MacBook Pro looses WiFi after a few hours

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Level 1

55 points

MacBook Pro looses WiFi after a few hours

Computer: Macbook Pro 2.2 GHZ running 10.11.16

I recently changed routers, going from an N router to an AC Router. While the MBP can't do AC, it connects via N and has had a good speed boost.

HOWERVER, after a few hours, the wifi partially stops working. I say partially, because the upload connection isn't affected, only download...it drops from 100Mbps to below 1Mbps. I stay connected to the internet and can still SLOWLY go to web pages etc, but tat's it.

IF I disconnect the wifi, and then try to reconnect, I get a "can't connect" error. Same if the computer goes to sleep, and I try hours later. BUT, if I reboot, everything is fixed instantly.

(top is speed test after reboot, bottom is before)

Connections to other computers on my home network are affected, so it's not about the internet.

Other devices on my network using wifi (iPhone, iPad) do not have this problem and are fine when the MBP is having it's issue.

Given the above, I assume it's something software related, but I don't even know how to start looking for a solution.

Any help?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Sep 30, 2019 2:55 AM

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Answer 1

Oct 2, 2019 7:21 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

CleanMy Mac is a scam that has damaged many Users Macs by guessing at what should be deleted, and deleting parts of MacOS. Such garbage software has no place on your premium-quality Macintosh.

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I urge you to POST the report generated with "Allow Full Disk Access" turned on, and allow readers to look for any more signs of problems.

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Answer 2

Oct 3, 2019 6:52 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

Standard RAM: 2 GB Maximum RAM:6 GB*

Details:2 GB installed as two 1 GB modules. No slots free.

*Apple officially supports a maximum of 4 GB of RAM but third-parties have been able to upgrade the system to 6 GB of RAM using one 2 GB and one 4 GB memory module.

from:

https://everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/specs/macbook-pro-core-2-duo-2.2-15-santa-rosa-specs.html

That would help a Lot, as when you are getting slow, you are also using swap to simulate additional needed real RAM on your SSD drive.

About that drive: You have not enabled TRIM, and your drive is carrying a whole lot of deleted data, which is slowing it WAY down. When your Mac has slowed down, the SSD write speed is slower than a Rotating drive.

sudo trimforce enable

https://www.lifewire.com/enable-trim-for-ssd-in-os-x-yosemite-2260789

The trimforce setting will be honored for all new deletions, but to get maximum benefit, your need to do a pass of Disk Repair that respects the setting of TRIMforce. That is hard to do in the running system, but can be had easily in the disk check in Safe Mode. so hold shift at startup and allow its disk check to run all the way through. If you have Verbose Mode on, you will see a vert satisfying "Trimming unused blocks" message.

Your Hosts count is 15. This sometimes indicates non-standard installation of expensive packages. "Don't bet your business on borrowed software."

The number of panics for various reasons is large. Let's hope speeding things up will solve that as well.

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Answer 3

kaz-k

Level 9

51,970 points

Sep 30, 2019 4:13 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

Hi,

If your Mac doesn't connect to the Internet over WiFi.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202663

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Answer 4

Oct 4, 2019 6:37 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

In the US, you can easily find the correct 4GB DIMM from OWC.net on this page for under US$25:

https://eshop.macsales.com/upgrades/macbook-pro-15-inch-mid-2007-2.2-ghz/memory

The number of entries in the Hosts file can also increase if certain malware is installed, and that is the main reason for checking it. Now YOU have the information, you can do with it what you like, including ignore it completely.

The difference between when your Mac was working properly and when it was so constipated it could not maintain its Internet connection was that you overflowed RAM memory and were Paging/Swapping out to disk.

Good Phase:

Virtual Memory Information:

Physical RAM: 4 GB

Free RAM: 526 MB

Used RAM: 2.32 GB

Cached files: 1.16 GB

Available RAM: 1.68 GB

Swap Used: 0 B

Bad Phase:

Virtual Memory Information:

Physical RAM: 4 GB

Free RAM: 19 MB

Used RAM: 3.36 GB

Cached files: 635 MB

Available RAM: 653 MB

Swap Used: 290 MB

Normally that would only be somewhat slow, but since your SSD is clogged with deleted data, it is exceptionally slow:

Bad Phase:

Performance:

System Load: 4.94 (1 min ago) 3.72 (5 min ago) 5.75 (15 min ago)

Nominal I/O speed: 4.88 MB/s

File system: 43.81 seconds

Write speed: 69 MB/s this number is slower than many Rotating Magnetic Drives; your SSD is not working properly

Read speed: 136 MB/s

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Answer 5

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 2, 2019 2:37 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

(fwiw, the "clean" run found nothing out of the ordinary...things like tat my 11 year old laptop is obsolete...did find some orphaned system files from software I'd deleted like 5 or more years ago, so cleared that, but I doubt "cleanmymac" preference files suddenly decided to start messing wit my network).

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Answer 6

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 3, 2019 3:02 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Yes, I know about CleanMyMac..that's why I deleted the program 5 years ago...and was surprised there was some orphan files sticking around.

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This is an El Capitan system, so allow full access isn't a thing.

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Here's a "good phase" report. I tried to run during a bad phase, but etrecheck kinda choked during the checking software during it. Hitting the bad phase intentionally hasn't been something I've been able to do. It seems to happen after 3 hours of use, but intentionally triggering it hasn't worked out so that's very inconclusive.

Good Phase

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Answer 7

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 4, 2019 2:27 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

I'm unsure what hosts count is.

EDIT: how many entries I have in my host file? What kind of BS need does a diagnostic tool need to count that?

If you want to buy me a 4 gig sdram to see if the macbook pro can indeed use it, sure, but they cost more than the experiment is worth.

I'm not particularly sure about TRIMFORCE.....

What I do know is not one of those issues is ON TOPIC TO THE PROBLEM.

At some point, were you going to speculate on what I actually posted about? That after some xFactor of time or use, I have network problems that go away at reboot?

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Answer 8

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Sep 30, 2019 5:31 PM in response to kaz-k

The problem is THE WIFI STOPS WORKING AFTER A FEW HOURS, not I can't connect to the internet.

While I appreciate you taking an interest, you're reply doesn't address the issue.

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Answer 9

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 1, 2019 3:20 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

Additional: Wile it was in the "not working" phase, I plugged it into my ethernet....wouldn't acknowledge that I had done so. No connection.

Restart fixed that as well as the wifi as usual.

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Answer 10

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 2, 2019 2:06 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks, Grant.

I'm running it now, but for it to be useful, i'll need to run it again during the problem phase as well.

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Answer 11

Todd Kogutt Author

Level 1

55 points

Oct 3, 2019 5:13 AM in response to Todd Kogutt

After 2hours 17 minutes, my macbook entered the bad phase, and this time, I was able to run a report.

I don't see any real differences though.

As usual, a restart fixed the problem.

bad phase

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Answer 12

Sep 30, 2019 7:13 PM in response to Todd Kogutt

Rather than "playing 20 questions", if you could download and run this little "discovery" Utility, change its preferences to "allow Full disk access", and run it, it will produce a report that can be shared back to a reply on the forums for analysis. Personally-identifiable data are laundered out before the report is even produced.

Using EtreCheck to Troubleshoot Potential… - Apple Community

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MacBook Pro looses WiFi after a few hours

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