WiFi Issues With MacBook Air

ubiquity75, my MBA had the 'intermittent' network connectivity issues out of the box, and I initially suspected a HW issue (since every other device in my home worked OK including a MBP w/ lion). So I went to the Apple Store, and surprinsingly, the MBA had no problems and all the sites I usually had problems loading were extremely fast. The genious told me to wait for the first lion update, so I did. 10.7.1 did not fix the problem. In the midst of my frustration I found this thread, and with a combination of network setting changes I found a fix (documented in my previous post) that has been working (for me) for the past two weeks.

However, based on your comments, I went back to the default seetings and just tried it on the open network at barnes&noble. It works fine. Then I walked to the apple store I originally went to, and connected to their open network. It works fine.

This is very limited testing, but it seems to suggest that your theory is worth exploring (anyone in Apple listening?). I mentioned my story at the apple store for those of you thinking of taking your MBA to store and who would likely get the 'it works on our network, maybe it's your router?" line.

GP

I spent several hours with Apple care with the intermittent and time out issues -- they had me buy a new airport express to try as they said there is some kind of "loop" in my system. I need to set an appointment with Apple care to set it according to their instructions -- will let you know if it works. 10.7.1 did not fix it, and disabling BT did not fix it. As a last resort we will have to connect the "old-fashioned way" to get back to work as this is taking lots of time....

gabrielperez21 wrote:

ubiquity75, my MBA had the 'intermittent' network connectivity issues out of the box, and I initially suspected a HW issue (since every other device in my home worked OK including a MBP w/ lion). So I went to the Apple Store, and surprinsingly, the MBA had no problems and all the sites I usually had problems loading were extremely fast. The genious told me to wait for the first lion update, so I did. 10.7.1 did not fix the problem. In the midst of my frustration I found this thread, and with a combination of network setting changes I found a fix (documented in my previous post) that has been working (for me) for the past two weeks.

However, based on your comments, I went back to the default seetings and just tried it on the open network at barnes&noble. It works fine. Then I walked to the apple store I originally went to, and connected to their open network. It works fine.

This is very limited testing, but it seems to suggest that your theory is worth exploring (anyone in Apple listening?). I mentioned my story at the apple store for those of you thinking of taking your MBA to store and who would likely get the 'it works on our network, maybe it's your router?" line.

GP

Aha, thank you so much, Gabriel - emphasis mine above. This is an important post that documents the issue. Because the issue is intermittent and, as I suspect, likely related to secure networks, of course the problem is likely never to occur at the Apple Store itself. So we must document these issues on our own. I'd like to hear from anyone employed by Apple in the Support Forums. This is an egregious situation.

By the way, I'm tweeting about this on Twitter (@ubiquity75) using the hashtag #mbawififail . I encourage others to join me there, since we obviously need a broader audience to gain a resolution to this issue.

I too was having intermitent wifi errors with my new (2011) MBA. However, I was also having the problem with other apple products and a specific router. So while this may not be the end all fix for everyone, it defniitely was a fix for me and my issues.

Essentially I put my MBA and my iPhone as a static IP within my router. Logged into my router, told the MAC address that I wanted and assigned it a particular IP within the router. So for my MBA I have 192.168.1.4 and iPhone is 192.168.1.5.

I think the issue we are having is that it is not flushing the IP/DHCP with some routers causing an IP conflict, and when this happens, the wifi will drop.

I had the issue of it not connecting after sleep (sometimes still do, but a quick discconnect reconnect fixes that) with the MBA not connecting or not having internet access with limited connectivity.

Try putting your MBA with a static IP on your router and see if that fixes the issue.

Hello, i've just finished a phonecall with apple care and after many attempts we found a resolution that worked for me and that hopefully will work for the rest of you too.

1 - Load network preferences

2 - delete the wi-fi in the bar on the left hand side (press the little - at the bottom of the box)

3 - log out

4 - then create a new wi-fi

5 - connect to your usual wi-fi

Good luck with that one.

However, if that didn't work:

Another few options he gave me that didn't work for me but might for others are:

- Disable Bluetooth (read online that this worked for quite a few people)

or

- Unheck the box that says 'ask to join new networks'

or

- In the location bar, click edit locations and add a new location called test

or

- Create a new profile on your mac (he told me to call it test)

or

- move a file called com.apple.airport.a...plist (search for it) onto your desktop.

I have a new 13"MBA with the same problem. This is VERY annoying. I have tried every "solution" posted on the forums without any permanent effect. The only thing I have not tried is swinging a dead cat over the MBA at midnight by the light of the full moon in a cemetery.

I will keep reading the forums and trying combinations of "fixes". Hopefully one will be a permanent solution, and hopefully the next update to Lion will address the problem.

