MacBook Pro constantly losing wireless connectivity

Just an update to the fix I posted last week. It is 100% so give it a try. Resetting the PMU and PRAM resulted in my new MCP never again dropping wireless signals.
Jerry
PS- adding the new wireless update from Apple did not hurt either.

GriffinHut,

I have been following this forum for some time because my MB DOES have this connection issue problem. I fixed it at home by upgrading my router (not really a solution as all other computers at my home were fine with the old router). Work still doesn't connect right. I am guessing it is Airport card related issue for the flavor used when my MB was created and all the other MBP on this forum were assembled. My card type (0x168C, 0x87). I suspect apple is sitting on a firmware update for this.

tcdahlberg: OK... but why on earth should users have figure out workarounds, upgrade routers, and go through all the other things listed on this thread to get a basic feature of an expensive new laptop to work? I've still got an old IBM Thinkpad; it has other problems related to age and heavy use, but it still connects just fine wherever I take it.

I would hope that someone at Apple is reading this.

Aargh. I got a Macbook pro about 10 days ago. Nothing but problems connecting on campus and at wired cafes. I thought I was doing something wrong. then i found this discussion. reading all this, I cant figure out if there is a workable fix. and will Apple replace my notebook with a new one? is there a complaint line for apple? I don't feel like standing in a line at a "genius bar"

Have you tried my fix? Resetting the PMU and PRAM?

Jerry,
I have tried your PRAM and permissions fix (and also installed the AirPort Utility update) but to no avail.

You did not mention the PMU reset...did you try it with the PRAM reset?
Jerry

hi all, another "me too" here, but i am on a MB using 1.4.11. using netgear DG834G v2 and had rock solid access for about a year until a week or so ago. i think i applied some updates but can't remember which! since then i either get internet connection, or (most of the time) get a variable wireless signal but no internet connection with it. ethernet connection works fine though... no correlation to waking from sleep or powercable that i can see.

Vista laptop in the house uses the wireless connection just fine, how embarressing!

just copied this entire post as connection has gone! now on ethernet cable... going to try the zapping mentioned above.

darn, followed zapping instructions above. i have some connection but airport radar is showing the internet connection going on and off every 2 seconds or so. signal strength is full but it often has been despite the lack of internet connection.

hurry up apple and fix this, i've got Leopard in the post and i have a feeling it's not going to help...

There was a link to a blog or online article from Tim O'Reilly saying that the problem became acute with the OS X 10.5.2 update, and suggesting that MPB owners wait until the problem is fixed before updating. I believe it's referenced somewhere in this very thread. Unfortunately I only became aware of the piece after I had already updated.

I didn't get around to trying Jerry's fix on the week-end but will definitely do so over Easter week-end.

In any case, it is amazing to me that Apple has not responded to this. Why isn't someone from Apple on Apple Discussions, on this thread, talking to us? They are in the stone age when it comes to conversing with and responding to their customers online. At least, as far as I am aware of, they're not doing anything.

If Jerry's fix doesn't work, I think I'll post a rant about it on You Tube and see how many plays it gets. And supplement it with some messages to influential bloggers. (Any suggestions on whom to contact?) Perhaps that will get Apple to respond. It's less about the fact that they don't have a fix, although that is an issue. It's that they don't have the integrity to acknowledge there is a problem, express their regrets about it, and keep people up to date on how they're progressing to resolve it. I'd be okay with that. But I'm not okay with silence.

It's just not acceptable in this age of online communities, social networks and consumer empowerment for a company not to respond to its most involved and committed brand enthusiasts. You can say what you want about Dell, but at least they use the internet pro-actively for an open discussion with their customers about product issues.

Get with the program, Apple. You have a major public relations disaster brewing.

just set router to no security measures, and same in my network settings. airport radar still showing disconnection and reconnection every 2 seconds - when i get a connection. ah well.

pippilotte - i agree re frustrations but Apple are tightlipped, i'm not holding my breath.

i wish there was a simple way to remove software updates... i left it too long to get time machine!

Hello Everyone,

I'd appreciate a reply if any of you can figure this out. A tale of two mac book pros.

My father bought his macbook pro via 17 inch, Apple.ca, early in Feb 2007.

I bought my macbook pro 15 inch at a local retailer Macstation in July 2007.


My macbook pro works perfect with wireless internet, the airport picks up signals from wherever I am and I can connect and keep my connection with zero interruptions.

My father's macbook pro has had problems from day one staying onto a wireless connection and constantly loses his connection. So frustrated he went out and bought and Airport Extreme base station thinking it might be the old router. This corrected the problem sort of... not really.

He is now able to get a connection and have it recognized and stay on the internet. ONLY IF he doesn't switch rooms and move to a different area of the house and ONLY IF his power cord is plugged into the laptop.

Should he want to switch rooms or work off the battery. The only way he can regain his internet connection is by rebooting the laptop.

This has got to be the LAPTOP and not the internet. As I have shown my father how it should work when I bring my laptop over to his house.

Did he run his initial setup wrong or something????? what can I do to help him out.

I have found the problem with my roommate's new macbook pro keeping a wireless connection. First of all I have a macbook pro 2.33 Ghz that I bought in May of 2007 and it holds a wireless connection with no problem to my AT&T Uverse wireless (2wire) modem. My roommate just bought a new macbook pro 2.4 Ghz computer on March 7. I helped him set everything on it including the wifi connection. Well he kept losing connection every once in awhile, especially when the computer went to sleep then when you woke it up you would have no wifi connection and you had to try to reconnect and put the password back in. This became frustrating, why did mine work and his not???
The solution I found was that I had a "Leapfrog" audio/video transmitter in the same room as my Uverse wifi modem and it's frequency was guess what, 2.4 Ghz. I unplugged it and now his computer stays connected all the time, whether it be sleeping or just fired up. *Problem solved !*

Ok, I've gone through the steps to reset PMU and PRAM... so far so good. Will come back if I have any more problems.... not very optimistic though!! Thanks anyway!
Regarding software updates, my MAC is completely up to date as it's only 5 days old.

Hello,
I feel for everyone on this website. I got this labtop back in August and been fighting with apple ever since. Is there anything as consumers that we can together to get Apple to listen to use. I mean we all have spend a lot of money on a computer that doesn't work all the time What up with this? I don't want to keep a computer that doesn't work and apple saying thing nothing they can do because I did not get apple care. I did not get because my friend told me it wasn't worth it to have it just extends the warrenty. Well, he lives in Philly too far for me to drive to get it fixed. Besides everytime i try to pruchased it they told me a diffent price so I didn't think I need it.