Q: Dropping Wi FI Signal

There is now a different side to this problem, as it's now happening on the newly purchased (two months ago) iMac we have as well.

It's either a router problem (or not since Xbox Live runs fine for hours upon hours) or a Flash problem. The internet will run fine, I can open up 20 tabs with sites like Wikipedia, Macrumors or my local library. As soon as I open up any tab with a page like Kotaku, Gizmodo the internet instantly stops. It says "connecting" and the page hangs while it's presumably loading. Any other pages stop as well and iStat reports no incoming connection. The bars are full, the router is blinking. After about a minute it loads the page and I can then open up numerous posts from those sites in tabs, the internet is fine again. I've uninstalled and reinstalled flash, repaired disk permissions and gotten all updates. It does this in every browser on both the 2006 Macbook and the late 2009 iMac. The temperature also goes up too.

I seriously have no idea what this. A router issue? A flash or other plug in issue? It's bizarre. Is there a program on the Mac interfering with flash heavy sites?

I really dont want to sit in the Apple store for X amount of time to wait and see if my wireless drops. They should just believe me that I am telling the truth, my machine in less that 6 months old, why cant they just give me one that works? Not give me the run around and tell me that the issue I am having doesn't exist, because I cant get it to happen when I am at the apple store?

Do they think that I am just doing this for fun and have nothing better to do and that I am a liar?

If its my router, then maybe they should give away free Apple routers with there machines, because I should beable to use any router I have and one that works with all other machines. The router works for every other computer that comes to my house, I even took it to my mother in laws house and mine dropped, while two G4 Macs stayed strong in WIFI.

ITS NOT MY F-ING ROUTER! ITS THE MACHINE, BOTTOM LINE!

I should beable to take my MAC out of the box and connect to a WIFI network, not go and manipulate a bunch of settings in my router and my MAC.

EDIT:
Ohhh gues what, as I was typing this and tried to post it, my WIFI dropped! 9:20PM Central time, while posting on the Apple Discussion forum?

Message was edited by: ranger2339

posted this on macrumors forum as well, but i'm so irate i feel the need to share it here as well:

i am literally going to lose my mind with this computer.

even after updating to 10.6.3 it's back to dropping connection literally every 5-10 minutes. i don't know what to do. a laptop that can't reliably connect to wireless networks is just downright ridiculous.

and the 'get a different router' arguments don't fly with me for multiple reasons:

-even if the router is to blame, every other device that connects wirelessly is somehow able to compensate and operate fine. snow leopard's finicky compatibility compared to iphone os, windows and even previous os x iterations, still makes it a failure.

-even if replacing my router did fix things, it would only fix THAT particular scenario. i've already come across 2 routers that this computer just can't stay connected to while everyone else can. part of the point of a mobile computer is that IT should be able to (reasonably) adapt to the places you take it, not the other way around. should i be telling client offices they need to replace their routers with apple branded solutions as its the only thing my computer will connect to?

anyway, sorry for the rant. i'm sure this problem doesn't affect everyone, but for me it's been unbelievably frustrating. i've tried all sorts of suggestions with changing wireless security settings, wireless channels, creating new locations, and so on. i've even given up and gone back to 10.5 (which did eliminate the problem). i decided to give 10.6 a second chance and hoped that this latest update would improve matters, but it's still as bad as it ever was. makes me wish i could go demand my $30 back from apple, just on the principle of the matter.

p.s. it couldn't even make it through composing this reply without crapping out. had i not copied the text i'd have lost everything i wrote when the page refreshed.

ranger2339 wrote:
I really dont want to sit in the Apple store for X amount of time to wait and see if my wireless drops. They should just believe me that I am telling the truth, my machine in less that 6 months old, why cant they just give me one that works? Not give me the run around and tell me that the issue I am having doesn't exist, because I cant get it to happen when I am at the apple store?

Because if it's your router or interference in your area, no Mac will work for you so it's impossible to give you a machine that "works."

If they can't reproduce the issue in-store, it gets exponentially harder to fix it.

