Q: WiFi Issues With MacBook Air

Does anybody know (or have tried) if the 10.7.3 update released yesterday to developers fixed this issue?

feranick wrote:

 

Does anybody know (or have tried) if the 10.7.3 update released yesterday to developers fixed this issue?

That isn't something that can be discussed per the Terms of Use on these forums. Even if it can the developers and other testers that were able to download it cannot discuss per the Confidentiality Agreement they all signed. The Terms of Use we all agreed to say:

1. Submissions
   1. Stay on topic. Apple Support Communities is here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively. Unless otherwise noted, do not add Submissions about nontechnical topics, including:
      1. Speculations or rumors about unannounced products.
      2. Discussions of Apple policies or procedures or speculation on Apple decisions.

OK,apologizes. The release of 10.7.3 is a fact though, not a speculation or a rumor, but I do understand developers are not at fredom to discuss.

Pretty pointless from my part to continue to follow this thread. Other than complains there is little else useful to resolve the issue.

Although I haven't personally posted in some time, it occurs to me that it would be easy to interpret my lack of comments as an indication that I no longer had the problem. I do still have the problem, and I believe we should all continue to report our trials and tribulations until someone at Apple listens. I have tried pretty much every suggestion (short of swapping out or reconfiguring routers, which is not an option for people on the road), and nothing works permanently. Because the problem occurs somewhat randomly, it's impossible to determine whether a given fix actually addresses the problem. Since I continue to have the problem with approximately the same regularity, and at the same inopportune moments, I have to conclude that nothing anyone has suggested here truly addresses the real cause of the problem.

I encourage all who have not posted in a while but still have the problem to voice your concerns again, and feranick, I hope you'll do so as well. Whether there's a solution in the pipeline or not, Apple, we need to hear that you're working on it or, alternatively, that you're willing to extend the period during which we can return our defective units for a full refund. When I plunked down my $1,700 I did not expect to bring home a toy.

Hear, Hear!

I am in exactly the same boat,

I posted about this issue on this thread around 3 months ago -

very very frustrating

no acknowledgement of the problem from apple

when i hear of anyone thinking of buying an MBA 2011 I send them to this thread.

It's a disgrace and Apple should really know better.

Count me in, I (still) have the problem.

I also continue to have problems, but since 10.7.2, the severity of my problems have decreased.

The problems I currently experience are:

1. About 50% of the time on wake-up, my wi-fi starts in a disabled state. The only way to get it working again is to turn off wi-fi and re-enable.

2. When the point above occurs, some websites fail to load (almost like a DNS issue because the error message I get is a resolution error). These websites can be browsed perfectly fine on my iPhone or my windows 7 box. Disabling the wi-fi and re-enabling it seems to fix this issue.

Highly annoying, but I'm glad I am no longer experiencing the 30 minute wi-fi blackouts I was getting in 10.7.1.

hi guys,

MBA bought mid July 2011. Wi-fi at home disconnects randomly. Wi-Fi indicator still has all bars, but I just can't browse. Then, turn wifi off and back on gives me a connection again. well, until the next random drop out.

I have called Apple care, twice. First round we changed the network preferences and rebooted with Commnand+Shift+P+S (or something similar). Did not work. Second time we did a check of my hardware. No problem found. I am frustrated.

Next Tuesday I'll go to an Apple store and meet a genius (wish it was a true one). But serioursly, I have been wating and hoped for 10.7.1 and no fix, waited for 10.7.2 and no fix, cause we all think they'll fix it, won't they?what if we bring our MBA back and ask our money back? yes, it's more than a few weeks past the purchase. but they are supposed to give us a working machine, and it is not working. it's a MBA, it is born to be wireless, that's why we gave apple $1+ grands,  and it's not working. I need a computer that works.

Mario

Hi everyone,

the problem still persists, I have tried every suggested solution proposed in this thread and the others, had two Genius appointments (useless) and been carrying my MBA around trying all sorts of networks..

I have a 2.5 month old MBA 13 with Lion 10.7.2 (11C74)

Symptoms:

Wireless does not work with home wifi (Standard wireless Virgin Fiberoptic Broadband), although it used to when I purchased the machine. I suspect it is due to Lion update from 10.7.1 to 10.7.2 which was done about a month ago (because home router settings have not been touched, and it continues to work fine with other devices: PCs, Ipad and Iphone 4).

It used to connect in the Starbucks next to my house just fine, but now (I suspect after the update), after successfull connection to the network, it fails to load the login page.

However, brought it to other Starbucks to test - and it works there!

Also tested in other public hotspots - works fine. Apple Store - always works.

