WiFi Issues With MacBook Air

Bottom line is, if you insist on buying a 2013 Macbook Air, then you're accepting the known WiFi issues that come with it. Yes, you can probably make it work with your router at home if you make some changes, but outside your home it's a crap shoot. A smart consumer would avoid the Macbook Air at this time and wait until Apple releases a fix.

MaXKiLLz wrote:

Bottom line is, if you insist on buying a 2013 Macbook Air, then you're accepting the known WiFi issues that come with it. Yes, you can probably make it work with your router at home if you make some changes, but outside your home it's a crap shoot. A smart consumer would avoid the Macbook Air at this time and wait until Apple releases a fix.

Good luck with that.... I have the 2011 Air and it has the same issue, and has not yet been fixed. I don't think it ever will, if apple isn't even changing up their wifi hardware or acknowledging the issue at hand.

Have you tried the "fix" of keeping the diagnositic window open? So far it hasn't dropped since. Stupid fix I know, but an easy thing to check. Not like all the diving into changing settings etc..

I have a 2 week old MBA. July 2013

That is a good point. I don't think any university IT support would include specifically configuring the router to help with the MBA's connectiviity issues. In light of this ongoing issue, I have opted to get a thinkpad Carbon X1. It is not a well spec'd out as the MBA, no Haswell CPU, lower res screen, shorter battery life, slower ram, slightly smaller solid state drive, but I own one and have travelled with it a great deal. Never had any connectivity issues at the airport, hotel, or university wireless access. It simply works.

Funny isn't this what the MBA should do? Maybe Apple reps will see this post and realize that consumers will forego their product if it continues to give end users sketchy functionality.

In fairness to Apple, I wonder if there is a feature in the OS that tries to budget power useage by tweaking the power to the Wifi card. Spotty wifi connectivity has been a common problem on many laptops using Windows 7 and 8. It is related to two things: 1) Certain intel wifi cards have the ability to work with a few routers to enable an energy saving mode limiting ping backs, if the card and router aren't in sink then the connection will be dropped and 2) Windows 7 and 8 and the intel Proset drivers try and limit battery useage by putting the wifi card in an energy savings mode and by throttling the card's max bandwidth. By inactiviating this power savings mode in the OS most folks report excellent connectivity, stability, and bandwith as this change also turns off the interaction b/w the wifi card and router (issue 1) which seems to me to be a poorly thought out implementation as each router must be configured properly.

more info in this forum: http://communities.intel.com/thread/31090?start=600&tstart=0

Does the Apple OS on the MBA use some sort of power savings feature for the Wifi card?

Just my $0.02.

For the time being I see only one solution: to turn back MBA'13 home to Cupertino.

Fortunately I've got an old Air late 11. And it works fine.

I regret about wasted time.

I spent hours with apple support, but suggestion to buy new router seems a little strange.

Because I can change router at my home, at my office, but how about airports, hotels etc.

Very disappointed...

Waiting for the courier.

A very wise move indeed.

yes, it is! I wish my computer be just few weeks old, I really want to send it back in Coupertino! Now I have to wait and call the support day by day, because they always can tell me some new setup in my computer.... But I really need to do this with any product especially with an Apple Computer??? 😠😟

Sorry to repeat myself.

If I got a faulty unit, at the price of a MBA, I WOULD RETURN IT!

Why do you believe Apple will fix this if we dont keep the pressure up?

They will not if we pay for defective units.

I had the same problem with my brand new Macbook Airs, disconnecting from the wifi at home. It is now fixed. The apple person at support helped me, but made sure to tell me that it was his specfic expertise...not everyone will know to do this. What we did was change my router security settings from WPA Personal to WPA 2 Personal. Now Im on...and it is running fast, without disconnecting.🙂

What are you going to do outside the home?

As for me, Apple must stop mass production of the faulty MBA with ac Wi-Fi, till they won't find solution.

For example, a car makers, they recall faulty cars.

For now, MBA is like a car without a windshield, you can use it, but it is extremely uncomfortable.

Well, glad he could impress you with his expertise, you didn't ask him why he kept this a secret for his co-workers and the other Apple users with this problem?

Seriously, this is not a solution! It's been suggested several times in this and other threads but it only solves the issue for some persons, and only in their homes. Many of us want a MBA because it is easy to bring around, to work, use while traveling and so on. Not being able to connect to my work wifi is a real deal killer for me, and my employer will not change thei network settings only to please me.

Apple has supplied some persons with a faulty piece of equipment, hopefully they will sort it out but until then I suggest people postpone buying MBAs and anyone with a defective MBA should return it.

Did any of you try the software update release last evening ? Did it work ?

Seems working to me. Just switched on the AirPort Express and was able to listen the music from NAS (iTunes in MBA) throught it. Before had to reset and set again the device each time.

Am not sure it would be working the same way later on thought

I check for updates regularly, but did not see this one until you pointed it out. I have it installed now and will work with complete optimism.

Something strange

The music is still going on and iTunes have no complains. But the AirPort Utility window shows that "AirPort Express was previously part of your network. Check that ..."

I do not mind until it works, but...

Will check with 5HGz WiFi next week