Dropping Wi FI Signal

No dice, that's not working for me.

I am trying to connect to an AEBS running dual band b/g and n networks. It will connect to either, work flawlessly and then just drop the connection. The wireless bars go out and I can't see any networks anymore when clicking on the airport icon. The only solution is to restart the computer where it will work for anywhere from 3 minutes to 20 minutes before the same thing happening.

I tried:
downgrading the AE to 7.4.1
Downgrading to leopard (fresh install)
Upgrading to Snowy 10.6.2 (fresh install)
Changing wireless channels on the AE and the protection between wpa/wpa2 and wpa2 personal.

All with no success.

Is Rosetta anything to do with this?

Xinaian wrote:
I've just been contacted. Anyone else who can confirm that it's not scam?

I was contacted by support also and they requested a system profiler report.

I have been watching this thread throughout the weeks as I had been having the same problems as everyone else. The "AirPort: Link Down on en1. Reason 4 (Disassociated due to inactivity)" error was happening at sporadic times throughout the day, but was only happened when I was streaming music through an Airport Express (which is pretty much at all times). I was using a Belkin N1 router. I am pretty sure I tried every solution in this thread and nothing worked. I was hoping 10.6.2 would fix my issue and thought the issue would never be fixed. Until...

I was finally fed up and switched to an old Airport Extreme (first gen) that I had laying around (I don't know why I had not tried this before). I haven't had an issue at all in the past two days. I don't think it was the fact that it is an Apple router that fixed the problem, but it was definitely the fact that is was a different router. This seems to tell me that this isn't an issue with the hardware, and probably not an issue with the software. If other people are having this issue still, I 100% recommend trying out a different router. It has worked for me.

jhogeterp, I don't know the value of my responding but it's ironic that with my home network I switched to a router (Belkin N+) which is the one that didn't work for you.

Of course the problem with that fix is we can't just change routers every place we use to connect from. I'm saying that about mobile computing-if the computer having problems is a desktop then I guess you're set.

I have the same problem, my AirPort drop the signal and just come back with restart, like turn off/on.

That new Snow Leopard OS... urgh. (#$#@%$ˆˆ)

I'm having this problem too...ever since SL, my MacBookPro4,1 has constantly dropped my airport connection to my AEBS. Tried all of the myriad of suggestions (deleting network profiles, deleting plists, resetting PRAM, disabling DHCP, etc.) and I even did a fresh install of SL to no avail.

I finally had to revert back to 10.5.8 - I will see how stable Leopard is with regards to Airport connections.

Downgraded to 10.5.8 - and I still get the problems..just noticed in my log though that it looks like the snow leopard drivers are being used for airport in 10.5.8? I wish Apple could isolate this and fix it.

Nov 18 19:25:18 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: wl0: PSM microcode watchdog fired at 8118 (seconds)
Nov 18 19:25:18 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: psmdebug 0x00ff8f34, phydebug 0x00000000, psm_brc 0x00000000
Nov 18 19:25:18 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: wepctl 0x00000700, pcmctl 0x00000300, pcmstat 0x00004000
Nov 18 19:25:18 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: Assertion failed: file "/SourceCache/AirPortDriverBrcm4311/AirPortDriverBrcm4311-366.91.21/SnowLeopard /src/wl/sys/wlc_bmac.c", line 839: "PSM Watchdog" && 0
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: wl0: PSM microcode watchdog fired at 8119 (seconds)
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: psmdebug 0x00ed8cc1, phydebug 0x00000008, psm_brc 0x00004080
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: wepctl 0x00001170, pcmctl 0x00000341, pcmstat 0x00004000
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: Assertion failed: file "/SourceCache/AirPortDriverBrcm4311/AirPortDriverBrcm4311-366.91.21/SnowLeopard /src/wl/sys/wlc_bmac.c", line 839: "PSM Watchdog" && 0
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: Assertion failed: file "/SourceCache/AirPortDriverBrcm4311/AirPortDriverBrcm4311-366.91.21/SnowLeopard /src/wl/sys/wlc.c", line 27384: p != NULL
Nov 18 19:25:19 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: wlc_dotxstatus: mbuf pointer null status:0x11pktpend: 0 6 0 0 0 ap: 0
Nov 18 19:25:29 DIRECTO5 kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on en1

Just thought I would throw in my few cents on the issue:

I have a 13" MacBook Pro purchased October 2009 and a 13" MacBook purchased in August 2006.

The MacBook Pro is Model 5,5.
Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x14E4, 0x8D)
Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.91.19)

Originally came with 10.5 Leopard, upgraded with $9.95 disc to Snow Leopard, now up to 10.6.2. I will occasionally experience an issue when connected to the internet where the airport icon will indicate I'm connected, but Safari and Chrome will refuse to load webpages. I have to click to turn Airport off, then back on. Sometimes it works, and other times I have to restart.

The MacBook is Model 1,1
Card Type: AirPort Extreme (0x168C, 0x86)
Firmware Version: Atheros 5424: 2.0.19.4

With this, sometimes the issue is the same as the MacBook Pro, but other times it will show the icon as being completely disconnected. A reboot fixes this. Laptop worked just fine under Tiger 10.4.11, is not running 10.6.2 via Archive and install to Leopard and subsequent Archive and Install from 10.6 (retail upgrade package for Tiger owners).

I cured a similar problem with my Macbook 4,4 and MBP 5,5 by using OnyX. The connections have since been rock solid. (I suspect the system or dyld cache needed clearing?)

