Q: Dropping Wi FI Signal

Ronda Wilson wrote:

although it is true that misery loves company. So have yourself a nice pity party here.

Incidentally, I'd really try to help if I could, but (a) networking is not my forté, and (b) I haven't upgraded to Snow Leopard yet. SIC

So besides defending Apple what is your interest here in this thread?
Nice lashing out from someone who is apparently so upset about "name calling". Or maybe it just depends who is doing the name calling.

The overlying characteristic of the issue being dealt with here is that while apple's hardware running 10.6 or 10.5.8 lose wireless connection (often repeatedly and frequently) other computers do not. The helpers here did everything they could to convince us that that situation was not a 10.6 or apple problem. However just like your insistence that there are no defenders of apple here there's been no actual proof of that. The apple fans here even suggested we would be happier with a pc-so love it or leave it I guess.

The single most common thing about fans is their insistence that they aren't. I think it's called denial.

I believe it's my 3rd post here. I've been struggling with the issue ever since I installed SL. I've found a solution which works fine for me and I believe it is a solution which should work at least for most of you. I'm on ADSL2 and was originally on the modem from my provider (Be). Bought a Linksys WAG160N and the situation did not improve. I realised that the problem is with the ADSL and bought another router WRT320N (wireless dual band but not ADSL). Connected the two and haven't had a drop in connection for 5 days now.
I realise it's a costly solution but my frustration reached the boiling point...

but that router "Only works in either the 2.4GHz band or the 5GHz band at once"

Dude, it just disconnected, again! I'm sitting 20 feet next to the thing! The Express is in perfect working order, my PC is hooked up directly with a wire, and my MBP decides cut the signal reception and act like it can't find the Wi-Fi signal.

Multiple fixes? Well I haven't heard anybody try a software fix yet. I'm seriously confused, very suspicious of this Snow Leopard. I had no problems before with Leopard.

Is this a Software flaw, Apple?

10.6.2 installed, drops still here and absolutely nothing within kernel log buffer.

Still no good news? I was thinking reinstall Snow Leopard, but right now probably I'll have to redeem.

10.6.2 and it still drops. Changed from WPA2 to WPA, and although the connection doesn't drop, it stalls and quits sending. Turning off airport resets it, and it works. Tomorrow I'm going back to my 10.4.11 backup. SL features (including this) can wait until apple finds a fix.

Hi,
I've discovered a solution that "Works For Me"(tm)...

My WiFi would not connect at all, after being dropped for the last 4 days, tried everything including installing Vista (which has its own issues).
What finally worked for me was simply booting up from the old Leopard install disk, but NOT installing, simply boot up from it and attach to the network from the OSX Installer.
That connected instantly and from then on, rebooting into SL it works perfectly.

I've also just upgraded to 10.6.2 so we'll see how that works out for me...

Hope this helps some of you guys...


SteveT

As someone who had dealt with this problem for the past 3 months, I have incredible sympathy for anyone who is not only struggling to maintain a wifi connection but also has to watch certain people insist that there isn't a problem and it must be user error.

I think some of these people just like to hear themselves talk.

What solved the problem for me -- and this is an absolutely ridiculous solution -- was going out and buying an entirely new router and hoping that SL would play nice with it. I hesitate to even call this a solution at all but if anyone is as frustrated as I was with the bug, it might be worth a shot.

I have successfully managed to fix my wifi dropping (every 15 mintues) problem by:

1) Changing the channel the router transmits on from Auto to 11 (11 may not work for you so try others if not).

2) Changing the encryption from WEP to WPA2. This is always advisable since WEP encryption is insecure.

Joe

Ninjasinc -- What brand and model router did you get?

I've changed channels, turned of mac filtering, turned on WEP, turned off WEP, changed to WPA2, now just plain WPA. Etc. The last change resulted in not a "lost airport conncection" d-- but packets stalled, and even though the airport icon shows I'm connected, I don't pass traffic. All this, and my husbands HP Netbook just chugs away on the router, and he laughs.

If a new router will fix it, I'm game.

ninjasinc wrote:
certain people insist that there isn't a problem and it must be user error.

Please stop. I is incredibly depressing to have one's motives impugned when you are trying to help. Am I "certain people?" If not, who is? Broad accusations have the effect of hurting everyone's feelings. I've been monitoring this thread now for a month and the bitterness has become deeply depressing. It is also counter-productive.

Cheers,
tod

ninjasinc wrote:
As someone who had dealt with this problem for the past 3 months, I have incredible sympathy for anyone who is not only struggling to maintain a wifi connection but also has to watch certain people insist that there isn't a problem and it must be user error.

I think some of these people just like to hear themselves talk.

What solved the problem for me -- and this is an absolutely ridiculous solution -- was going out and buying an entirely new router and hoping that SL would play nice with it. I hesitate to even call this a solution at all but if anyone is as frustrated as I was with the bug, it might be worth a shot.

That was my solution too, and I totally agree it is an absolutely ridiculous solution. No other computer on my network was losing connection on the router I replaced-including a uni-body macbook running 10.5 The MBP on the other hand lost connection at least every 15 minute often more frequently.

For me it's important to know what is causing this because without that we can't know when another network will be encountered that 10.6 (specific Apple hardware or a combo of the two) won't work with.

Message was edited by: radlure

Were you also getting the message "kernel AirPort: Link Down on en1. Reason 4 (Disassociated due to inactivity)." even though you were in every way active? That's what I was getting and switching channels and/or WEP to WPA is working great for me still (been online all day, not a single disconnect). I have other Macs on the network, all on the same setup and none of them were having the same problem.