MacBook Pro Wireless Range Less than Other Computers

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This is pretty typical. It's because your MBP has an aluminum case, which attenuates the wireless signal (notice the rubbery strip in the clutch/hinge below the display - that's the "window" in the aluminum for the Airport antenna). Your Dells are polycarbonate, no barrier to the wireless signal. The best test of this is with a MacBook (non-Pro), which has the same wireless card as the MBP, but has a 'plastic' case, and receives stronger/more signals than an MBP in the same location.

You might consider setting up an Airport Express as a wireless bridge, as described in this Apple kbase article.

Hope this helps...

Mmm.

I wonder about this.

I use my MBP , over an 802.11n network, over a distance of well over 100 feet from an AE 802.11n base station, just about every day.

There is no reason to assume that a mac will do better over distance on 802.11n links than any other 802.11n computer (heck, it is meant to be pretty much a universal standard and the hardware involved shouldn't make any difference), and I'm surprised about a range of only 50 feet , unless you have a lot of concrete or steel between you and the base station. With 802.11g this was about the expected range, but 802.11n should be capable of more. Is it possible that one of the Dell's is only capable of 802.11g, and accordingly limiting the transmission process? What happens if neither of the Dells are running?

Have you tried using a different channel on the AEBS to avoid interference from phones or other devices?

I've actually been quite impressed with my MBP wireless range compared to older alu PB's and other family members iBooks. Something is up here, I think.

Cheers

Rod

Brian AD wrote:
Seems like the Mac computer should do better since the Airport Extreme is a mac product. Any ideas on why this would be?

It isn't the brand, it's the materials. Even a plastic MacBook will significantly outperform a metal MacBook Pro in wireless range, if you put them side by side and look at how many networks each detects.

Rod Hagen wrote:
I've actually been quite impressed with my MBP wireless range compared to older alu PB's and other family members iBooks. Something is up here, I think.

I think the difference is structural. Having owned two Aluminum models, a PowerBook G4 and a MacBook Pro, I noticed that the MacBook Pro has an odd change in the case: The rubberized strip in the hinge just below the screen. This rubberized strip was not present in the Aluminum PowerBooks. I don't know for sure, but I guess that this strip is the new case opening for the antenna. It provides a much larger hole than the antenna opening in the PowerBooks, which were two very narrow and short plastic-covered openings at the edges of the lid. My theory is that the larger non-metal opening in the MacBook Pro is what has improved the reception. The way I see it:

Worst wireless reception is with the aluminum-cased PowerBooks (possibly metal-cased PCs too, but I don't own any).
Having somewhat better reception than the aluminum PowerBooks are the aluminum MacBook Pros with the expanded case opening.
Best wireless reception is with any plastic laptop, whether Mac or PC. (In my experience the MacBook and PowerBook G3 have excellent wireless range, far beyond any metal Mac.)

Hi Brian,

You either have a serious hardware problem or a serious configuration issue here. I'd try posting in the Airport forums here to see if you can get it sorted.

Your problem sounds to me as if it is well out of the regular "my MBP range isn't quite as good as it could be" sort of situation.

Cheers

Rod