My signal drops depending on when my ISP changes my IP address. Because Airport doesn't even support PPOA, this will remain an issues for years to come.

I have spent so many hours on this that I am going too keep this rather brief. I do not want to spend any more minutes on this ridiculous problem. I solved it like this: got hold of a used airportcard from a 2008 MB. I replaced the card in my MBP 1.1 with this, which incidently upgraded me from -g to -n standard as well. Since then: no issues. Everything as before the problem, ie before 10.5.8 for me.

It started for me when upgrading to 10.5.8 and the issue has stuck since, all the way up to 10.6.2. The "old" card is not faulty: it works flawlessly under Windows XP. I only use Apple airport stations (and apple computers and stuff in my networks) and have tried everything before swapping my card. And I mean everyhing. i rebuilt my networks many times from scratch. Installed clean OS´s... took away encryptions. Changed passwords. Took ´em away. Downgraded airport FW.... you name it, I did it. And I really mean I DID IT. I´ve spent a minimum of 50 hours trying to work it out. The only thing that worked in the end was changing the card. And I stress this fact to anyone trying to blame users and saying their cards are faulty. The cards are not broken. They work well under other OS´s. Also, this is almost everyones experience: the problem occurs immediatly after upgrading to a certaing OSX version. Its just too much of a freak coincidence that eveyrones airport card should break down exactly when upgrading OSX (unless of course the breakdown is produced by the actual OS upgrade, now that´s a conspiration theroy for you 🙂 )

After reading this thread, and many others like this, and after my expeiences, my conclusion has to be this:

Some of Apples airportcards (in portables it seems) paired with various versions of OSX (mainly 10.5.8 and upwards) result in this problem. There is no fix, until Apple fixes its firmwares/OS or whatever they need to fix. If you do not want to wait for that, get a used card from another machine, or buy a brand new replacemnet from some 3rd part retailer (set you back about $100). I got mine here in sweden for 25 bucks from someone who took it out of a MB. I was lucky it did the trick.

Good luck to everyone. I´m out of this. Thank f--king GOD!!!

I've watched this thread grow bigger everyday, I'm surprised there's not a patch for this yet as I've suffered long enough.

*What I'm using*: Macbook 2nd Gen 2Ghz Intel Core Duo

*What Happens in Console*:
11/9/09 9:38:50 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87
11/9/09 9:38:50 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87
11/9/09 9:38:50 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87
11/9/09 9:38:53 PM kernel AirPort: RSN handshake complete on en1
11/9/09 9:38:53 PM mDNSResponder[18] RegisterInterface: Frequent transitions for interface en1 (FE80:0000:0000:0000:0217:F2FF:FE40:C180)
11/9/09 9:38:54 PM configd[14] network configuration changed.
11/9/09 9:38:54 PM mDNSResponder[18] RegisterInterface: Frequent transitions for interface en1 (10.0.0.102)
11/9/09 9:39:05 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87
11/9/09 9:39:05 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87
11/9/09 9:39:07 PM kernel AirPort: RSN handshake complete on en1
11/9/09 9:39:23 PM kernel apple80211Request[7097] Unsupported ioctl 87

*My Network AP's*: DLink WBR-1310 and a joined Airport Express (+updated to 7.4.2+)

*Wireless Security*: WPA Personal ( AES/PSK)

*What I've tried*: Obviously 10.6.2 update didn't fix this. I've also, created a new network location and deleted all my saved wireless keychain entries. I've also set the service order and deleted network preferences.

I've had terrible problems since upgrading to 10.6. None of the so called fixes have worked and neither have the system updates. I put in a new HDD the other day and did a fresh install and was still having problems.

As a result I called AppleCare and logged a case with them. It was widely believed that my problem was hardware related and that as my machine was still under warranty the Airport card and possibly the antenna would need to be replaced!

Whether or not installing 10.6 did something to cause my hardware to malfunction remains to be seen, I doubt it but there is a common factor here with everyone else having problems.

It is now with my local Apple Store awaiting repair..

I have an iMac and a MBP. I THOUGHT I had a router problem. My Buffalo DD-WRT was suddenly becoming flakey AFTER I went to 10.6.2.

I couldn't have imagined that It wasn't the router but the Mac wireless? I switched to using my iMac as a router via Internet Connection Sharing. Since 10.6, I've been unable to maintain a connection between my MBP and my iMac. And the Powerbook G4 also can't get a connection to the iMac. I have to reboot, or restart sharing, or restart the airport. Totally flakey and random. Going on two days I can't get sharing back to working...

So now I find out that not only is internet connection sharing failing, so is receiving? Jeeze. Makes me feel like they hired Microsoft engineers to rewrite the wi-fi code. :-O. (On my Thinkpad, changing network environments at all meant 30 minutes of typing ipconfig and wondering why the computer couldn't do a simple thing right and finally rebooting, on Win 95, 98, 2000, XP so yeah Microsoft engineers).

I'm also having troubles trying to re programming my router now... Is this also because of Snow Leopard???

My point is, it seems like something is very wrong with a whole suite of operations around the Wi-Fi connectivity, and it would be wise not to jump to any conclusion about which part it is because I'm starting to think there are multiple failures going on (especially if you've got more than one Snow Leopard machine! Right?)

One thing that helped Internet Sharing for a short time was to make sure that when sharing, the machine wasn't also trying to set a DHCP IP address. So it had to do with turning the IPv4 TCP/IP to OFF instead of DHCP or something. But that was a temporary fix.

Time to call Apple again...