ffredburger
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: MacBook Pro constantly losing wireless connectivity

Hi folks,

Well, I read a ton of posts regarding MacBook Pro wireless networking issues before buying a wireless router last month, and now it's "me too."

Our iBook has no problems whatsoever with dropped connections, but the MBP loses access every few minutes or so. I usually follow a sequence of "Turn AirPort Off"/"Turn Airport On" to cycle the connection, and sometimes this works. It's an almost constant problem. This is a standard configuration MBP.

The router happens to be a D-Link DIR-615, but I've seen enough posts about problems with the Airport Express and MacBook Pros to know it's not the router that's the problem--it's the MacBook Pro (I notice a few similar posts even on the first page of this forum).

Dear Apple: what are you doing about this issue?

Has anyone else somehow resolved this problem? If there was only a couple of posts about this issue, then it might be written off as problems with a specific router, or specific users. But when there's a ton of messages all complaining about the same problem, then it's more likely a significant defect that needs to be fixed by the manufacturer, and won't be fixed by standard troubleshooting procedures of the mundane kind (Tech Support Theater: "Is your router turned on?").

Dear Apple: where are you?

MBP, Mac OS X (10.4.11), non

Posted on Jan 20, 2008 8:45 AM

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ffredburger

Q: MacBook Pro constantly losing wireless connectivity

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  • by gladvlad,

    gladvlad gladvlad Sep 27, 2008 9:13 AM in response to Giacecco
    Level 1 (55 points)
    Sep 27, 2008 9:13 AM in response to Giacecco
    That has been my theory. I managed to get rid of most of my problems at home by switching from automatic network selection to "preferred networks", and ridding the list of all networks except my home network. My wireless connection still seems weak, occasionally rendering Safari unresponsive. The fact that my cell phone drops it signal at roughly the same time, makes me think that there may be some other source of interference. The puzzling thing is that my wife's Thinkpad and my son-in-law's Sony seem totally unaffected by the interference. The other odd thing is moving my MBP as little as two inches can change signal reception markedly.

  • by Giacecco,

    Giacecco Giacecco Sep 27, 2008 1:07 PM in response to Giacecco
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Sep 27, 2008 1:07 PM in response to Giacecco
    Update: the network is still working, but quality has gone down. It is still incredibly better than the usual, with the network never getting so bad to be completely still.

    It's 20:59 now... could it be that interference is proportional to the volume of data transmitted through the interfering sources? At this time of day I can expect most of my neighbors to be playing around with the internet.

    It could also be that the neighbor using channel 1 is now the second strongest after myself. Perhaps I shall move to 3...

    G.

  • by Richard Jones26,

    Richard Jones26 Richard Jones26 Sep 27, 2008 3:14 PM in response to ffredburger
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Sep 27, 2008 3:14 PM in response to ffredburger
    Has anyone also had this problem while running Windows XP under Boot Camp? It happens to me in both OSX and XP.

  • by Ozzy702,

    Ozzy702 Ozzy702 Sep 27, 2008 4:05 PM in response to Richard Jones26
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 27, 2008 4:05 PM in response to Richard Jones26
    Yes, it's a problem for me under both OSX and XP.

  • by Giacecco,

    Giacecco Giacecco Sep 28, 2008 3:43 AM in response to ffredburger
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 3:43 AM in response to ffredburger
    All,
    take a look at this http://www.giacec.co.uk/MBP_wifi.html : it is a mindmap I started putting together to find my feet in all of the information we can find in this and other threads related to the MBP wifi issue.

    The map is incomplete at the moment, and I would appreciate if you would help me completing it. Just let me know what I am missing and the link to some point in this forum where the information is documented. I will try updating this regularly.

    Giacecco

  • by RAA59,

    RAA59 RAA59 Sep 28, 2008 5:41 AM in response to Giacecco
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 5:41 AM in response to Giacecco
    Hi,

    Yes, my Network is still working better than ever.
    So far so good.

  • by RAA59,

    RAA59 RAA59 Sep 28, 2008 6:06 AM in response to RAA59
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 6:06 AM in response to RAA59
    Hi,
    Yes, my Network is still working better than ever.
    So far so good.
    One more observation. I occasionally use my MOTO RAZR tethered via bluetooth to connect to the internet when no WIFI is around on the road. I usually turn off my Airport. Somehow the order of my hardware showed Bluetooth at the Top of the list. Airport is usually at the top. After coming home last night I started having intermittent Airport dropouts. I put Airport back to the the top of the list and now all is rock solid again. Yet another weird tweak?

