Apple has backhandedly acknowledged that some iPad users are experiencing trouble connecting to Wi-Fi networks with their devices. Rather than admit that the iPad is to blame, however, Apple passes the buck to poorly configured or poorly placed Wi-Fi routers.As I reported yesterday, my iPad has had trouble latching onto my home Wi-Fi network. The further I get from my Wi-Fi router, the worse off the connection gets. Though my MackBook Pro and iPhone have no problems connecting to my home network, the iPad does.

Despite what looks like an obvious iPad problem, Apple believes that it's the fault of the Wi-Fi routers themselves. In response to forum posts, Apple pointed to a Knowledge Base article that has a few suggested fixes. Here's what Apple says:

Symptoms

Under certain conditions, iPad may not automatically rejoin a known Wi-Fi network after restart or waking from sleep. This can occur with some third-party Wi-Fi routers that are dual-band capable when:

Using the same network name for each network Using different security settings for each network

Resolution

If you encounter this issue, try the following:

Create separate Wi-Fi network names to identify each band. This can be done easily by appending one or more characters to the current network name.

Example: Add a G to the 802.11b/g network name and an N to the 802.11n network name.

Ensure that both networks use the same security type (WEP, WPA, WPA2, and so on)

If the issue persists, reset your network settings using Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Note: Always ensure that your Wi-Fi router firmware is up to date.

How many consumers know even how to access the controls of their Wi-Fi router, let alone make changes to its settings? It's a tedious exercise at best. I don't doubt that many people have mis-configured Wi-Fi routers, or have placed them in less-than-perfect locations, but I think it is a little hasty of Apple to suggest that the problem is with equipment other than its own. This is especially true considering that other Apple products (MacBook Pro and iPhone) have no problems connecting to the same Wi-Fi routers.

If any of you have heeded Apple's advice and tackled the challenge of reconfiguring your Wi-Fi router, feel free to let us know how it worked out in the comments below.