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minpajr Author

Level 1

0 points

Macbook Pro Wireless Connection Problems

I bought my 13 inch macbook pro 1 week ago and I've had wireless connection problems from day 2 (I think after the updates).
Problems include:
- Safari cannot connect to the internet for 5~10 minutes after I turn it on, whether it be from sleep mode or completely off or restart (the fastest connection I got after turning it on was about 40 seconds)
- Loading takes ridiculously long and eventually Safari cannot find the server
- Airport signal (on the top right hand corner) is always full when it is not working
- Sometimes internet works but it is ridiculously slow

However, when the wireless connection stabilizes, Airport Signal is 2~3 bars full and internet works SOOO well and I love it so much when it does. But the problem is that it stabilizes like 30 minutes to never after I turn it on and it makes me so mad I want to explode this piece of crap in the microwave.

So I've called apple support, and they made me try four things:
1. Reset modem, router, and computer
2. Delete caches, reset Safari
3. Putting Airport first on the Service Order and resetting DHCP Lease
4. Connecting with Ethernet Cable then resetting the computer

None of these worked, and I'm suspecting that the cause of the problem is the hardware (not the aluminum body that's just bs) because my router and modem are working fine (my other samsung laptop is working perfectly). I don't think the problem lies in my network settings either because I did exactly what the Apple technicians told me to do. So after Appleguy made me try all 4 of those diagnostics, he told me to contact my router company NETGEAR because he thinks nothing is wrong with the mac hardware, so I did. The NETGEAR lady told me if one laptop is working and another isn't, there is nothing wrong with the router. So if nothing is wrong with my hardware, software, router, modem, ISP... Why do I have wireless issues????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I'm going to return this <edited by host> or get another one with my warranty

Macbook Pro 13', Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Aug 7, 2009 8:42 PM

84 replies

Aug 31, 2009 6:25 AM in response to Matt Jones5

Add me to the list with problems.

I have a 15" late 08 aMBP running 10.5.8 that was connecting fine to a billion 7402VGP wireless router...until today! Now I can't do anything to make it connect. Restarted both devices, unsecured the network, changed the SSID, changed from WPA1 to WPA2, reset pram, deleted and re-added airport connection, applied a fixed IP...nothing. I have a dell, two iphones and an airport express that connect fine.

The router reports in its event log..

Aug 31 23:18:09 home.gateway:i802_1x:none: xxx associated
Aug 31 23:18:15 home.gateway:i802_1x:none: xxx disassociated

with every attempt to connect, and the mac just reports a connection timeout most times, occasionally connects and self assigns an IP.

Consider me very unimpressed that something as important and fundamental as wifi has managed to be broken.

I'm just lucky that I already have an airport express that I can temporarily relocate to the office to use!

Hoping something can be done or a fix found asap.

Jay

Aug 31, 2009 9:45 PM in response to minpajr

Hope that Snow Leopard has fixed this problem.

terobot

Level 1

4 points

Sep 2, 2009 4:58 AM in response to BlueBurger

Hi All,

I had the same problem with my first 13" white Macbook that I bought 18 months ago. Connection to my wireless G router was non-existent despite my other wireless devices having no problems. The online Apple store replaced the Macbook but the problem also occurred on the second machine. I then got a full refund.

Last week I assumed (wrongly) that the wifi issues were fixed with the new 13" MBPs so I bought one. It came with 10.5.7 preinstalled. Same deal.. sometimes it would see my network, but always failed to join. I even bought an Airport Express thinking it would surely connect to that. Kept getting the "Connection Timeout" message or sometimes it was "Incorrect Password". I upgraded to 10.5.8 but to no avail. So it was back on the phone to technical support.

After 1.5 hours of resetting this and flashing that, they said they'd replace it and deemed it DOA. Ironically, a few hours later, my Snow Leopard upgrade CD arrived in the mail, so I upgraded to 10.6. To my surprise, the wireless connection kicked in and although the connection was choppy at best, at least I was connected.

I took them up on the offer of a replacement anyway and got my Airport Express refunded. When I brought the new MBP home, as soon as I turned it on, it found my network and connected to it with no problems. And that was before I installed 10.6.

So all up, I've had 4 brand new MBs and MBPs, 3 of which couldn't connect to my wireless network, and one that does so effortlessly it feels like there's different hardware in this machine. My advice is, if you have a brand new MBP and it's displaying these symptoms, get it replaced within the first 10 days (after 10 days, they can't give it a DOA status and you're stuck with it). Keep doing this until you get one that works.

Sep 2, 2009 6:35 AM in response to terobot

So far, Snow leopard seems to have fixed this wireless problem.
How about you guys? I am going to keep my eye on it though because this symptom had occurred on my MBP 13" with 10.5.8 since 2 weeks after my purchase.

Sep 2, 2009 7:26 AM in response to BlueBurger

Snow did not solve my WiFi problems with my MBP [late 2008], reordering my network [system preferences > 'the little symbol next to the plus & minus] did make it more bearable [less total blackouts].

As a matter of fact, I have now 'new' WiFi connectivity issues since Snow, but ONLY when I use [large data transfers] my external firewire disks. That is something I have not consciencely noticed before.

If only I could get a refund, I would happily return my MBP, MB & iMac. All these rely on WiFi. Terrible thing is, booting these machines with XP or Linux [back|track distro] solves the connection problems too...

Sep 3, 2009 4:46 AM in response to mokum von Amsterdam

Arrgh! I am so FRUSTRATED!! I just found Snow still had the same wireless network problem! It couldn't connect to a wireless router after 1 hours of web-surfing using Safari.

