Q: Dropping Wi FI Signal

Well if it's not a hardware problem there is really no point in wasting two weeks for a repair. This seems like a flaw in Mac OS X 10.6 that Apple needs to fix.

Until they fix the software, all of us will be stuck with this problem.

TrueSongMedia wrote:
Until they fix the software, all of us will be stuck with this problem.

Once again, you can't make this statement.

Several who have had this problem have had their issue fixed by a hardware replacement.

As I've mentioned before, this topic encompasses far too many different issues to be solved by any one fix, whether hardware or software.

Um, actually I CAN make that statement. If it is a software flaw, a hardware replacement will not solve the problem. If a hardware replacement fixes the problem, it was not a software problem.

The problem to which I refer is a dropped WiFi signal due to 10.6.

It's the "all of us" I have an issue with, not your original statement per se.

I SUPPOSE...
...there is a lot of different issues, but all related with interaction between airport card and OS. I only believe in replacing hardware or firmware update to fix this.

"all of us" might be overstating it a bit, but obviously from the posts in this thread there are quite a few people with a similar problem (No more connections possible even though the airport icon shows a full connection, like a network freeze, only remedy: turning airport on and off).
And if you would read through the posts above you would come to the same conclusion:
It's not the hardware (It happened to me on two different MBPs, one of them only after I installed SL the other with SL factory installed.)
It's not the router, since it happens everywhere (read posts above).
So let's just try to be rational and look at the facts:
*It's Snow Leopard and nothing else.*
The discussion about who's fault it is, or constant neglect of the facts that have already been discussed/mentioned in previous post is becoming more and more redundant. And frankly, it's distracting from he fact that there really is a problem here that until now nobody seems to be able to fix.
The only solution I can see is Apple doing something about it, or somebody coming up with a new solution that works (I tried everything in the posts above, sometimes it seemed to work only to happen again a day, few hours later).

Then have your issues.

By all of us I mean those of us with software problems - considering this thread is in the Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard category.

Bingo.

samuelaebi wrote:
*It's Snow Leopard and nothing else.*
The discussion about who's fault it is, or constant neglect of the facts that have already been discussed/mentioned in previous post is becoming more and more redundant. And frankly, it's distracting from he fact that there really is a problem here that until now nobody seems to be able to fix.

That's the part I disagree with, as:

1) There are millions of Snow Leopard users using AirPort daily with no issues whatsoever.

2) There are people even in this thread who claim that Leopard broke their AirPort and say they need to revert to Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

3) There are many who upon release of Snow Leopard said it fixed the AirPort issues they were having in Leopard.

So while I have no doubt that Snow Leopard is exacerbating the issue for many, there are obviously a multitude of factors involved and so no one solution is going to solve the problems for everyone.

Fun fact: I have two Snow Leopard Macs that have never had problem one connecting to my or any other AirPort network, but I have a Acer laptop running Windows XP that drops off Wi-Fi networks with some regularity.

So, coming back around to the topic at hand, we also know that Apple isn't just covering their ears and saying "la la la" hoping the problem goes away - they're even actively working with several posters here to fix their problem.

What I am saying is it's likely, as we've seen it in the past, that when one group's issues get solved in a future release, will have a different new group complaining the update broke their Wi-Fi access and another stating that the update made no difference for them.

William Kucharski wrote:

That's the part I disagree with, as:

1) There are millions of Snow Leopard users using AirPort daily with no issues whatsoever.

Lucky them...

2) There are people even in this thread who claim that Leopard broke their AirPort and say they need to revert to Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.

That's not the group of people I'm talking about. If you read my post, I narrowed it down to the ones with the exact symptoms involved.

3) There are many who upon release of Snow Leopard said it fixed the AirPort issues they were having in Leopard.

Again, not the group of people or the problem I was talking about. But again, lucky them...

So while I have no doubt that Snow Leopard is exacerbating the issue for many, there are obviously a multitude of factors involved and so no one solution is going to solve the problems for everyone.

I was talking about ONE bug, not a multitude. Always happens the same way, and only under SL.

Fun fact: I have two Snow Leopard Macs that have never had problem one connecting to my or any other AirPort network, but I have a Acer laptop running Windows XP that drops off Wi-Fi networks with some regularity.

Exactly the behavior I came to expect from Windows computers, but that's beef, not from a Mac...

So, coming back around to the topic at hand, we also know that Apple isn't just covering their ears and saying "la la la" hoping the problem goes away - they're even actively working with several posters here to fix their problem.

And that's what I'm hoping to happen sooner than later.

What I am saying is it's likely, as we've seen it in the past, that when one group's issues get solved in a future release, will have a different new group complaining the update broke their Wi-Fi access and another stating that the update made no difference for them.

Meaning? Let's not fix this bug, which obviously exist, because it might create new bugs..?

You are neither helping narrow the problem nor are you helping to solve it. This post doesn't even further the conversation. All you whiners need to stick to the symptoms and what you've tried. Do you even know what these forums are for? They aren't for venting. As someone who comes here for help and usually gets it (from people like William, no less) I am disgusted with the childishness most of you have displayed lately.

I will add in the effort to keep my post pertinent to the topic: my network issues were mostly solved by trashing preferences, and it's a shame that some of you are having more stubborn issues. But lashing out at people who try to help you will get you nothing but a thread that will be abandoned by the people who would help.

"Childish", "whiners", who lashing out here? Keep the insults to yourself...
And if you read my posts you would obviously know that I did stick to the symptoms and trying to find a solution only to get to the point I (and probably some others here) am at now. There's isn't a solution yet (at least not in this thread). All I'm trying to do is not to have to start over explaining every few posts or so what's happening and constantly have to go through the same arguments again and again just to prove that it is a problem that stems from SL.
And yes, maybe I did vent a bit in the hope that someone at Apple reads this. But isn't that a bit understandable knowing that I called Apple Support twice without a tangible outcome? I would be nice to just hear somewhere (doesn't have to be here) that Apple recognizes the problem and is working to fix it.
And thank you for your suggestion to trash the network settings. Another example of someone not reading what's already been written (just to remind you, that doesn't seem to work for the people with said symptoms, nor did it for me...). Any other ideas? Maybe you can copy-paste them from previous posts?

For those who suspect that poor +signal strength+ may be the issue, this amusing video offers a solution:

_Kevin Rose interviews Mike Daisey about Wi-Fi_

This is very clear to me after some testing.

I tested with WPA & WPA2 and b,g,n mode and had dropping of wifi in my mac mini all the time, no possibilities to have long downloads. Had to restart airport many times. Then moved my D-Link modem/router and PC's + Mac mini to WEP 128 and just g mode and that seems to work ok.
So apple have a big problem with wifi.

Then i tested with new Compaq laptop located it to same place as mac mini and run speed tests, I have ADSL 2+ with 24 mbit/s and from same place I got several results for mac mini starting from 1 mbit/s to 7 mbit/s, too many 1-2 mbit/s, Compaq laptop gave me minimum 10 mbit/s and absolutely no problems what so ever in any mode including WPA and n.

WEP and g mode is also clearly faster than WPA and g mode, so keeping WEP.

Also with WEP and g I have full field strength, with WPA2 and n field strenght was weak and sometimes with reconfig I was able to have full strenght for a moment, not all the time as with g and WEP.

So waiting for Apple to update their Wifi and also tell when it is fixed so I don't have to waste time for testing again.

Jimi

Don't forget that WEP is insecure, might work if you live somewhere in the countryside, but here in the city center it becomes dangerous...