MacBook Pro 2011 USB Tethering Cause of Kernal Crash READ

Guys and girls, you can use iphone tethered using bluetooth for now. You can also leave your USB cable connected as long as you connect your tether with Bluetooth only. This bug only seems to affect the USB iphone connection within preferences/network so you can still maintain a charge via USB.

While we wait for a fix from Apple..

If you really want useful information from these panic crash dumps, you need to get the Kernel Debug Kit for your running kernel from the (free!) Developer site, and drop in the debug kernel in place of your existing one and reboot. The current version is "Kernel Debug Kit 10.6.6 build 10J567".

Then trigger the crash and this time you'll see symbolic addresses instead of "0xfffff8050d820" Hex gobbledegook that does no one any good. Report the backtrace info to Apple.

I just purchased a 13" MBP 2.7GHz, Core i7 4 days ago and have run into the same issues with USB tethering.

Is this a hardware or software issue? If it is a hardware issue I have the opportunity to change it for a new one. If it's only a software fix that is needed from apple I'd rather keep the one I have.

I have only 2 days left to make the change so would appreciate it if someone can advise me on this issue.

Thanks!

I think it's pretty safe to say it's a known issue. USB tethering with an iPhone 4 causes kernel panics on my Early 2011 13" MBP 8,1 as well.

Hopefully to be resolved soon. 😟

Looks like today's system update to 10.6.7 did not solve the problem.

Just to add to the dataset, I get kernel crashes when I tether my iPhone4 and when I use use a usb hub with a built-in ethernet adapter (i.e., two different ways to get internet over USB - both crash the machine). I am running a Spring 2010 MacBook Pro 17"

10.6.7 does not fix problem with USB tethering sorry folks !

Is this issue happening if you boot to the 32bit kernel? The new MBPs boot to the 64bit kernel by default.

I was having trouble with USB tethering (to iPhone jailbroken) (gray screen crash) and also with my Verizon USB broadband modem (it just wouldn't work). I switched to the 32bit kernel and the USB modem started working. I can't remember if I tried USB tethering also.

Steve

same issue here. Started about 3 days ago. I've had six faults so far.

1. iPhone 4 (AT&T) iOS 4.1
2. MyWi 4.51.1 USB tethering
3. 13" MBP 2.3GHz i5 4GB RAM OS 10.6.6

Just switched to wifi mode and so far no problems. I'm trying to download the update right now. If it doesn't work, I'll just wait until I get home tomorrow and use my wifi there.

Same problem here, also with 10.6.7. Waiting for a good update...

I am totally new to Mac, having cross over from WIndows.

So disappointed about the freeze. I can now recall my iphone was always connected to my Macbook and it froze after a while, whether I was on internet tethering or syncing with iTune, Calendar, Mail, whatever.

Since I must have internet connection with my iphone, this is causing me much misery.

Can someone tells me that I have erred to cross over to Mac?

Upgraded to 10.6.7 but the FREEZE still happens

What am I supposed to do with this expensive machine?

Workaround: Boot in 32bits kernel mode by pressing "32" at boot time.

Thanks. Will experiment with your suggestion.

I had called Apple Support but they are unable to confirm if USB tethering is causing the freezes.

By the way how do I return to 64 bits?

Hi,
I can't assure that all the series of MBP is having this issue.
I got my machine before two weeks, i used it for five days while tethering via USB iPhone4 without any Kernal Panics, but i found some keyboard keys need to be fixed, so i returned back to the shop (here in Saudi Arabia). They offered to fixe it by replacing the keyboard, i refused then they replaced it to me by a new one..
I used it for couple of days and had been having more than 10 KPs a day, so i came back to them and showed the crash reports i saved. what is so disappointing, the Apple certified technician told this KP is due to Hard disk errors. They replaced it for the second time !!
Machine # 3 is had the same problem after being updated to 10.6.7 which i expected is meant to solve it,,, i started analyzing the crash logs and i found it all repeated with :

Kernel Extensions in backtrace (with dependencies):
com.apple.driver.AppleUSBEthernetHost(2.1.1)@0xffffff7f80bf7000->0xffffff7f80bf cfff
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.10)@0xffffff7f80894000
dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOUSBFamily(4.2.0)@0xffffff7f80db6000
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily(1.10)@0xffffff7f80894000->0xffffff7f808adfff

I don't know if the first machine was set to 32 originally. if not, how it was ok with USB ??

As of now, i'm running my machine in 32 kernal with no problem, i tried also to work on Bluetooth tethering while 64 kernal is running and it was ok..

I haven't tried to sync my iphone yet because i'm not sure i'll keep this MBP or i'll ask for refund, did anybody tried to do ??

Can anybody confirm this is a SW related and can be a fix available, or it's a HW related, and if so, shall Apple offers a recall in the future ??
please advise