I think this wireless connection issue is very fundamental thing. So I start getting disappointed.

Sep 3, 2009 7:10 AM in response to minpajr

May MacBook Pro is barely two weeks old. After struggling for nearly a week now to get my wireless back up and running after updating to 10.5.8, it looks like I'm going to have to do a clean install of 10.5.7 to hopefully get things back to how they were before when everything ran peachy.

While I won't rule out my Base Station as a problem too (can't upgrade the firmware past 5.7, so it might be too old), I've reset it, restored factory setting and did everything I can do to rule it out as the problem. My ISP is fine and I have no problems with Ethernet. My other two macs and the wii are all fine communicating with the Base Station. It's just the new kid on the block giving me problems. My favorite quirk is when it can find my wireless network by name but can't find my Base Station with the utility.

Archive & Install did not work. All it did was give me 10.5.7 with wireless problems. I'm hoping Apple figures something out soon. Thankfully I haven't had it long enough to put too much on it. I'm really not looking forward to the clean install though. It's only two weeks old and I think in all my mac-owning history, this is the second time I've had to do something like this. Note to self: never update the OS until you read the message boards. Never.

Sep 3, 2009 2:35 PM in response to minpajr

Will not connect to a Linksys 'B' router giving a 'invalid password'. The Linksys is using a WEP password. This was also a problem with my MacBook 2.4. Using a USB dongle works as does all Windows computers I've tried. Applecare was no help so maybe someone here has an idea.

Sep 4, 2009 3:46 AM in response to Melissa Martin

Update: Clean Install didn't help after I did it last night. It seems to be working fine now, but last night, even just after reinstalling when it tries to connect to a network when you're first setting up it failed. I also thought it odd that it retained the name I gave my HD despite it being a Clean Install. I thought that would wipe out all information.

I'm going to attempt to get a spot at the Genius Bar today, though I've heard there's not been much luck with others having a similar problem. At the very least I can pick up a new Base Station to see if that's it despite neither of my other macs having problems.

MC1125

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 3:51 AM in response to Melissa Martin

I rolled back the firmware on my airport extreme to 7.4 and its been working fine since. If you're using an airport extreme try that. I am, along with snow leopard and its fine.

Sep 4, 2009 4:05 AM in response to MC1125

My Base Station won't update beyond 5.7 due to its age, so that won't work. Thanks, though.

Sroib

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 7:05 AM in response to minpajr

Arrg, just found this post after much searching on the forum and net, thought it was something I'd done to the MBP, even MOH 'fessed up to down loading some photo's from a forum, and had she introduced a virus.

Had UMBP since the beginning of the year , it's been brilliant, NEVER had a connection problem to our dlink 635 (unlike the PC). Really could not have been better until I think it was Sunday 30th?, I had been loading some new software (from my camara), trying to get plug ins for PSE so I can work in RAW. Then a problem with the date and time resetting back to 2001, plus scary message about having to allow access through the firewall. I thought this looks just like a virus. Only way could get online was to allow, then had to manually find our wifi and give it a poke with the password. However, ever since that it's dead. It can see our wifi plus a few others , but will not connect, says there's a problem with connection.Airport is grey'd out.
Tried all sorts.
The 8 year old PC however has no issue finding our wifi (and that's a first!).

Then I see this post and I think back, and yes I think over the weekend I did do an apple update.

My question is I have Snow Leopard sitting at home, do I:

a) Wait for a fix before installing
b) Install as is and hope
c) try resetting the SMC, plus any of another dozen idea's then installing.
d) Reboot router, connect to the UMBP and reset
e) scream HELP!

I am Sooooo pi$$ed off with apple for this, as we have had a supurb machine up to now. And I blindly accept updates since "well it's from apple it's bound to be OK.". Grrrrr

Edit

How do I go back to 10.5.7 I did not back up before i updated.

Is it worth it since I want to put 10.6 on?.

Message was edited by: Sroib

Sep 4, 2009 8:53 AM in response to minpajr

I am also still having drops/weak signal after installing snow leopard on new 13" MBP. It seems to only be happening while running on battery power. I've tried on many different networks. I hope that apple comes out with an update for this soon.

Janae O

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 2:03 PM in response to minpajr

I cannot get my MacBook Pro to connect to a secured wireless network. I can connect to an unsecured network with no problems and the ethernet cord connects me with no problems, but I cannot get it to connect to my secure network at my house. We have 3 PC's wirelessly connected to the network but we are unable to get my Mac connected. I have typed in the password with and without the $ sign. It shows that I am connected to my network but when I go to get on the internet, I don't have internet connection. We use key 3 on the PC's but no where on the Mac does it give me that option. I have contacted Apple about the problem and they were unable to help me and told me to contact lynksys...we contacted them and went over everything with them and they told me to contact apple. So, now we are going in circles and are not sure what to do! If anyone has any suggestions or help please let me know! THANX!

Sroib

Level 1

0 points

Sep 4, 2009 3:14 PM in response to minpajr

Update

So got home, tried a number of suggestions as seen on here, all to no avail. Now could not even hard wire an ethernet connection. Not happy.

Decided to try snow leopard, after 50 mins down load, the ethernet works. Turned it off switched to airport, no probs.

So my question, if this carry's on OK, how come one week before snow comes out, why did an up date reck some thing that worked fantastic for 8 months, be fixed with the snow update....hmmmm I smells a rat.

Macbook Pro Wireless Connection Problems