That doesn't mean that you shouldn't take it back and tell them it still has the issue; there are other things they can try, but if they've tested it long-term on the in-store network and there are no issues than it's likely an issue that will have to be worked through AppleCare as it's either your router or an obscure software bug.

Do they think that I am just doing this for fun and have nothing better to do and that I am a liar?

What, precisely would you like them to do if they test it and it never drops once in-store if they've already done things like reinstall the OS and possibly swapped out the AirPort card?

I should beable to take my MAC out of the box and connect to a WIFI network, not go and manipulate a bunch of settings in my router and my MAC.

For most people you can.

I'm assuming you have checked to make sure your router is running the most up-to-date firmware available from its manufacturer as well.

You have to understand, Apple is not omniscient. If you have a problem at home that cannot be reproduced in-store, it will require debugging effort on your part as well. That's just the way it is.

Just seen this article on apple insider, yes I know it a problem with ipads, but many of us have been here already with macbooks etc !

Think the preverbal is going to hit the fan very soon !!!!

:-

Some who purchased their iPad on launch day have experienced wireless connectivity issues with their new device, with reports of weak Wi-Fi reception, dropped signals and difficulty connecting to a network.

Already there are a number of threads with dozens of posts about Wi-Fi connection issues, ranging from a weak signal to an inability to connect to a router. Issues have been reported with a variety of routers, including Apple's own AirPort Extreme.

"I have also noticed very weak wifi signal in my 16GB iPad," user tdbc wrote. "Even when standing in front of the wlan router the signal fluctuates from strong to very weak. The router has very strong signals as every other computer here has full signal strength, even 20-30 meters from the router. So there is definitely a wifi signal issue here with the iPad."

Another user, Dr. JB, said their iPad is getting just one bar of Wi-Fi signal, while a nearby MacBook Pro has strong, full reception. They said their iPad was also experiencing slow downloads due to the weak signal.

A post from powerguru revealed bandwidth data from the Speedtest.net application, which showed an iPad with 1.83 megabits per second download, compared to 14.77 megabits on the iPhone 3GS. The user also noted that the iPad uses 802.11n while the iPhone 3GS is 802.11g.

Others said their signal sometimes fluctuated, and some said resetting the network settings or restarting the iPad would temporarily fix the issue. But others who commented said they have experienced no Wi-Fi issues, suggesting the problems are not universal.

In response to some issues, Apple has set up a support document for users who have problems getting their iPad to rejoin known Wi-Fi networks after a restart or waking from sleep. The issue is known to occur with some third-party Wi-Fi routers that are dual-band capable.

To resolve the issue, Apple recommends creating separate Wi-Fi network names to identify each band, such as adding G to the 802.11g network name, and N to the 802.11n network name. It is also recommended that both networks use the same security type, such as WPA. If the issue persists, users can reset their network settings under Settings, General, Reset.

I have two new imacs, a MBP, and two laptops running XP and Windows 7 in my wife's business. They all connect fine to an Airport Extreme base station, connected to a Comcast cable modem. For back up internet, we have the Verizon hotspot. All would connect fine to the hotspot, except one imac. Apple tech had me delete the network preference files. That didn't help. To rule out hardware, he had me boot from the install disk and the computer connected fine to the Verizon wifi. So it is a software issue. After upgrading all the Macs in the office to 10.6.3, none will connect to the Verizon now. The Windows pc's connect fine as does my personal black macbook running 10.5. So it's not a Verizon issue. There is something wrong with SL. I have set the Verizon to WPA and WPA2 and it doesn't matter. I don't want to use WEP, but I may try it to see if it is a encryption problem, though I wouldn't know how to fix it if it was. Apple, please fix this problem.

