Q: MacBook Pro constantly losing wireless connectivity

Hi Prebenharder,

It will be cheaper if you just get an edimax usb wireless adapter for $10 on Amazon.  I actually bought one but my MBP's wifi started working properly before it arrived so I haven't had to try it out, but at least I have it in case my problems start again.

My MBP wifi issues resolved after switching every wifi device in the home off and router off, turned the router back on and then progressively turning each device back on.

That is awesome you have a tree for a router! Seeing that you can't reset that at the campsite I would save your troubles and just get the USB adaptor.

After dropping my laptop off at the apple store for a week, i was unable to get this issue resolved.  I was told to hit ctrl-opt-command-shift-period to capture a system diagnostic saved under /var/tmp

Within 6 hours of getting the laptop back, I was able to reproduce the problem by watching Hulu on Chrome. 

Supposedly, level 2 is looking into it, and I have informed them of this thread. 

Hopefully, we wll get answers soon.

Dropped off my MacBook Pro at the Apple Store last night with a print-out of your wire solution.  Within 20 minutes I got a call from the lead Genius that the wire does not exist on my latest and greatest MacBook Pro.  They figured it was the airport card, but did not have the part in the store.  Instead, they are giving me a new computer.  All data, including programs (I hope!) was transferred last night.  I'm heading there today to pick it up and pray everything I need is there.  Also praying two MacBook Pros in a row don't have the same issue.

Much depends on WHO you are dealing with.  I had an issue with an older MacBook Pro last year and after receiving no satisfaction from the person I was dealing with, a "leader" stepped in and went above and beyond to get the problem fixed.  Same thing here.

As far as rebooting our router and modem, we unplug everything frequently because of the nasty storms we get in the south.  If you've ever had to deal with Comcast, you pull everything out of the wall on the first roll of thunder!

Hi outthere.

Now I have hat enought. I have been to the Apple store and a genius told me my MBP worked perfectly.

I should go back and change the clock and where I am and I would work. I did, but it was the same. So now I bought an Edimax USB nano wireless adapter and the MPB works again and I can streame TV and I am happy - but not for my MPB and the wireless connection build in.

So dont use all your energy on your mac. Buy Edimax for about 15 euro and be happy again.

Thank you all for the help.

Now I have hat enought. I have been to the Apple store and a genius told me my MBP worked perfectly.

I should go back and change the clock and where I am and I would work. I did, but it was the same. So now I bought an Edimax USB nano wireless adapter and the MPB works again and I can streame TV and I am happy - but not for my MPB and the wireless connection build in.

So dont use all your energy on your mac. Buy Edimax for about 15 euro and be happy again.

Thank you all for the help.

Just want to add here that I am having the same issue with my macbook pro purchased in Feb. 2013 and running the latest version of Mavericks (10.9.2).  After two days of chat support (which cost me $19 each time, becuase I am traveling outside of the US) and lots of testing, including:

reseting SMC

reseting PRAM

clearing out keychain passwords

clearing saved networks

setting priority on network ports

setting inactive on non wifi ports

deleting all files in /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration

seeing the problem with a new user

seeing the problem in safe mode

seeing the problem in the OS reinstall mode

It was determined that my problem was hardware related and needed to be serviced.  Also, because I am traveling and will not be back in the US for several months this will be an out of pocket expense for me.  I spoke with Customer Care and complained about the poor quality and the fact that this issue started so quickly after my 1 year warrenty expired (less than a month), and while they offered to recover the costs of repair, if I could bring the machine back to the US, they could offer me nothing while I am traveling, even though the repair would be covered world-wide under apple care.  I asked if they could apply apple care now, I even offered to buy it, to ensure that I would be covered while I am traveling, in case something else goes wrong (which I am fairly certain is bound to happen). 

I am so unimpressed with the quality of apple's mac books as of late that I do not plan on buying apple products again.  This is the second macbook pro that I've had in less than two years with hardware problems that I ended up having to pay to repair, both less than 2 years old.  Apple had a chance to make things right for me by either offering to cover the machine under apple care, or at the VERY LEAST allowing me to purchase it now, but sadly these are not options and I am left with a very expensive laptop that is prone to hardware failures, and even more expensive to fix.  Sorry to say, but after years of cheerleading apple products I think Im ready to start looking elsewhere.

I was waiting to post this to see if my resolution of this problem was a fluke or not.  So far my issue appears to be resolved.

Spent THREE hours at the Apple Store last Friday on a rare day off.  (They were giving me a new computer and transferring all my programs and data.)  Got there, we turn on the new computer and it takes several (yes, several) minutes to boot up.  Try again.  Still takes several minutes to boot up.  They determine that whatever problem my original computer had (probably software) got transferred to computer #2.

