Q: Macbook Airport Drops Connection

I shouldn't be answering this b/c I am soooo uneducated about macs, but I had the same problem you described when I got my mac in august. I had 2 different linksys routers hooked up & still was getting dropped until I got an airport extreme. I had 3 different mac "geniuses" at my home trying to figure out what the problem was. The airport extreme resolved the internet dropping.

I've been having similar problems with my MacBook (10.4.11) and my PowerBook G4 (10.5.1). So I'm guessing it is software-related and perhaps a recent update caused a problem. I disabled the WPA on my Linksys-N router and it worked well. With the encryption, I get messages like "None of your trusted networks could be found" and my network is listed.

I had the same issues on several wi-fi networks. Saw a thread about inconsistent ping responses which also was a part/indication of my problem on another place in the forum.

Recommendation was to remove the AirPort preferences file in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration
(com.apple.airport.preferences.plist) and let it be regenerated.

Doing that fixed my ping time issues and also all random disconnections.
(3 days and counting...) Sleeping / Resuming now works as it should as well.

Rgrds:
/Y

I have a black MacBook 2.0 GHz Core 2 Duo. I purchased it in January of 2007 and there were no problems initially. I started having problems with my AirPort dropping intermittently when I upgraded my software to 10.4.11. I have read many message board postings with people having the same issue and I keep coming back here to see if there has been any solution. So far, nothing. It appears to be an issue with laptops specifically. Why has Apple not addressed this problem? It has been going on for several months.

I'm wondering about this too, and hoping to hear some tips/solutions. Our laptop can be connected to the WPA network for a while, but frequently and for no apparent reason will lose the connection again (though the PC laptop never loses wireless connection).

I'm reading these unanswered questions with a great deal of interest.
I have just updated to 10.5.2, and this Macbook has lost entirely what had
been a flakey connection to the home-based wireless to begin with.
At this same time, other Macbooks of the same vintage have no problem
with the home-based wireless, nor do the PC laptops - they recognize
the network, connect, and stay connected. Period.
However, this Macbook won't recognize the network, anymore - and right
now I'm connected to one of several available (unsecured) wireless points
within this neighbourhood.
What gives ? If 10.5.2 breaks the network completely, and 10.5.1 is flakey,
at best, can someone, anyone, please give a hint on how to downgrade ?

I'd recommend you not upgrade to 10.5.2 - unless you want to break what's
working for you. 10.5.2 is a piece of crap, given my experience, and given
the head-scratching, total befuddlement, and confusion here.

I found a fix from another user....give this a try, it worked well for me...
I had the same issues on several wi-fi networks. Saw a thread about inconsistent ping responses which also was a part/indication of my problem on another place in the forum.

Recommendation was to remove the AirPort preferences file in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration
(com.apple.airport.preferences.plist). Drag it to the trash. Reboot and the file will get re-generated. This got rid of my connection problem (for the moment anyway)


Good Luck

I'm on 10.5.2 and removing the plist file and rebooting did not fix my problem. So frustrated

Mark (and amularya) -

many thanks for your reply and feedback.

I also tried the removing of the plist file, and also no joy.

So, because I could pick up the wireless signal - and connect to my neighbours'
signals, but not my own... I phoned Verizon, to ask about Westell "Wind River"
(or Model A90-327-W15-06) Rev E, 09/2004.
Also known as Versalink Gateway. I suspected the firmware was very much out
of date, and asked if that could be checked, and validated against my dsl modem,
compared to most recent firmware update.

The first Verizon support person hung up on me - and second led me on a
long and frustrating hunt, but his supervisor responded immediately when I
asked, for the third time, if he could check - and update - the firmware, if
necessary.

He did this remotely - finding the model number, and then connecting to
this page:

http://business.verizon.net/help/dsl/?case=versalinkfix

(and, of course downloading, installing the software, and rebooting the modem.)

So, it took a lot of patience, on both sides. but, persistence prevailed --
It seems the issue is fixed, at least for the moment - it's all working again.

I hope this will help any others whose wireless service has been slowly degrading,
yet works as always over the ether wired connect.

Best greets,

//rm.99

I tried this and it didn't work for me.

I have now discovered that my problem only exists with WPA and WEP. If I open up my network it works fine. I have tried other devices Linux and Windows and they don't have a problem with my wireless network...rock solid. This is definately a OSX problem. I have also updated to the latest version that came out last night and it still doesn't work.

I have a verizon actiontec fios router/wireless ap.

I think it's the update that caused the problem. I had an issue with an update a couple months ago and couldn't boot my iMac. They made a patch to fix the problem, but I couldn't get it without help from the Apple Store. Hopefully and update will be out soon to fix this

Yeah, this problem is only affecting 1 of the 4 Macs in our household... the non-Intel one, if that makes a difference. Of course it's the one I use most for business... this has been an extremely frustrating day.

I too have a problem with Leopard dropping connections. My brand new Macbook with 10.5.2 keeps dropping the connection although the airport shows a full connection (it should - it's only about a metre away!). Safari tells me I'm not connected to the network and invites me to run network diagnostics but if I turn the airport off and back on again I can connect... for a few more minutes.

My Mac Mini (running OS X 10.4.10) and various PCs (Windows and Linux) have no issues connecting to my DLink access point (but they are all 802.11g devices whereas I think the MacBook is 802.11n - but in any case should be backwards compatible).

This is a brand new machine and has had the problem since day 1

I forgot to say that I have WPA enabled... but have had for a couple of years now... and only the MacBook seems bothered and I'm throwing away perfectly good networking kit to replace it with an overpriced Airport Extreme!