10.6.5 and wifi issues

Hi, system update 10.6.5 for sure crippled something with the wifi. However I was able to solve mine.

It seems like that after update to 10.6.5 the airport card is unable to connect on any other frequency than on channel 6. I used to run on cannel 3. So actually I only know that it wont run on channel 3 anymore after the update.

Here is a more detailed reply from me post number 3
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2645611&tstart=0

Message was edited by: JuanSkom

Hi all, I'm experiencing the same issues with my WiFi after the 10.6.5 update. They main visual difference was losing the 3rd signal strength bar 😉

I already tried so many tips like
- repairing the start volume's access rights
- deleting com.apple.airport.preferences.plist, NetworkInterfaces.plist and preferences.plist and reboot
- flushing DNS cache
- deleting the Wifi settings, reboot and enter all details and password again
- restart the rooter
- try different DNS (Open DNS, Google DNS)

NOTHING fixed the issue. Speed is incredibly slow, however it's working the whole time and I'm not really losing the connection from time to time.

I'd like to download the 10.6.5 combo updater (1 GB) but that would take 5 h for my crippled connection^^

This *****, Apple, it definitely does.

Cheers!

After the update I was not even able to locate my base station using Airport Utility when I was 5 feet away. After reading these posts I have corrected the issue. Here's what worked for me.
1. I removed the network from my favorites list so it would not auto-connect
2. I deleted the network WPA2 password from the Keychains
3. Reboot
4. Airport Utility located my Airport Extreme!
5. I performed a manual set up and changed from an automatic network to an a/b/g only (no N but that doesn't work on my old macbook anyway).
6. I also edited the automatic channel selection of 11 to 6
7. Applied settings, shutdown macbook.
8. Power cycled my modem and airport extreme (waited for solid green light)
9. Powered on Macbook
10. Turned on my airport card, joined my network and entered the password...
11. I am enjoying a wireless connection once again! Channel 6 might be the key.

Add me to the list. I've been seeing a problem with my network preferences since 10.5 when it stopped remembering my network, even though it showed up in System Preferences. I complained in the forums, but nothing I've tried has fixed it.

10.6 introduced a problem where I had to try to join my network several times before the connection stopped timing out.

10.6.5 has really broken my Airport. I've tried everything I've seen on the net so far with no luck, including all the suggestions in this thread.

I'm giving 10.6.5 another week, before I try downgrading to 10.6.4. I need wifi for Thanksgiving.

Same issue here, before 10.6.5 update the wireless connection (Time Capsule - 802.11 n) ran smoothly. After upgrading my MacBook Pro still is ok but the iMac (standing next to it) drops connection at irregular intervals.

Tried most solutions suggested so far, nothing helps.

I downloaded 10.6.5 Combo Updater and installed that, flushed cache again, deleted the preferences files and even started Mac OS X in safe mode + reboot.

Didn't help.

Hi Tom,
I look at these forums a lot and after updating to 10.6.5 I was having the same Airport problems as other people on the page. I tried your suggestions and changed my channel from 3 to 6 and it's all working fine now. Many thanks for your fix.

I had a very slow connection on a Macbook (2010) and a MacoBook Pro (2010) but no connection on a MacBook Pro (2008). After starting in Safe Mode (holding Shift while starting) and a normal reboot afterwards, I disabled the WPA2 on my router. Then I could connect from all 3 Macs again. After this I re-set the router to WPA2. The connection speed is better now and I have a connection on my older MacBook Pro. But it is unstable. Seems to me that it is an WIFI-encryption bug in 10.5.6.

I had the wi-fi connection issue too, and I couldn't even connect to my wireless router to change the channel.

Here are my steps that fixed it, taken from following advice on this thread and the OSX Daily blog post:

1. Went to System Preferences > Network and turned Airport off.
2. Deleted my Airport network connection.
3. Unplugged my router.
4. Went to Macintosh HD > Library > Preferences > SystemConfiguration folder and deleted com.apple.airport.preferences.plist and com.apple.network.identification.plist
5. Deleted the following from ~/Library/Preferences: com.apple.internetconfigpriv.plist and com.apple.internetconfig.plist.
6. Rebooted System and plugged router back in.
7. System Preferences > Network and added a new Airport network connection.
8. Clicked the Advanced button and added my (router) preferred network using WPA2 Personal with the password.
9. Turned Airport back on and was able to log in to my router configuration.
10. Changed wi-fi channel to 6.

This seemed to work for me, although I am yet to put my Mac back to sleep and leave it overnight. It certainly is an issue, and I repaired my permissions both before AND after installing the 10.6.5 Combo update. I did notice there were a LOT of permissions that were repaired after updating, mainly java-based.

This is not good enough Apple. Were it not for my iPhone and a 3G connection I would have been stuck finding a fix for this.

Tried everything listed here to get my mini back online after the 10.6.5 upgrade, but no good.

The only thing that work, briefly, was to change my access point name. It only worked once, though. After a reboot, it was back to "connection timeout".

If I boot from the Snow Leopard CD, I can turn on WiFi and it's just fine! Definitely a serious 10.6.5 issue here. I have no choice but to reinstall. I'll give the 10.6.5 upgrade a second shot after that, but I have zero faith when something as fundamental as networking doesn't work out of the box.

Click on the "Airport" icon in the menu.
Connect to the network you want.
System Preferences/Network/Airport
Location: Automatic
Click the "Advance" button.
Select the "Airport" button.
Delete all networks except the one you want to use.
"Remember networks this computer has used" should be checked.
Click the "OK" button
Click on the padlock to lock.



Repair permissions and restart your computer.





HTH

+1

Mbpro bought it in july 2006.
Random drops on whatever wifi network, while iphone4 keeps a steady three bars...

When using skype audio calls you can see what happens with the technical call info: 1,5% loss for receiving but 40 to 90% loss in sending.

Message was edited by: Julez-Edward

These tricks don't work for me. But I found the solution for my Mac: My router provides every registered computer in my network with a specific IP. The Macs are set to automatic DHCP retrieval. Now, I set my problem-Mac to a fix IP and it works just fine. Maybe it is a DHCP issue in 10.6.5?

Tom - nice walkthrough, seems to have solved my issue (i.e., after the update my 2008 MB would no longer find my closed AirPort Express network upon waking.)

Thank you.

CMCSK wrote:
Click on the "Airport" icon in the menu.
Connect to the network you want.

The problem is that this cannot be done. Nothing but timeouts. In fact, a database search in Console for airport shows an entry like this for every failed attempt:

2010-11-13 13:35:27 Apple80211 framework[106] airportd MIG failed (Associate Event) = -3905 (Timeout) (port = 35707)

Delete all networks except the one you want to use.

I also only every have one network I want this mini to connect to. Like I said, I deleted that, deleted Airport, screwed with preferences/permissions/etc, changed the channel, and did all the other stuff suggested here.

Since the CD boot worked, I went ahead an reinstalled from CD, and that works, too. Now I'm trying the combo updater, and in an hour or two I'll know if that patches things correctly, or if I'll have to go and re-install from CD again and stick with that until Apple fixes this.