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Level 2

285 points

MacBook Air periodically 'forgets' its connection to WPA network

I'm hoping I can gain some insight into a persistent and annoying glitch I'm having with wireless on my brand new MB Air.

At home, we use a new AE base station for internet access and it works flawlessly (so far). At work, we have a linksys router using WPA encryption. I connect via DHCP. I am able to connect, using the right password, and everything initially works as well as it does on my iMac, which also connects wirelessly.

However, after a couple of minutes all of my internet services abruptly go away. Shared volumes are lost and I am unable to open any web pages. However, my airport indicates that I am still connected to the router. Turning airport off and back on temporarily relieves the problem, which always resurfaces in a minute or two.

I'm guessing there's some sort of power-saving feature at work here. But I've poked through every system setting I can find and have not found the answer.

With advance thanks for your help,

EB

MB Air, Mac OS X (10.5.1)

Posted on Feb 8, 2008 6:16 AM

47 replies

johnnyop

Level 1

0 points

Feb 11, 2008 4:48 PM in response to Eric Beyer

I have to say that right out of the box I had the connection dropping problem. The first thing I did after starting was to lauch software update and while trying to download I noticed the connection problem. Whats even stranger is that while some MBAs need to have the airport turned on a off -- all I have to do is pull down on the airport menu == watch as it searches for a connection and I am back on line. From what I am reading I think it might have something to do with the particular router's we are using. I betyou it will work fine with the new time capsule!!

brian67

Level 1

9 points

Feb 12, 2008 4:24 PM in response to Eric Beyer

Today I returned my 3 day old MBA and got a replacement.

The store's tech support could not even get the unit to connect to their store network. I had been experiencing the same problem others have outlined in this thread that my preferred WPA network would be lost after coming from sleep mode. My 20" IMac on the same network has no problems before or after the 10.5.2 upgrade. The router is a newer N. protocol model.

Sad to report my replacement is doing the same thing. I have discovered that running Network Diagnostics tends make the connection hold. Having to do this, however, every time and enter passwords and after losing connections all the time means owning the MBA is not worth it...this computer has to live and die by its wireless ability.. So far its failed miserably.

Brian67

myhighway

Level 5

7,270 points

Feb 12, 2008 6:03 PM in response to brian67

I have discovered that running Network Diagnostics tends make the connection hold.

I've never had much use for Network Diagnostics. If there's something wrong with the Network configuration on a Mac, it's easier to simply replace the configuration with a new one than to diagnose what's wrong.

Have you tried deleting all your Network configurations, and starting a new one? Letting the setup assistant do the work is so much easier than fooling with trying to get all the settings right.

brian67

Level 1

9 points

Feb 13, 2008 3:57 AM in response to myhighway

Thank you. No I havn't. Can you point me to a place on how to do that?

Thanks
Brian67

Rhyd

Level 3

800 points

Feb 13, 2008 8:32 AM in response to Eric Beyer

I had the same problem and I found the answer in the strangest place: Keychain Access.

Go back to Keychain Access and open any entries regarding your networking. The access on mine had been changed by the update or something to not allowing access to the password for the network. That is the reason for the major pain of WPA or WEP constantly asking for a password and network to connect.

I changed the network accesses each to "always allow" and that did solve the airport and network problems connecting and staying connected.

Rhyd

Level 3

800 points

Feb 13, 2008 8:49 AM in response to myhighway

Network Diagnostics will not help on this one. Since it deals with passwords and WPA or WEP or security of networks, it became a matter of checking passwords and security. Thus, when I checked Keychain Access since I was so tired of having to re-enter network and passwords; I found that the update had changed the access to the network password. Changing the access of all network passwords to "always allow" did fix the problem.

Feb 13, 2008 10:27 AM in response to Rhyd

" Changing the access of all network passwords to "always allow" did fix the problem."

How does one do that?

Rhyd

Level 3

800 points

Feb 13, 2008 11:20 AM in response to Ton Van Hest

Login to your login keychain and go to Keychain Access in the Utilities folder in the Applications folder. Go to login in the keychains and look for 'airport' network password in the "Kind" column or look for your wireless network name (do name your network) and double-click on the network name line (either on the name or the kind ).

Click on the Access Control button and check the "allow all applications to access this item" and then click the button to "save changes".

Do the same for any other wireless network passwords that you have.

Message was edited by: Rhyd

cyclix

Level 1

11 points

Feb 15, 2008 1:29 PM in response to Rhyd

Agree with your diagnosis of the problem and your fix.

Within Network Prefs, I set up a new location that worked immediately. I then deleted the offending from my list in Network Prefs, and thus far, my connection has remained solid.

By the way, I did not change the WPA password on my wireless router to WEP nor did I remove encryption from the router.

Feb 16, 2008 12:19 PM in response to cyclix

I have done what you said, by setting it to "Allow all applications to access this item"

But i still notice that... every 40 - 45mins my MBair will lost connection and i'll have to manually reopen the connection.

Anyidea how to solve it ?

Feb 16, 2008 12:38 PM in response to Kenny Soo

In my case (I did the key thing) there are only 2 ways to have no problems and that is either no security at all or using WEP.

WPA never works.

Rhyd

Level 3

800 points

Feb 16, 2008 1:25 PM in response to cyclix

I said nothing regarding WEP... I never mention it because it is inferior encryption. WPA is the preferred encryption. I am glad you now have a solid connection.

ghg2

Level 1

0 points

Feb 16, 2008 5:32 PM in response to Rhyd

YES! That worked. Thanks so much. This is my first Mac and I was starting to have some serious doubts.

Feb 16, 2008 5:58 PM in response to Rhyd

I hope you will be kind enough to explain everything to me again. Save my day please.

Ok i using a 2Wire 2.4ghz Access Point channel 11, with WEP. I never have this connection issue on my old MBP or my Windows dasktop.

When you say you change the network accesses each to "always allow" is it the same as "allow all applications to access this item"

Or can you please reguide me where to click on the "always allow"

Thank you very very much !

Rhyd

Level 3

800 points

Feb 16, 2008 6:26 PM in response to Kenny Soo

Yes, select "allow all applications to access this item" . I don't know if this will fix the WEP encryption issue as well it does a WPA encryption network. Ensure that you have given your network a unique name.

Please post back as to whether this works for you with the WEP network.

Ensure that if you have both a system keychain as well as a login keychain that allow all .. access is enabled for your wireless network.

MacBook Air periodically 'forgets' its connection to WPA network