MacBook Pro (Late 2008) Wireless Issues

I had this exact problem with my Airport Express. I gave up, and got a Netgear WNR2000. That didn't work either, until I changed the router's encryption to mixed mode WPA + WPA2. Now everything is working great, but I haven't messed with the Airport Express to see if there is a similar setting. Try a different router maybe?

I also replaced the router to no avail. Took the the computer to the Genius Bar, and after one hour
of trying things they took it to the back room. There, I don't know what they did, and they didn't want to be very specific either. Something about re-installing my User account. It's working 99 percent of the time.

****, the problems are back.
After the updates everything worked fine. Then when I changed a setting on the Airport Extreme and updated it the Macbook Pro wouldnt work anymore. I reset the ADSL router then the Airport Extreme and deleted all plist files on my Mac. When I had set up the Airport Extreme again internet worked real fine.

Then a couple of days later I changed a setting on the Airport Extreme and internet didnt work anymore for the Macbook Pro. I tried the same routine by resetting everything but this time it didnt work. I tried many times and at last when I plugged in the ethernet cable the Wifi started working as it should even when I pulled out the Ethernet cable.

After doing a quick sample of all my test networks, I found a pattern.

5GHz (802.11a) networks work fine
2.4GHZ (802.11b/g) networks all have connectivity issues

I don't have a 802.11n AP to test at the moment, and I don't know if the MBP uses .11n over one band or both. I have a feeling if it used the 2.4GHz radio, it would likely have poor service.

I have a new Airport card on order under warranty.

i believe i am having similar problems. my new macbook pro was working great up until a few days ago or maybe a week (maybe because of a mac update?). my problem is now when i put my computer to sleep (closing the lid) and turn it back on (opening the lid) it says my wifi is connected to my router, however my internet does not work. doesn't seem to be getting automatic dhcp. so i have to turn it off and then on again and then it works just fine. this happens every time the computer goes to sleep. and as of a week ago it never had this problem.

none of my other computers or systems or anything that uses ethernet or wifi on my router has this problem. i have fully updated and rebooted my modem and router a few times. same problem.

so i just wanted to add my name to the list of this growing problem. please look into this apple. thanks!

i have similar problem. after i update my system to 10.5.6 , it occured.
when log in to my account, my connection drops after 10 minutes, and i can't see any wireless network. but my other computer works fine with my wireless network.
after a few restart, it doesn't solve my problem. only solution is waiting.....

OK...4 weeks later I believe I am finally resolved. After reading this posting and every other one out there. I finally decided to call APPLE. I wanted to get their scoop on this issue. Since like most of you, I bought a $2000 laptop, which would not and could not stay connected wirelessly no matter what I did. I spent every free min for nearly 3 weeks trying every tweak, hack or setting change out there. Finally I decided to called support. I ended up with a product specialist (wireless).

After a short conversation about the description of my problems. He asked me about my router’s firmware. I told him it was current I knew was since I had just flashed it. But what I failed to realize was although its firmware was the latest REV for my router. I was nearly 2.5 years old since the manufacture had last updated it. And Apple has seen issue with this type of configuration with their N-wireless airport cards. He suggests replacing the router would more than likely fix the issue.

Basically I need to get a router with a more current version of firmware. Mine was from 2006.

So I went to fry’s and bought a new 49.99 N router and I believe I might be finally fixed!!! Only time will tell, but I do believe I am finally fixed!!!!


No more incompatible security BS, no port scanning, no hanging, no spinning wheel. Finally true web surfing, videos, test, streaming you name it. FINALLY even after sleep mode. It finally jumps right back online!!!

THANK YOU APPLE SUPPORT!!

Hi all from Italy,

Brand New macbook pro 15.4 ( not the unibody ) same wireless problems.
Resume : The wireless signal seems to be always full but really slow time in browsing
I discovered that even if the wireless signal seems strong, i get continuos disconnection

Tried a lot of things, the only one working is sitting on my w.router. ( not so useful ! )

Just to complete the picture : in house iphone, hp dv-05, old p3 all working well with the same configuartion... the macbook pro is by far slower then anything in my house for wireless.
( wpa bt the way )

Called support and we tried :

permission
delete folder in library preferences etc.. and reboot
new user
new install

they are still looking for the isse somewhere else in my house: the phone, the light, my mother or even bad weather ...but i still hope apple gonna recognize the hw issue.

Was a really bad surprise coming here from pc-world.

Regards

Message was edited by: Gabriele Indrieri

I had the same problem with my Netgear 834N and new MBP. Old Asus and WinXP was rock solid but upgraded router when I got the Mac and couldn't place the fault.

Has anyone else tried changing the settings in Airport to WPA instead of WPA2? i tried this and, so far, I'm rock solid.....

