Suddenly Macbook Wifi has got weaker and dropping out...

I finally took my macbook into an Apple store in Portland today. I was told this "weak signal" problem was 100% hardware related.

Does anybody possibly think otherwise?

I was quoted for $95 to replace my card. I told them I would get one for $20 on ebay and do it myself. Just want to make sure that should be my next step.. I'll probably wait till 10.6.3 finally comes out just in case (but i really don't see it helping).

Give http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/systemdiskutilities/onyx.html a try first. Select 'Automation' and run every option for kicks. My wifi problem got much better after this execution, not cured but much better.

I received the broadcom wireless card for 14 dollars on ebay this week. I installed the card and it works like a charm. My signal strength is now back to its normal levels now. I have no experienced any drop outs or inconsistent attenuation.

Note: because the item it was shipped from china, it took approx 2 and a half weeks for it to ship to the USA east coast.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BroadCom-BCM94321-BCM94321MC-802-11ABGN-WiFi-Card-V5W0QQitemZ390121830597QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain0?hash=item5ad512b8c5

I've got Maintenance, (i think its a sort of like a specified part of Onyx), I've ran it a million times and nothing helped. I just got Snow Leopard Cache Cleaner last night as it was recommended on another forum.

I have a feeling that this thread is sort of dead but has everybody with this problem just got a new card and moved on? Any body actually come up with a different solution or cross swards with Apple at all?!?

All the threads I have read include many people with this low signal problem, but never have a solution. Surely everybody can't be sitting right next to the router.

My plan as of now is to order the card and replace it myself. I understand that some people waited 4-6 weeks for the card and I've got school comin up in a few days!

I have done almost everything I could think of (change router settings, change network settings on my MB, eliminate interference, reinstall 10.6, every sort of maintenance step) and nothing worked except for the following two things: I got an airport extreme for home, which worked flawlessly (my old router did have 802.11n compliance, but apparently it wasn't apple-friendly) and I also purchased the airport card from ebay (the $14 one from China that has bee mentioned on the thread a few times). The new cad works perfectly with every network I've used so far.

Take your computer to a mac Genius and tell them the airport card is faulty, I bet you'll get them to replace it for free (though replacing it yourself for $14 and 4 weeks of waiting for the slow mail was kinda fun).

Good luck, I know how frustrating it can be, but fixing it is the most liberating feeling you'll have in a while, it's almost as good as a new computer.

Unfortunately, though as expected, the much anticipated 10.6.3 update did not fix the weak wifi problem.

I've shopped all around town to find a USB wifi adaptor that will work with a mac. I found one big bulky one for $50 but couldn't justify buying it (yet). *Does anybody know of any budget USB wifi adaptors that will work with an apple?* I'm hoping to find one that will tide me over till the card gets here.

I'm going to order the card off ebay today and play the waiting game. These symptoms seem to all point to hardware failure or loose antenna but it so weird that many people had it happen at the exact same time!

Monoprice.com: http://www.monoprice.com/products/search.asp?keyword=5336&x=0&y=0 $10.78. Works with Ralink driver: http://www.ralinktech.com/support.php?s=3

Thanks Ron R. Quick purchase. I'll report back if it doesn't work for some reason.

VERY fast shipping and I'm on my laptop using wireless internet to write this. User Interface is a little shoddy but it totally gets the job done. One thing I did notice is that I can't log on to our "Secure" university wireless. It says something about how "MAC address blah blah is not supported in 10.3.x" which is weird.

Ralink could do a better job on their Wireless Utility app but hey, for $12, I'm not complaining. Beats Apples $95. Though I will probably get a wireless N card sometime down the road, just so I can see the signal in the tool bar and not have to deal with a USB thing sticking out and preventing me from using my USB mouse and flash drives.

I wonder if the iPad complaints of weak/dropped Wi-Fi http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3304 are related to the issue discussed here...(Mac OS X Power Management Issue?)

Hi, I have had the same issues. OS 10.6.3 did nothing and a new air port card failed to make a difference. The router is not the issue as my 2001 ibook (10.3.9) works great and has no problem pulling in signals from all over the neighborhood. Apple needs to step up and address this.

Planetirving, if you can, please post what you eventually do to take care of this... And agreed, I'm going to attempt to bring up this thread and about 10 others when I can eventually get up to a Portland Apple Store.

Again, if you figure out what the deal is, let us know!

thanks

In response to Bontempi's posts, a few months ago -- no, you were not the only one to find the grey and black antenna cables naked/cut under the metal shield. I appreciate that you posted your findings, because that's exactly what happened to my Mac.

My story:

1) got the wifi dropouts about a year ago. Replaced the Atheros card with a similar Atheros card. Problem solved (honestly, after my later findings, I don't know how).

2) a couple of months ago got the same problem. Replaced the card with another Atheros card. It did not fix the problem.

3) replaced card with a BroadCom card; it did not fix the problem

4) followed Bontempi's suggestion to check the cables, and the instructions from iFixit to disassemble the screen. Found the broken wires just under the metal shield that protects (??) them from heat/contorsion.

I tried a quick fix to see if soldering the cables would make any difference (no bashing here -- I do know from antenna theory that this could make things worse), but didn't realize the cables seem to have two pins.

I ordered a new set of cables / antenna to replace them; they just arrived yesterday. It might not be an easy job, but will give it a try, and post an update afterwards.

There are many threads to this topic but I have not read what my wife discovered. If we leave the macbook plugged in the wireless is perfect but as soon as external power is removed then the wireless (despite full bars) goes dead. You can then plug it it and its fine. When I took this into the apple store I was quotes around $95 I think for a new non-N wireless card with free install.

I think this is BS this is obviously a software problem, I don't want to buy some 3rd party part to solve the problem.

I replaced the antenna assembly with the broken wires (it goes around the LCD panel, so I followed the instructions to replace the panel almost to the end, with a few variations in the last steps -- no need to remove the iSight camera and display data cable).
Everything is working again; my Mac see all the wifi networks around !
Originally, the Apple store quoted $120 as the starting price, just to check what was going on (with no promises to fix it) ... a bit expensive, considering that it was indeed wire fatigue / too much contorsion at the hinge (and no actual misuse).
Anyway, after two months of crappy wifi connection, I'm happy, happy now... 😉