Q: Wifi Constantly Dropping in Lion

So it looks like my issue had to do with my WiFi security protocol. 

When I attached my brand new iMac to an unsecure network, it worked like a champ.  No issues. 

This is interesting because I had a brand new 13" MacBook Air running Lion connect to the same network a few weeks ago without issue.  Maybe this has something to do with the 450Mbps capability of the iMacs WiFi? 

My wireless router is a Netgear WNDR3700. (N600)

I'm using this protocol for WiFi security: WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]

The frustrating thing here is that this has been my setup for TWO YEARS, and a ton of hardware has connected to our network with no problems whatsoever.  (MacBook Pros, iMacs, iPads, iPhones, MacBook Airs, Windows, etc.) 

So it still seems to me that there's some sort of issue with some of this new hardware and how it talks to WiFi networks. 

Tim Hassett wrote:

 

Maybe this has something to do with the 450Mbps capability of the iMacs WiFi? 

The MiMo (multiple in multiple out) capatibility has nothing to do with this. It works only on the 5GHz and also older MacBooks (all models with more then one wifi antenna) have the ability to work with spatial streams of 150 MBit/s for each antenna.
450 MBit/s = 3 (antennas) spatial streams of 150 MBit/s.

Tim Hassett wrote:

 

My wireless router is a Netgear WNDR3700. (N600)

 

I'm using this protocol for WiFi security: WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]

All your systems (most likely) will still connect if you disable the WPA-PSK [TKIP] part and use WPA2-PSK [AES] only.

WPA2-PSK is from 2004 and I guess all your systems will support that.

Lupunus

The driver downgrade worked for me, but I now have to select the network I want to connect too.  Once done, it's stable.

Thanks for posting this.  I was tempted to contact Apple direct, but given the feedback on this forum and the sheer amount of posts, with no absolute fix right now, I'm not sure what good it'd do. I'm not so much getting internet dropout, but airport takes a substantial amount of time to even find my internet connection! Yesterday my computer was within a metre of the router and it took 20 mins of turning airport on and off to even get it to recognise it!  Resetting the actual modem and router makes no difference whatsoever.  My firewall is on, But I run no third party software that would conflict with the internet access.  My connection is a WP2 Personal secured connection, probably like everyone else on here. I did remove the "automatic" location and set up one specific to my connection but with no luck.

This has only happened since upgrading to Lion. Prior to getting the new machine I was running internet on a trusty OS Leopard ibook G4 with no problems at all.  Very disappointed.  I don't have the technical expertise for some of the script fixes on this forum but I'm hoping that with the volume of instances posted Apple will sit up and take notice and will work on a bug fix for this asap.

Anyone also had issues with Safari occasionally freezing completely for no reason?  Mine became completely unresponsive yesterday and could not force quit or do anything to stop it. It was a proper "Windoze" style freeze that I could only rectify by hitting the power button and rebooting.  I can count the number of times my old ibook did that (over the course of eight years) on one hand. Very surprised.

Thanks

K

@Hampshire

My connection is a WP2 Personal secured connection, probably like everyone else on here.

Did you try turning off WiFi security just as a test?  I'd say to log into your base station, turn off all WiFi security so that it is an open network, reboot everything, do a PRAM reset on your new Lion Mac, and see if that resolves the issue. 

(that was the issue for me and my brand new iMac)

I hope someone has the means to file suit against Apple over this wifi issue. Apple has failed us all.

This is ridiculous.

The problem has existed since the launch of Lion, in July.

How many months more will we have to wait for a fix?

My connection dropped 5 times in the last minute, it renders my browsing experience useless.

The majority of people i know use Mac's for their work, and a large amount of them do freelancing, so rely on a stable computer to get their work done.

We rely on our Mac's for an income... so when there is a problem like this, which has gone for months with no fix or little word from Apple, we can lose money, and get a bad reputation for slow turnaround/poor contact.

Apple, get this fixed.

We've waiting long enough.

Apparently a fix (for some perhaps not all issues) is on its way and to be released with 10.7.3 shortly.

Hi there,

Please just check all your router configs, play around with them.

I got this issue fixed since 10.7.1

Apparently Lion doesn't like some router configs, but changing some settings around can get things fixed.

I know it should work with all settings, but just fix it for now and wait for apple...

This has been reported before...

(I wouldn't count on 10.7.3 very soon, got it from "good source")

Thanks for your tip Tim.  I'll have a fiddle around with the settings and see what happens

Apparently a fix (for some perhaps not all issues) is on its way and to be released with 10.7.3 shortly.

 

And you know this how?

There are only two possibilities: a rumor source or someone who violated their NDA. Neither is reliable, nor is it allowed here to speculate:

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.

Same problem here (Macbook Pro 13", 2009).

When wifi drops, Safari and Mail no longer works, but Firefox does. It seems like "wifi drop" freeze Mail and Safari.

We need a fix!

You said:

...Neither is reliable, nor is it allowed here to speculate:

 

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.

Your reply is totally unacceptable as this Support Community Forum is here to help! Just think about users who spend few thousand $ or € to get an iMAC and when they upgrade to a new OS they paid 29$, thay are just no more able to connect properly to the WiFi network, which is a must have today. For me it is not a speculation to say that Apple engineers work on it and they will fix it sooner or later... but this is an OBLIGATION for them to do so, if they want to keep their name on the market. I myself refuse to change the setting of my WiFI router (it was perfectly working with Snow Leopard and my other devices like PC, iPad and iPhone work perfectly, just the iMac with Lion had issues ). But by chance my ISP released a new Box (ie a new router) , so the WiFi problems with Lion disappeared.

As it is said:

Apple Support Communities is here to help people use Apple products and technologies more effectively.

And I think that saying that Apple engineers work on the topic, will prevent to Apple products users  to geopardize their WiFi network by making settings which could be detrimental to the others devices. You cannot expect that all the Apple users are WiFi network experts!

In the mean time i recommand  if possible that they use the ethernet plug.

And again if your contribution to the thread is just to remind your interpretation of the Terms of use, it is just useless!

I have been a Mac user since I started using computers. I am in total agreement with the complaint lodged here. Apple are neglignet in dealing with this problem which is endemic.  I am using a newest generation iMac Quad core and my Wi-Fi drops out at least twice per day every day.  As everying I use is Mac, my hands are tied.  Please fix this NOW!!!!

Can you describe what you mean by drop out?  Do you mean that the Wi-Fi menu is no longer joined to your network or do you mean that it looks like it's joined, but the Internet simply doesn't work?