    Message was edited by: RAA59

  • by Giacecco,

    Giacecco Giacecco Sep 28, 2008 1:56 PM in response to Giacecco
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 1:56 PM in response to Giacecco
    It is still working here, but it's frustrating. Using the internet you can feel that the connection is suffering, and every now and then it gets close to paralysis, even if it is not permanent as it was before.

    Sometimes I have the feeling that keeping iStumbler running in the background makes the connection better... but is it technically possible?

    There still is something very very wrong going on. Sincerely, I do not really feel like taking the MBP to the support guys just to be back at square one with a new Airport card after ten days.

  • by KenRG,

    KenRG KenRG Sep 28, 2008 3:14 PM in response to ffredburger
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Peripherals
    Sep 28, 2008 3:14 PM in response to ffredburger
    I had this problem for a while, but only at home and it turned out to be a problem talking to the router. My Linksys router does wireless A (who uses wireless A?) and wireless G, B, or G+B. I first went to wireless G only with the A still running. Connection problems persisted. I then turned off the wireless A and it seems to have fixed the problem, it is almost two months and all is good, very good.

    Here is my question, should I do the upgrade to 10.5.5? Has anyone had good connectivity and then lost it when they upgraded? It is insane to have to worry about stuff like this. Thanx.

  • by RAA59,

    RAA59 RAA59 Sep 28, 2008 3:24 PM in response to KenRG
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 3:24 PM in response to KenRG
    KenRG,

    I am fully up to date running 10.5.5. I have a Linksys WRT54GC and its set to G only. With IPV6 Off on my MBP.
    Im getting the best connectivity I have ever had.
    Check my last few posts as I think everyone has different tweaks for their respective setups and routers.
    Thanks,
    Roberto

    Message was edited by: RAA59

  • by KenRG,

    KenRG KenRG Sep 28, 2008 3:32 PM in response to RAA59
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Peripherals
    Sep 28, 2008 3:32 PM in response to RAA59
    Thanks, that gives me some hope and courage. Yes, everyone does seem to have a different problem, it is all very weird, but it sounds as if your hookup is very similar to mine...of course every machine seems to be unique.

  • by Dan Brazil,

    Dan Brazil Dan Brazil Sep 28, 2008 4:54 PM in response to Giacecco
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 4:54 PM in response to Giacecco
    Well I'm pleased to report some positive news on this thread for a change...for I have managed to resolve my Airport WiFi problem on my MacBook (not MBP). We all seem to have slightly different issues (sound like a therapy session) but mine was that it would connect to a WiFi source for a second or two then disconnect and scan for an alternative. I took it to the local Apple Store (I was the first person to come in with this particular issue they claimed) and I pretty much had the dude stumped...after 20mins or so he disappeared round the back and came back with this gem...which I duly did and hey presto it sorted me out... what is it you are probably on the edge of your seats right now...cut to the chase....OK already...

    We deleted the entire 'SystemConfiguration' preferences folder that resides in the Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences folder (not the 'User' one).

    So maybe it will work for some of you too. If only one person then that would be cool. Be interested to know. Good luck and hang in there (not a hint of smugness honestly guys...just sheer relief)

  • by Giacecco,

    Giacecco Giacecco Sep 28, 2008 11:17 PM in response to Dan Brazil
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 11:17 PM in response to Dan Brazil
    It did not work here

    I would also say that, after reboot, connectivity has been the worst of the last two days, but, of course, there can't be any logic in this!

    G.

  • by Giacecco,

    Giacecco Giacecco Sep 28, 2008 11:21 PM in response to KenRG
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Sep 28, 2008 11:21 PM in response to KenRG
    Hi KenRG,
    many use 10.5.5 without issues, but you can also find many users in this forum who, instead, link the networking issues specifically to the upgrade to 10.5.5. Cross your fingers when you upgrade...

    G.

  • by Alessandro Fornari,

    Alessandro Fornari Alessandro Fornari Sep 29, 2008 9:10 AM in response to Richard Jones26
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Sep 29, 2008 9:10 AM in response to Richard Jones26
    Hello everybody, my MBPro shows the problem on both OS X and Windows XP under Boot Camp.
    After trying all the solutions proposed on this thread, I will now try to change the wireless card. I am going to order a new one, 802.11n enabled. I don't see any other way.
    Hope it is not the antenna!
    Regards, AF

    Message was edited by: Alessandro Fornari
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