Q: MacBook Pro constantly losing wireless connectivity

No I'm sorry, but its because of people like you that apple can pretend that nothing is wrong. Wi-fi is a complex technology, agreed, but why is it only apple's device that loses connection?

I cannot count how many wi-fi devices I have in my house anymore, and not a single one drops connection as frequently as my macbook.

For anyone still in their warranty, if you encounter these problems, return your Mac immediately. The best fix apple will give you is blame it on your wifi. Good luck changing public wifi routers.

I just got off the phone with Apple after having the same exact problems listed before this post. I didn't read all 77 pages because I value my life, but here's their solution.

Call One: They had me trash some plists (preferences, network interfaces, blah, blah, blah). After this didn't work, I had to reinstall Lion. Since this is a lengthy process, we scheduled a check up for the next day.

Call Two: This is where we fixed the problem. The rep found it laughable that this wasn't done during the first call and that they were contemplating shipping me a new mac.

System Preferences/Network: Under location, create a new location (I called it 'home') and apply the changes. Afterward, close all applications and do a restart.

When you're booted back up, give it a shot and see how it'w working. I've been good for a few hours (something was wasn't possible beforehand) and have another call scheduled for tomorrow, just in case.

Hope this helps somebody.

Nevermind. Karma took control.

Immediately after posting and leaving my computer for ten minutes, the same problem resumed. I have no idea what to do.

Hi again, this will be a "long" one!

-> choddo

You have an app/program called Console in your Applications->Utilities folder, here you can check your logs and see what is going on while you're trying to connect.

If you see some messages similar to these, then its likely you're experiensing the same problem as me:

kernel en1: 802.11d country code set to 'US'.

kernel en1: Supported channels 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 149 153 157 161 165

airportd[289] Apple80211Associate() failed -3905 (Timeout)

Apple80211 framework[187] airportd MIG failed (Associate Event) = -3905 (Timeout) (port = 74875)

Error joining network_name: Connection timeout (-3905 timeout connecting)

I was recieving the "wrong" or a non-existing country code, can't remember exactly but it was X3 or something, it should have been SE since I'm living in Sweden. This was somehow disableing the possibility to connect, eventhough the "channel" I use was supported in Sweden as well.

You can clear loggs via terminal, most logs are stored in /var/log/ and can be "emptied" by running:

     echo "" > xxx.log

But I don't think this is nessesary, what you should do is to make sure that airport is OFF, then delete your network password from:

    Applications -> Utilities -> Keychain Access

And network information from:

     System preferenses -> Network -> Advanced (A button on the right side of the window while viewing the      AirPort settings), use the - sign.

(I also did the PRAM reset and the deleting of plists, but I don't know if this is nessesary (Most of these are stored under /Library/Preferences/ and are recreated after re-boot and neccesity/acces).)

After you've removed the network information, with airport still switched off, do a restart and create a new location for you "home" network and ONLY add WiFi/AirPort as a valid form of connection and apply the settings. Then turn airport on, find you network and connect. This should work, but ONLY as long as you DO NOT use this location (Home) anywhere else. Before leaving home, always turn AirPort off and switch the location back to "Automatic". Then you should be good to go!

-> xNadim

I agree, the router is not the issue, neither is the network since everything else is working on the WiFi. Since the above procedure worked for me, I would say that this is a software issue, clean and simple. The fact that this cannot be explained or fixed properly is dissapointing. But still I'm relieved that the WiFi is working now and I don't have to by a new router or replace the WiFi card.

-> nicrapacz

If you're still using the "Automatic" location setting, the MBP will loose connectivity and be unable to re-connect every time the MBP goes into sleep-mode. Then you have to re-do all the steps you mentioned that fixed the problem (as recomended by aplle), reboot, and then you can connect again. As I'm saying, this has to be a software error! I found two alternatives, download "Caffeine" from the app-store, fix the connection and NEVER let AirPort "go to sleep". OR read a couple of rows up in the reply to choddo. It is highly possible that this should "solve" (loosely defined in this context) you problem as well.

The fact that you get it to work, but then it breaks again is just furhter evidence that this is a software issue.

JUST REMEMBER, IF THIS "SOLUTION" (embarrasing to call it a solution, more like a quick panic fix to circumvent a majort bug/software problem) WORKS, NEVER EVER USE THE "HOME-LOCATION" FOR WiFi ANYWHERE ELSE!!! ALWAYS SWITCH BACK TO THE "AUTOMATIC" LOCATION BEFORE LEAVING YOU HOUSE. Otherwise, chances are you'll have to re-do everything when you get back home from work or travels.

Best of luck to all of you! Hope this helps someone else in need.

xNadim wrote:

 

No I'm sorry, but its because of people like you that apple can pretend that nothing is wrong. Wi-fi is a complex technology, agreed, but why is it only apple's device that loses connection?

Because it's not, it's just your experience.

I have had several MacBook Pros, three different iPhones, a Wii, a TiVO, a LinkSys router running in client mode and a DISH Network receiver all communicating just fine over Wi-Fi with no errors.

But an Acer Laptop I have running Windows NT absolutely refuses to see or join the network, yet it can see the ten other networks my neighbors have up and running just fine.

BTW, all my Lion instances are set to "Automatic" for Wi-Fi.

On the other hand, I've been in hotels where my MBP will connect to Wi-Fi but not my iPhone, my iPhone but not my MBP, both Apple devices, and neither device.

What can I say?  Wi-Fi is neither simple nor foolproof, but at least in my experience, Apple does a better job than most.

paulo rafael wrote:

The solution to this problem I turn to speak. Buy an Apple airport.
Unfortunately.

