which he speaks.

Yet another attempt to blame Apple, I call BS on this one. Hey Duke, get some real network administrators and not some poser.

As a systems admin for the company I work for we have seven iPhone users including myself. This is growing everyday.

I cannot believe the dribble that some people write when they have no foundation for their argument. Especially this poster I am replying too. I administrate multiple buildings and networks across vast buildings. Since we moved into these buildings just over a year ago, all of our Cisco gear is still pretty new and current.

None of us have this issue, and we have Wi-Fi everywhere, multiple subnets, I assure you allot more complex that what Duke has and we do not have these problems, none, period.

Please do not post your dribble when you have no idea what you are talking about.
The problem?s related to most of the issues the phone is having is user error plain and simple. I know all of my users don?t have an issue and my iPhone does not have any issues at all. Updates will come from Apple soon.

Please go back to using your malware, viri, infected Microsoft product and leave the intelligent conversation to the rest of us.

[batavier]

STOP HARPING ON THE BATTERY!

I don't know of ANYONE in my circle of friends, who EVER had to replace any cell phone (or iPod) battery!

[zanely]

Duke's IT staff should...

...send a delegation to the nearest Starbucks or Panera Bread outlet and ask the girl behind the espresso machine how to configure a wireless router.

[rapier1]

And you

should actually find out what the details of the problem are before
your make your pithy witicisms.

http://listserv.educause.edu/cgi-bin/wa.exe?
A2=ind0707&L=wireless-lan&P=2182

[batavier]

Wow, Duke Students w/Deep Pockets

What surprises me more is that there would be THAT many students who can afford an iPhone!

[bigbwai2000]

Duke clears iPhone - it was Cisco

The latest from Duke is that it's Cisco's network, and not iPhone,
that caused the problem, which is now fixed.

http://www.computerworld.com/comments/node/
9027279#comment-13586

[scweezil]

straight from Duke

http://www.dukenews.duke.edu/2007/07/cisco_apple.html
Well I guess this story will now get buried.