Intermittent WIFI with Leopard on Macbook

Just installed Leopard on my first gen blackbook and it seems like a big mistake. My wi-fi connection keeps crashing and this never happened with Tiger. It seems like I'm not the only one experiencing this problem. It's been a year since Leopard has released and Apple has not fixed this problem!!!

AFTER 2 HOURS ON THE PHONE WITH APPLE THERE MAYBE A SOLUTION!

system preferences/accounts/login items

remove in turn:

iTunesHelper
SpeechSynthesisServer

Log out and back in.

So far so good!

Discussion,
The interference is coming from a software conflict and not the machine. I have Leopard on a new macbook and a g4 ibook with the same problem.

Using the Network utility, we were able to profile the machines in safe mode and normally. In safe mode and from the installer CDs, the airport connection pinged rock solid. (64.233.187.99) works nicely. After a normal restart the high millisecond pings returned occurring every 6-8 hits and would progressively worsen.

After deleting the aforementioned login items, and login out and in, the problem seems resolved.

I've had this issue with my MacBook on Intertex, NetGear and Linksys routers. It does my head in because its so random and inexplicable. It even gave poor performance on an 802.11g dome Extreme.

The only set up that works well is an 802.11n draft Express, set to n only at 5Ghz. This cuts through all the other wifi networks in the block and hasn't gone lower than 4 bars yet..... been monitoring for 5 days. Through a g router it would freeze up with in minutes without fail.

It's as if the wireless NIC in this early '08 black MacBook has a,b,g capability but has effectively been built with n as a first thought and other wireless standards as an after thought.

See my post--So far so good.

First let me say that I am glad to have gotten to this forum wirelessly.

This is my first MacBook and had I known this very basic functionality of a notebook was broken on these laptops, I never would have purchased.

I use 2 identical Netgear routers in 2 different locations. My two Thinkpads (G40 and T60) connect flawlessly. My G4 Mini does as well. And yes, I variously cart all three from one location to the other.

The new MacBook however, connects intermittently, but will simply stop every 5 or 10 minutes. I find it odd that the Airport menu shows "Scanning" every time it is selected. What exactly is it scanning? I am 5 feet from the router, isn't the signal strength enough to make the OS not look for alternatives?

I am also surprised that there is not one single "fix" available. Does Apple not know how to address this obviously wide ranging and very devastating issue?

Completely new to Macs, so be gentle!

Just picked up a new white Macbook yesterday. Charged it and fired it up and it seemed to work flawlessly. Then downloaded system updates and my internet connection got dicey. 30 feet from my router I got no signal. 5 feet from my router it kept cutting in an out. If I hit the aiport button, I got a connection that lasted for no more than 30 seconds. It was like the connection started and stopped, started and stopped, etc. I had used the computer for less than 15 minutes, if that matters.

I have an iPod Touch that works flawlessly on my router. The iPod's been turned off, so I know that it has nothing to do with the issue.

I've read this long chain (which takes forever to load, by the way!) and I don't see anything that looks like a fix. If I can't use wireless, I really don't want to keep the Macbook. That was the whole purpose for buying a laptop!

Other than calling Apple and getting frustrated (I am not good with frustration!) is there anything that works to fix the issue?

Hey Everybody,

I too have had this problem of the connection cutting in and out with an apparently strong signal strength but safari timing out and dropping the connection. After trying a number of the "band aid" solutions listed on many sites including this one, I took my computer into the apple store in town and talked to an apple Genius. He explained to me that you can find plenty of forums on any problem that you can think of blah blah blah probably just some way of covering apple's butt. Anyways, my computer was still under warranty so they replaced the Airport card. Since then, and after reluctantly switching to Firefox I have had absolutely no problems. Firefox works great and is a really good browser but I would have preferred to stick with Safari as it is a good internet browser but like I said, no problems since switching. This worked for me and hopefully it will work for some of you. I agree it is quite sad that Apple has not acknowledged this problem. Lets hope they get their act together and fix this for everybody.

Interesting, I posted earlier today and it never made it past the Stasi

DELETE THE ITUNES HELPER FROM THE LOGIN IN OPTIONS IN THE ACCOUNTS PREFERENCES. RESTART YOUR ROUTER, RESTART YOUR MACHINE.

This is an APPLE fix from Wednesday.

An update - yesterday afternoon the reception was flawless. Full strength and super fact. Last night it was mediocre with a couple of drops. Mysterious!

I have contributed to this forum before and have tried all the solutions posted to no effect. I bought my Macbook White 3 weeks ago so decided to call Apple about the problem.
The technician who answered asked me to delete the System Configuration folder and restart but this didn't work.
He asked me to call the firm I had bought the Macbook from and ask them to replace it, which they did. Delivered the next day.
My new one is rock solid on the internet.

I just got back from a weekend away, took the MacBook so I could "phone in" critical stuff. No wireless access at motel, or any other wireless in town. Back home, not on my own either.
Nice.
Macbook has been stellar up til now.
Guess I'll reinstall the OS (if I can hunt down the disks I loaned out, I know better than do that, ugh!!!!)

Same here: new airport card (n-model), rock-solid connection. Only yesterday, when the temperature of the Macbook had reached 77ºc, airport stopped working all in one. But apart from that everyting fine.

I'm taking mine in today, to a retail store genius bar. I'd archive and install Leopard again but of course the DVD is MIA. Maybe they'll do it for me there? Better backup my stuff. Bummer.
PS I tried ditching the iTunes helper as noted above; no effect.

LOL, bustser?! Who are you, a 1950s TV Special Dad? Drewfasa is absolutely right. If there is even a inkling of fault with Apple in any of their products, it is unquestioningly their responsibility to resolve it. So you might want to come off that high horse of yours DWB.

Message was edited by: victar