Updated to 10.6.3 for more than a week now, seems to solved my dropping problem. I have yet to see any post about the update solving this problem. Am I the only lucky one?? Anyway, I put the plan of purchasing the imac i7 on hold b/c I don't want to spend $2K plus to test my luck!
My current wifi does drop after about an hour or 2 of use, but I believe(or strongly hope) it was out of range. I should test this out further. Also the speed is often on the slow side.
Apple, it would be nice if you could address why many of us went through these problems, hope you realize some loyal apple users felt abandoned.
lastly, hope many frustrated ppl here get their fix soon!!!

FWIW, I read yesterday that some iPad owners are experiencing what sounds like exactly the same problem.

The update seemed to have improved things a bit at home, but it still happens, especially about 5-10 minutes into watching movies that I stream from my mac mini(connected by cable) to my macbook. Full black bars, but no more connectivity. I have become so used to just turning airport off and on, it doesn't really bother me that much anymore. It normally happens 1-2 times during a 30 minute episode...
But the last few days, I was at the uni library finishing up on a paper. And it's just happening constantly. A lot more often than at home. Annoying when you're researching online, finding references, searching law databases. I wish Apple would pay me for the time that I lost trying to constantly reconnect my WiFi. But the most painful thing is sitting next to other students happily surfing away on their XP/VISTA/7 laptops. None of my study friends using PCs are experiencing the same problem with WiFi. Funny enough, I asked a guy with a macbook sitting next to me today about his WiFi: same problem, he's annoyed as well.
It's the first time in my "computer life" (I had my first mac when i was 6) that I don't recommend Macs to my friends anymore. On the contrary, they are sure to be on the receiving end of a rant that rivals most things you read on the comment page of TechCrunch, Engadget etc. And I influenced a lot of people in the past to get macs (My dad and the whole lab and institute that he presides over, must be more than 40 macs that they got when they switched etc.) I'm really disappointed by Apple that nothing is happening, that they're obviously busy doing other things. I'm sure they read this Discussion Board, but must be thinking that there aren't enough people with this problem to warrant any action.
I ordered a external usb wifi stick hoping that it will alleviate the problem. It's not an ideal solution, especially when you realize that a mobile computer that cost me 1600+ Euros should be really mobile. Meaning I should be able to go to the Uni Library or home and just use the WiFi, without external WiFi stick or anything.

Let's see what happens with this stick. And hopefully with Apple.

I believe the issue is related to the "N" speed on the Mac. When I use any PC that is B or g speed no 2wire router drop outs but using my Imac I drop the link several times a day.

WOW. 879 replies, you'd think Apple would at least pretend to be taking an interest in this issue.

They do. They are watching this thread rather closely believe it or not.

How do you know that?

Evidence that there are has not resulted in a fix.

Robin Bonathan wrote:
Evidence that there are has not resulted in a fix.

If you've read this thread, you'll know it's because there are a multitude of different issues that can cause the same symptoms.

(It's rather like wondering why doctors can't cure the common cold, the reason being there are some 99 different rhinoviruses that cause the same symptoms when you become infected by them.)

Some have had luck with updating their router firmware (always the first debugging step you should take), others have had luck changing router channels, some had their issues fixed by the Mac OS X 10.6.3 update, while still others have had no success with anything recommended here.

Nothing Apple can do will fix all these issues, especially those involving third party router firmware or Wi-Fi interference issues.

William Kucharski wrote:

Nothing Apple can do will fix all these issues, especially those involving third party router firmware or Wi-Fi interference issues.

I'm sure that they can't fix all the issues, but they can and should be able to fix the issues that stem from a buggy SL. And with that I mean all the instances where one had no problems with Leopard and is now experiencing problems since updating to SL. Filtering out all the comments in this thread that might stem from other reasons, there are still enough people here that are exactly in that situation.

(It's rather like wondering why doctors can't cure the common cold, the reason being there are some 99 different rhinoviruses that cause the same symptoms when you become infected by them.)

One rhinovirus being Snow Leopard. I hope they get their act together and release an update that cures their own disease.
They're obviously having problems with WiFi, not only on SL but also on the Ipad, i wouldn't be surprised if the two shared their WiFi code: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8606727.stm

Message was edited by: samuelaebi