 

It's perhaps the easiest solution but is far from the only one.

Most routers on the market have no problem talking to Apple devices, and those that do are broken.

The problem is not your devices talk to Apple

The problem is talking to Apple devices.

Like I said I have a scenario where I work and I've been through all these problems withMacbooks. I have 6 different acess point.

The solution macbook and do communicate with the airport which is the same manufacturer (Apple).

Otherwise there will always be problem.

But this I do not need to talk, as this post started in 2008 we are currently in 2011. Do not forgetthat Apple is the problem?

Att,

paulo rafael wrote:

 

The solution macbook and do communicate with the airport which is the same manufacturer (Apple).

Otherwise there will always be problem.

But this I do not need to talk, as this post started in 2008 we are currently in 2011. Do not forgetthat Apple is the problem?

You can claim that all you want, but it's simply not the case.

I use any number of access points with Apple devices week in and week out and exactly two of them are Apple devices, and millions of Apple owners use their devices with a wide plethora of Wi-Fi routers every day without any problems whatsoever.

Just because a thread exists doesn't mean people posting to it actually have the same problem with the same root cause; in fact many of the posts here exhibit similar symptoms but are in fact not the same problem and further, how many of the people here saying it was absolutely the OS at fault have their problems fixed via a router firmware upgrade.

The funny thing is that these problems only happen with MacBooks corrected, you will not find too many coincidences?

If one day you work on a hambiente you have multiple PCs and MacBooks Maybe you feel the difference. At home you simply have a macbook and an acess point, yet it already creates problems.

Again I have not seen any post saying that anyone here has solved this problem.

Only partial solutions or momentary.

It is worth you pay dearly for a macbook and have these ongoing problems?

paulo rafael wrote:

 

The funny thing is that these problems only happen with MacBooks corrected, you will not find too many coincidences?

 

If you don't want to accept the fact that millions of people use these systems on non-Apple WAPs and routers daily with zero issues, I can't change that.

But they do, yet you want to insist it's something inherently broken with Apple's products.

I'm not trying to discount your or anyone else's issue, I'm just saying it's definitely not an issue of "only use MacBook Pros with Apple routers"; that's pure nonsense.

If you doubt me, visit any major college campus and you will see thousands of Apple laptops being used on campus Wi-Fi networks, and I guarantee you none of those college networks are built using Apple's AirPort routers.

Here in the US you can also walk into any Barnes & Noble bookstore or Starbucks Coffee and see Apple laptops being used on non-Apple Wi-Fi networks as well.

About the only place you'll see a Mac being used on an Apple router is in a private home or in an Apple Store.

Thanks for the advice gusgrave. My errors in the log were different from yours. Mine knew it was in the right country (and therefore I assume knew which frequencies/channels it was allowed to use)

So I removed the keychain pw entries, the Remembered Networks entries, rebooted with the wifi Off and then created a new network but it didn't seem to make too much difference. When trying to connect, I was getting Invalid Password constantly. Changed room and it worked fine. ipad, iphones and win7 laptop all report 50-75% signal strength in the original room. Madness.

So it's working now but I'm sure it'll fail after the machine sleeps.

the error I seem to get is

kernel: Airport: Link down on en1. Reason 2 (Previous authentication no longer valid)

which mirrors the invalid password error.

edit: well after 2 tests of the lid autosleep, it reconnected ok. I guess I'll leave it for the wife to break tomorrow

Also, I see lots of EAP-GTC failed errors but I think that seems to be something to do with token/smartcard based security so I don't think it's relevant

What a surprise. Failed to connect when opened this morning.

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac  MAC AUTH succeeded

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

MacAuthEvent en1   Auth result for: 00:26:f2:48:39:ac Unsolicited  Auth

wlEvent: en1 en1 Link UP

AirPort: Link Up on en1

en1: BSSID changed to 00:26:f2:48:39:ac

wlEvent: en1 en1 Link DOWN

AirPort: Link Down on en1. Reason 2 (Previous authentication no longer valid).

Tried to connect manually and got the Invalid Password error.

Tried to connect manually again with "Remember Network" off (though I think this a coincidence) and it worked.

Ridiculous.

I'm not 100 % sure as to why, but I don't think you should post MAC adresses online, so you might wan't to edit the post.

So obviously we do not have the exact same root for our problmes, other than erratic behaviour from our MBPs. Something regarding the MAC adress seems to be causing some trouble while authenticating.

What is the firewall situation on the MBP and the router? What type of router do you have?

Do you actuall get a notificaton regarding the Password being wrong? Or do you just get prompted for the password over and over again?

// Gus

William, what you seem to not have considered is that it is quite possible for some error to exist that only shows up in some particular conditions. The fact that the far majority of macbook pro users experience no problems does not mean that there cannot be an inherent problem with all machines which only other users experience due to the problem shoving up only in some specific situations.

I don't know what causes these problems, but check this out:

I have a number of wifi-devices at home: two PC's, two macbook pro's one iphone and one htc legend.

Only the two mac's both have this problem - big time.

I have had two airbook-using friends over - same problem.

When running either mac with windows dual-boot, I have no problems, so it's not a hardware issue.

I have previously used one of the macs (running OS X) with my router with no problems, so its not the router which is incompatible with mac.

I have just made a fresh install on the mac (no dual boot this time) that I have previously used without problems, but now it still does not work.

Does this not sound like some software shortcoming in OS X to you?

Either way you turn it, the windows users have no problems, but all mac-users (in my apartment) do. Does it sound like mac give the better user experience, or does it sound like there is a problem on the mac-side?