WiFi Issues With MacBook Air

Similar problem with Internet connection on public networks.

My MBA (bought in 2011) connects to Starbucks network, but does not establish the Internet connection; however it used to work in the same coffee shop a month ago! Tried everything suggested above, still cannot connect in this particular place. Moreover, when I use my iPhone in the same place - it works with no hiccups: connects, logs in, instant fast Internet.

At home I have no probs connecting to my wireless router with MBA, but public networks are like a gamble..

Booked a one to one session.

Apple please do something about this!

I have done further testing on this. Running Lion 10.7.2 on a MBA (July 2011). Besides disabling bluetooth, I found another trick that seems to work. I have a dual band n-router (Netgear WNDR3700 operating with two different antennas at 2.4 and 5GHz). The issues with WiFi upon resuming are only present when I use the 2.4GHz band, which can only be solved by disabling bluetooth. If instead I use the 5GHz n-band, than everything works fine, WITH bluetooth enabled. I also tested this on the campus I work, which uses 5GHz, and it works there too.

So there might be some interference between WiFi (at 2.4GHz) and BT, since they both share similar frequencies. Hardware issues?

It's good that you're doing some troubleshooting, but if you read back through this lengthy thread, you'll see that everything you just mentioned has been documented, tried, etc.

Personally, my Wifi problems are now down to being most atrocious when operating the machine in clamshell mode, hooked via a third-party (as Apple doesn't license this tech) HDMI adapter and using Apple Bluetooth periperhals (Magic Trackpad and Keyboard).

I'd be interested in hearing from people who operate an Air in clamshell mode, and whether or not you have this problem and if problems tend to increase in this mode.

#MBAWiFiFAIL

Well, I actually read back this thread, and I have actually not read what I see, otherwise I would have followed those suggestions. I see people have issues with 5GHz as well as 2.4GHz. Whatever, that's beside the point. There is obviously an issue which is all that really matters.

For me, before 10.7.2 both didn't work, with 10.7.2 at least 5GHz works. That's for me.

I use it in clamshell mode (via DisplayPort, and magic mouse and keyboard) with about the same issues.

i'm also experiencing an unpleasant WIFI issue, but it's a little bit different from above cases.

I think it's DNS-related... If i put under DNS tab in my Airport >myWIFI-station > Advanced > DNS

any DNS server address instead of leaving this field unfilled, i can't surf anymore but i'm still connected to the wifiStation.

Here is my connection details:

- IPv4 > dhcp (192.168.1.x)

- DNS > i use opendns.com instead of my ISP dns (isp dns point to 192.168.1.1 - gateway address)

- Encryption > WPA2 AES (i tried also with WPA2 TKIP - same result)

- WifiStation and MBA are in a short range (2-3 meters)

The only working solution for me is leaving DNS unfilled and using ISP default, but in my case

my isp dns service is very poor.

I tried to fix this issue, deleting all previous network configuration (i upgraded from snow leopard),

resetting SMC and some other exps, but i didn't found nothing useful.

I tried also to switch to Ethernet and in this case all works perfect (with a custom dns,very fast).

In the same location , no problem at all for my iPhone,iPad, and an iMac with wifi.

I can reproduce his "bug" at will. Turn bluetooth on, close lid (or let the Air go to sleep) = drooped connection. Everytime. I"ve considered taking it back to Apple.

In clam shell mode it's just terrible when using bluetooth devices. So the ONLY solution for me is to turn of bluetooth. That means, no using an external monitor, keyboard or mouse (all Apple devices, by the way) with the machine.

I solved all my DNS / WIFI issue on my MBA with 10.7.2, editing: /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist

and adding a new value under "ProgramArguments". the value is "-AlwaysAppendSearchDomains"

I'll post "programArguments" array as it looks after editing:

<key>ProgramArguments</key>

<array>

<string>/usr/sbin/mDNSResponder</string>

<string>-launchd</string>

<string>-AlwaysAppendSearchDomains</string>

</array>

- To edit this file you need a root access, i use to edit in Terminal so it's enough typing:

sudo nano /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist

save (ctrl+o), and quit (ctrl+x).

Now you can restart Daemon typing:

launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist

launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.mDNSResponder.plist

Or reboot your machine...

i hope this help..

thanks for the advice above. however.. I can confirm that this doesn't help for me. as soon as I close the lid, and then open it again after 10 seconds or so, I find that wifi has disconnected, and I need to connect manually again. bluetooth has always been turned off also.

Stephen Cox wrote:

I can reproduce his "bug" at will. Turn bluetooth on, close lid (or let the Air go to sleep) = drooped connection. Everytime. I"ve considered taking it back to Apple.