So, onto computer #3 and a different way of installing and transferring the data.  This time everything worked okay, so I happily took my new computer home.

I sign on, do my stuff, walk away, and the computer goes to sleep.  I tried to get back onto the internet and I have the absolute SAME problem--I was showing full WIFI strength and that I was connected to the internet, but Safari was telling me I was not connected.  I about had a stroke.  (BTW, I had the problem even when computer had not gone to sleep.)

Was so upset I could barely sleep.  I figured there was absolutely no way to get assistance from the Apple store anymore; they did everything possible.  My husband never had any issues with his (fairly old) PC dropping WIFI, so it could not be our home WIFI set-up.  Figured it was something I was just going to have to live with after spending so much money on the best Mac available!!!

Must have been divine intervention because it occured to me to  try a a different internet browser.  I downloaded Firefox on the Mac side (I use it on the Parallels/Windows side) and have been using it ever since instead of Safari.  Have yet to have a problem since Saturday morning!

One of the things the Apple Care person had me do was reset Safari.  My issue was so intermittent, that it never occurred to me to see if I had the problem while using Firefox on the "other side" of my computer.  Fingers crossed, but it looks like Safari was the problem!!

"Fingers crossed, but it looks like Safari was the problem!!"

Interesting. I seem to recall  Safari  hanging whenever the Wi-Fi connection dropped (and even if I wasn't using Safari, I always have it running). I just imported my Safari browser data into Firefox, and will let you know how it works for me.

I ruled out my wireless router (AirPort Extreme) and network when I experienced the same behavior in my office.

Thanks for the info!

I get the problem using any browers..

such a pain!

Few weeks after installing OSX 10.9.2 upgrade on a MBP13 retinga I started having same problems ..

wifi is not reconnecting after waking MBP from the sleep...

open terminal

type:

#sudo su

#tail -c 9999 /var/log/wifi.log

and i got:

Mon Mar 24 19:05:32.942 <airportd[86]> _handleLinkEvent: WiFi is not powered. Resetting state variables.

I think that this is not hardware related problem (everything was ok before software update)

short term remedy... click turn OFF wifi and turn on, than select manually your network... mostly it will reconnect.

Apple please update auto wifi reconnection!

Correct, cycling WiFI OFF then ON, fixes the issue until it happens again... Anyway, as the owner of 3 past Apple computers, 3 iphones, about a 10 ipods over the years in terms of a laptop, this is my LAST Apple. I will just  buy some cheap PC and run Linux....

APPLE, DON'T DO LIke MSFT DID...

TIM IS ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH...

1 1/2 weeks on Firefox without issue.  YAY!!!  Did the above about 15,000 times....click WIFI off, then back on.  Was ready to stick a butter knife in my eye.

Yes, someone is asleep at the switch at Apple.  I recall hearing stories of Steve Jobs firing entire rooms of people when things were not working PERFECTLY.

Those were the days my friends......

So glad to have found this thread! Thought I was nuts with the wifi signal cycling on and off on my MacBook Pro. Blamed Firefox. Nope, does it in Chrome and Safari, too. Blamed the new Comcast router. Nope, it's not the router - does it at coffee shops and at the office, too. Maybe it's  malware? Ran the "takes forever" virus scan and computer is clean. Oh, heck - it's my computer. Wifi doesn't crap out on my iphone or my friend's tablet.

Spent some hours cursing, then tried hardwiring into router which worked pretty well. Not at all convenient as the router is in the corner of the bedroom and results in me using a nightstand for a desk.

After reading the first couple and last couple of pages of this thread, I've ordered a USB wireless adapter and have high hopes that it will solve the problem. Not up for hours at the Mac Store explaining the problem and going through their inevitable round of basic suggestions " Yes, I tried resetting the router. Yup, I tried it in different browsers. Yes, it still happens in safe mode" etc...  Fingers crossed!

Please, Apple, fix this problem! It's a huge hit to productivity when wifi keeps shutting off. Not to mention very annoying when playing minecraft with my nephew - I got booted off the server every 2-3 minutes.

Thanks to all who went through hours at the Genius Bar and hours implementing every suggestion (from the relevant to the absurd) to find out it's a hardware problem with the MacBook Pro.

Please, Apple, fix this problem! It's a huge hit to productivity when wifi keeps shutting off.

Apple has included a "Diagnostic & Monitor" to find the "WiFi chip powers off" and similar difficult-to-isolate problems.

When you hold down Option and click on the WiFi Icon, the last item on the menu that appears is "Open Wireless Diagnostics". Choose that.

Enter your Admin Username and password, if asked, and click ( Continue ) to run the first phase.

It will often report things are operating normally.

Now click ( Continue ) again to turn on the Monitoring.

"You will be notified when a failure has been detected."

Leave the Monitoring window open in the background, and go about your business.

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^^ that last one

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