I may be one of the fortunate ones in that turning off the BT has worked at both home and at work. However, it is annoying because sometimes I do like to use the wireless mouse. I wonder if my (older, Feb. 2011) MBA may be different in some ways from the newer ones. Still, a fix needs to be found.

I couldn't have said it better! I can't express how frustrated I am. I have also tried everything mentioned here. I spent a whole lot of money for a premium laptop but a basic function such as wirless lan does not work. I hope that this is not a never ending story.

Static IP assignment does not work to resolve this issue, if the issue is new MBA networking issue. As I reported while documenting my own problems, my home network had the following devices, working seamlessly, on the network:

- MacBook Pro, late 2007

- MacBook Pro, late 2009

- MacBook, 2007

- iPhone 4

- iPhone 3GS

- iPad 2

- another iPad2

- Xbox 360, summer 2011

- Assorted other laptops and devices from time to time.

Even though all other machines were working without flaw, I nevertheless did test three different wireless routers, including an Apple Airport Express N, as well as turned off DHCP on these routers to use static IP.

This did not solve the problem. As you state, it sounds like you had a different problem to start with.

jejejeje wrote:

Hello, i've just finished a phonecall with apple care and after many attempts we found a resolution that worked for me and that hopefully will work for the rest of you too.

1 - Load network preferences

2 - delete the wi-fi in the bar on the left hand side (press the little - at the bottom of the box)

3 - log out

4 - then create a new wi-fi

5 - connect to your usual wi-fi

Good luck with that one.

However, if that didn't work:

Another few options he gave me that didn't work for me but might for others are:

- Disable Bluetooth (read online that this worked for quite a few people)

or

- Unheck the box that says 'ask to join new networks'

or

- In the location bar, click edit locations and add a new location called test

or

- Create a new profile on your mac (he told me to call it test)

or

- move a file called com.apple.airport.a...plist (search for it) onto your desktop.

Highlighted above are things that I and others have tried on this forum to make this problem go away. The highlighted things do not work. Frankly, I'm not going to waste my time with the first thing they told you to do (delete then re-add the WiFi network service), but if someone else wants to, they should - and then post when it stops working again so it can be documented.

Again, I am also speaking out about this issue on Twitter using the hashtag #mbawififail . I encourage you to do so as well.

I had problems connecting my macbook air to my home WiFi on the very first day. It disconnected every single minute and I have tried some of the ways that other users on this forum tried (like disabling BT, deleting and re-adding the WiFi, unchecking 'ask to join new networks' ) but they just did not fix the WiFi issue.

That's just very frustrating.

Hello,

I hava a MBA 2011 i5 with Lion, using it with a router called "FritzBox 7390". Most German readers will know it because it is extremely popular in Germany.

I never noticed real drops of the wifi connection (neither 10.7 or 10.7.1), however right from the beginning the transfer rates are extremely slow, especially using 2,4 GHz mode. In the 5 Ghz mode it is better but not satisfying.

Other laptops (all windows but with different wifi chipsets) do not have this problem.

I tried really hard to adjust settings in my wifi router and in the mba. After all the problem remains.

Apple->now its your turn. Your users obviously did everything to solve the problem. Or did you stop listening the the "voice of the customer"?

Today's entry into my ongoing networking problems:

Attempting to do a Skype conference today has been interesting, to say the least; by "interesting," I mean abysmal. The connection has been unreliable and choked throughout the whole call. Finally, the connection gave up the ghost completely. I had previously reset modem and Airport Express N within the course of this experience. When the connection finally ceased altogether, kicking me off my Skype call, I turned my WiFi off and on from the Finder. I also renewed/released my DHCP lease. In a final step, I did turn off BT, and my connection IMMEDIATELY came back.

Again

- I _do_ have both wireless keyboard and magic trackpad, BUT

- these problems preceed me having these two peripheral BT items and

- I can have Bluetooth enabled on other (open, public WiFi networks) and not have any networking probelms at all.

Further -

- Disabling BT is not a viable option for me. I run the Air in clamshell mode. We need more clarity on what the nature of the problem is and when a solution can be excpected. It has to be more complicated than simply a constant interference between WiFi and BT, and it has to be an issue beyond whether or not peripherals are present.

What do we make of this? I'm tweeting about the MacBook Air WiFi fail at:

#mbawififail

In the hopes that tech media will start paying attention, since Apple doesn't seem to be.

This is a followup to the problems we have been having with our macbook air. My last post I said Apple Care told me to buy a new Express and they would help set it up, that we had a loop in the system. HOWEVER....since buying the equipment they recommended, which is still in the original packaging, the wifi has consistently remained connected. Same computer location, same old Express, same router, no changes to settings as recommended by all the other participants...not sure how it will last, but it seems to have healed itself. Thank you all for your continued input to this problem. Now not sure if to be safe I should call Apple Care and add the new Express or just leave things as they are....