In clam shell mode it's just terrible when using bluetooth devices. So the ONLY solution for me is to turn of bluetooth. That means, no using an external monitor, keyboard or mouse (all Apple devices, by the way) with the machine.

Same here, Stephen. Glad I dropped $xxxx on a bunch of useless peripherals. Hard to turn Bluetooth off as a "solution" when I have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

andyp.uk wrote:

thanks for the advice above. however.. I can confirm that this doesn't help for me. as soon as I close the lid, and then open it again after 10 seconds or so, I find that wifi has disconnected, and I need to connect manually again. bluetooth has always been turned off also.

I agree that the previous poster's solution is unlikely to work in the long term. The symptom that causes DNS problems is actually one of the primary ones related to this bug that this thread is about. There's nothing really wrong with DNS as configured, and as proven by the countless other devices that continue to work just fine no matter what changes are implemented.

Hi!

Gosh, it's been quite some time since I've posted on the spple discussions forums!

I just wanted to add my name to the growing number of people who are having wifi issues with the MBA.

I've had the computer since November 2010 and I noticed that randomly my wifi would drop (still full bars, just unable to connect to anything external) while my gf (sitting next to me) would be fine (on her macbook pro).

I immediatly thought this was a DNS issue and I added the google dns to my setup. The issue didn't present for a few days but quickly came back again. My graphics card died randomly and so when I took the system in to get looked at for this issue, I asked them to look at the wifi. They basically replaced the guts of the whole system, and gave it back. I left next next day for asia on business and could not get a working connection to the hotel wifi while the people in the room next worked fine. It got to the point where I had the hotel let me look at the network set up to confirm it's configured correctly (I'm a network architect). My MBA was just giving the ⚠ connect connect to internet error.

I went for those two weeks with no internet in my hotel room.

I then noticed that I was getting connection time out issues while other people sitting next to me could connect to a network no problem. My MBA would show full bars in the menu bar wifi detector, but I couldn't connect to those networks. I'd reboot the system, and it would connect fine, work for a little while, and then bunk out. I started bring my older MBP with me when I went out in public, and every time I couldn't connect on my MBA I'd try and connect on my MBP. It became pretty apparently that my MBA was unble to connect to many of the networks my MBP was able to connect to.

Today I finally got sick of this all when, sitting in a coffee shop I was given the password to their wifi, I got the ( ! ) -- fiddled with the dns, rebooted a few times, made new random network connections, pinged and ponged, created custom dns, and touched my nose while rubbing my head and randomly, finally, and quite mystically, it started working.

I know a fair amout about networking, and I have no idea what the **** is going on, other than the wifi on my MBA is just simply weird... I presume it's a software issue, but who really knows.

Best,

j.

Neom,

please share with us what exactly did you do to get in to work, since I (and most of the ppl here) have the same problem as you've described.

I tried every described possible solution and still cannot get it to work.

My MBA used to work with my home network and now it just stopped, although it connects and shows full bars.

Please help.

my MBA (late 2010) isn't affected by your issue (open/close/reopen the lid)

i solved my issue as i described in my reply, i tried 1 hour ago on 2 other MBAs (all late 2010)

and now, on this network, they all works well.

I have posted everywhere I can find people with the same problem. I have a mid '11 MBA, dropped almost 2K on it because i was hopping to keep it for a few years. I just started having these issues with the wifi dropping, freezing seems like it happend about the time Apple released iCloud (for me). Same as everyone else I called, surfed, and done just about everything.

The way I see it we all just got screwed. All I want from Apple now is to just tell me, "yeah we know about it and we won't fix it, your just going to have to put up with it...sorry, but not really ". I'd rather no now then to hear, "we are working on it"

but it sure is small. maybe i can use it for a paper weight.

Add me to the list as of the 10.7.2 update. I bought my 2011 air at the end of July, and everything was working wonderfully, any and all wifi connections at home or away. Today I couldn't connect to a coffee shop wireless. Would show that I was connected, but wouldn't load pages. I tried fiddling and troubleshooting, and the troubleshooter would just say it couldn't find the problem. (Um. thanks.).

Since I set up iCloud and Find My Mac, I had the alternate guest login on the start page, and tried logging in as guest with the basic settings (surfing only). Lo and behold, it connected to the coffeeshop wireless, opened a Safari window, and let me login to their internet page. Then I restarted and logged in with my usual login. It worked after that.

I'm hoping I don't have any more problems, because the restarting, troubleshooting, etc. were a big pain. I'm not impressed that things that worked before 10.7.2 stopped working.

This is my first mac, and I have been raving. I'm raving a little less today.