MacBook Pro Wifi frequently dropping

hold down the Option key while you click on the Wi-Fi icon on the menubar. you get a snapshot of current operating parameters like the one below. screenshot, photograph or transcribe the value into a reply on the forums, a readers will try to analyze for you.

this screenshot courtesy of MrHoffman

you have very strong signal RSSI of -43 dB, you must be very close to your router.

you have noise at -92 dB, I would like that number to be lower, but that may be a clue.

you made an 80 MHz wide connection on channel 161, using 802.11 ac rules.

You are using the most complex modulation technique possible with 265 different patterns. But you are only using two antennas, so you are limited to the top speed with that combination of 867 M bits/sec. That may be another clue, because I think that computer has three antennas. If there are other Routers overlapping your spectrum, you can't run as fast as you should be able to run on a clear channel.

You should check that your Router is set to "automatic" channel section, save changes, then cycle the power to your Router. This request it to check the airwaves for other nearby routers before committing to a channel, and then choosing the least busy channel.

On that same Option Wi-Fi menu, there is another choice -- Open Wireless Diagnostics. if you run that you may get some recommendations.

The additional tools that are more interesting are on its Window menu:

there are several interesting tools there, but to check for nearby Routers compl=eting with yours, use the SCAN function to produce a screen like this one:

(drag and drop on preview to see larger)

Click the channel column to sort into channel order.

secret decoder ring:

your current channel 161 at 80 MHz spreads over EVERY channel from 149 through 161. ANY other router using any of those channel will clash with yours.

WiFi Exploers in an inexpensive Mac Utility that can produce graphs of Spectrum use for your Mac. this example show a very crowded network neighborhood where no one is able to get much done:

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