I rarely or never get drop outs or network drop, wifi fail after sleep, signal problems etc. My sole problem is that it would always find a network, connect to it seamlessly and show full bars - but pages would not load.

All this renders it useless for mobile business, as I rely on being connected at all times. Tethering 3g from my Iphone saves from time to time when wifi fails, but that does not appease me as a permanent fix.

Hope Apple is doing something about it!

just to add that my other computer, a Dell inspiron 9400 purchased in the old days of 2006, and running Windows Xp, does not have the same problem.  Can you tell whether this is a software (Lion) or hardware issue? There are threads with non-MBA Lion users reporting the same issue. But still, the MBA seems particularly exposed to wifi issues.

Add me to the problem.  I have a Mid 2011 13" MBA which will not recover from a closed lid.  It sees the network just fine but will not connect automatically.  Requires me to select the network to connect.  Frustrating.

I just bought a 2011 MBA 13" off EBay. The MBA has been reinitialised and with software update is running Mac OS X Lion 10.7.2 - so its a vanilla setup straight out of the box.  I noticed when I went to install iPhoto, it was going to be a 4 hour download, which is weird given my high network speeds.  Subsequently I found this thread.

My partner has a 2010 MBA 11". When I mentioned it to her, she said she thought browsing was slower since she upgraded to Lion 2 weeks ago, but since she doesn't download big files, she's not sure.

Does the fact they check for new networks every 15 seconds have something to do with it?

I just bought a 13" 2011 MBA today.  The wifi stability and speed issues also plague this machine, as well. 

I have four other Apple devices, three run-of-the-mill Windows wireless laptops, a Windows 7 phone, two desktops with wifi, an Asus netbook, and two wireless routers in the house (dual band 2.4Ghz 5Ghz, and a MIMO router).  Every other device I have works very well on my wireless network with either router, and have so for as long as the network has been in service (two plus years). 

Tonight, I turn on the new MBA, and immediately experienced the same speed and stability issues as reported by what looks to be hundreds or thousands of MBA users (Apple - you do have a problem here - and you are really disappointing your customers).  All three routers exhibit the same problems - Apple Customer support - stop blaming the routers.  This is your problem to resolve.  This issue occurs on all access points available.  Basic troubleshooting steps, such as changing channels, repositioning the routers (all of which shouldn't need to be done given that any other wireless device seems to work just fine and have so for a long while), etc. yield no improvements.

I do like the MBA in general, but am going to return it tomorrow given Apple's complete lack of acknowledgement of the problem.  I also need a computer that works, and malfunctioning wifi is not acceptable.  Not knowing if there is a fix in the OS update pipeline is not acceptable.  I've spent too much money on Apple products to tolerate this sort of behavior.  If this issue is not resolved, this will probably be the last Apple laptop I purchase.

These computing devices are much too expensive for this kind of hassle (wifi should. just. work.).

I experienced sluggish internet access when I first got my 13" 2011 MBA.

My solution:

Changing to a wireless channel that best suit my environment.

Rationale:

You may have inteference in your WIFI due to many factors. Walls in your apartment can affect the strength of WIFI from your router, congested WIFI channels, etc. All these can cause sluggish or intermittent connections.

Changing your router's broadcast wireless channel helped for me and might do the same for you.

Specs:

13" 2011 i5 MBA

2wire 5012NV Gateway

I hope this helps.

@edmunddd:

Thank you for the reply, for sharing your experience, and for your suggestions.

However, as I mentioned in my post (last of the third paragraph), I have tried (exhaustively) these sort of basic wireless troubleshooting steps:

"Basic troubleshooting steps, such as changing channels, repositioning the routers (all of which shouldn't need to be done given that any other wireless device seems to work just fine and have so for a long while), etc. yield no improvements."

And, also mentioned in my post, my internal wireless access points work incredibly well with all other devices that have ever connected to the network - even when placed next to the malfunctioning MBA connected to the same access points, same channel, and even with almost exactly the same SNR ( ~ +/- 2dB).  This is not an issue with congested airspace/interference, or attenuation. The MBA is the exception to the rule in all cases.

Google for "MBA 2011 wifi problems" - you will quickly see that there is a widespread problem that Apple needs to address.  The more interesting point is that this seems to be an issue beyond just the MBA, and is one that plagues Lion adopters in general.  I have read countless wifi issues with those who have owned MBPs that originally shipped with Snow Leopard, and once upgraded to Lion, started experiencing similar wifi issues as those reported for the 2011 MBA.

Again, I do like this MBA in general.  Apple makes some of the finest hardware in the world.  But they do have a real issue here that needs addressed.