Worth a try

I've experienced the same issue may of you here have been afflicted by and I thought I'd add my 2 cents to the discussion. 😉

I just the other day upgraded my aging 2005-era PowerBook to a shiny new "Uni-body" MacBook Pro, and as soon as I hit my local Starbucks, I started experiencing the inability to maintain a wireless connection for more than a few minutes. Now at home, my old PowerBook was quite happy connecting to my Bell-provided wireless access point, and once I added my new MBP's MAC address to the white list (yes, I use access lists and use WPA2 to try to keep the naughty people out), it worked quite happily, as does my Quad G5 and my better half's Win. Vista Compaq (we're going to get her a new iMac after tax time though. 😉 ). Anyhow ... since things were good at home, and things worked quite nicely at my parents house whilst we were there for a visit (they have a 1 year old Airport Extreme I purchased and configured for them), I was a little confused as to why the local coffee house access point was giving me trouble - no encryption, and I never had a single problem with my old G4 laptop (and it's admittedly horrid wireless reception - the new MBP is showing me networks around the neighborhood that I never saw with the PBG4). The one major difference (aside from hardware) is OS version, the old laptop was running 10.5.5, the new one is wearing 10.5.6.

The one other thing I've noticed, in the /var/log/system.log I see repeated errors (every few minutes, in fact): "kernel[0]: AirPort: No beacon for too long time" always followed by "kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on en1" then approximately 20 seconds later by "kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Up on en1".

At this point, I've tried all the following to no avail:
- Cold Reboots
- Delete known networks and rejoin
- Alternate network "Location" with only airport (no ethernet, bluetooth, nothing but AP)
- Move Airport to the top of the service list in the network connections

And after a vist to some support forms trying to be helpful (but not successfully):
-Resetting SMC (as per http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1411)

FInally I came across what may of you have already seen, disabling IPv6. I was hopeful, but at first, attempting this bore no fruit. However, after closing the lid and letting the MBP sleep for about 35 minutes while I ate lunch, I discovered I had to manually select the cafe access point again, but much to my pleasure I've not seen a single wireless dropout in the past two hours (yes, I'm still in the coffee shop as I type this 😉 ) I'm hoping this isn't just a fluke and that it simply means that disabling IPv6 wasn't effective until the network connection had been disabled and re-initialized by putting the computer to sleep. I don't see any new error entries in the system.log, so at the risk of jinxing it, I'm going to call this a solution to the issue <for me> - your milage may vary.

I assume they're much more aware of the issue than corporate protocol will allow them to comment on, but this post is as much for Apple's development team as for my fellow Mac users. It seems to me like we may have a bit of a problem related to the implementation of IPv6 - perhaps this is because of some access points not implementing the protocol correctly, or maybe it's an issue in the 10.5.6 network stack. I can't know or say, as it's way outside my scope, but here's to hoping we can find a solid solution sometime soon. 🙂

Cheers

You just kept IPv6 disabled correct? Even while your connection remained stable? I've just sent my Late '08 MBP to sleep with IPv6 set to "Off".

I'll check on it in about an hour or so. I'll see what happens.

Also, has anyone else had this happen to them:

Because I'm here posting, I've also got some wireless issues. Constant in-and-out signals. The thing is this, I've started to just keep Network Utility open to monitor a ping I'm running (towards Google because it's simple). I actually got 6k+ consecutive pings, but when I try to load some webpages via Safari or FF3 (tried both - same result) the ping stops and I've lost my connection.

This is the second time I've had the in-and-out of signal. I initially had the problem when I had taken it out of the box (great welcome right?). I then changed my AEBS to broadcast in 5Ghz N-only and that seemed to fix everything. I then updated something for Keynote and some digital camera compatibility and the problems are back.

In any case, I'm very frustrated...really hoping for a fix from Apple soon.

All other macs in the house are working fine:

24" Aluminum iMac and an early '08 MBP

Update:

I spoke to soon (or jinxed it ;)), the dropouts are back. Just a single one late yesterday afternoon after I posted, but today I've only been in the coffee house for a half hour, and already I've seen two dropouts.

<sigh>

Ah well ... At least it's not dropping me every 2 to 4 minutes now ... Something is better than nothing, I suppose.

Okay ... Update redux:

One interesting side note: I'm still seeing dropouts, but just after one dropout, I peeked at my network settings, and the wireless access point I'm "connecting" to in the coffee house is showing up twice in the available network list (I have it set to remember networks I join, but not to join new networks without asking). I tried deleting one, and it wouldn't die, it just stayed in the list, but I was able to delete the other.

Maybe it's nothing ... but otoh maybe it'll help someone figure out what's going sideways with our wireless. ^_^

Thanx for all the reply have still the same problem. I've noticed that if u look at the menu under the airport icon ( the one that seem a shell ) u see connection tentative instead of airport active like my other mac. In plus if i look at wifi signal with other tool i have 52% where airport is showing 100%

Nothing has worked for me either.

I've found that running the Network Diagnostic when you get a dropout helps get you connected again, but it's troublesome to say the least.

It's very odd...while I'm not using the internet I get a long string of successful pings. When I try to load a web page (in this case the site I'm pinging - Google) the connection drops.

This has to mean something, I just don't know what. This machine is brand new - received one week before Christmas Eve...very disappointed.