Q: Lion WiFi Connection Problem

BandHawk wrote:

 

So I signed in just to add my 2 cents to this discussion.  I read the first few and last few pages so I apologize if I'm touching on something that has already been covered.

I'm having the same issue where I frequently have to renew the DHCP in my new Macbook Air.  This is an isolated issue only with my Macbook Air. 

As I have said elsewhere, and your comment seems to reinforce, I think that there is in fact a hardware/software/driver issue on a few machines that causes a "failure mode" where the DHCP client is not notified of a lost "address assignment", and thus it does not automatically send out a new request and fix the problem "fast enough to hide the issue."  Anyone having this kind of failure, should spend some time talking with the genius bar folks, and demonstrating, over and over, what the failure mode is, and what fixes the problem.

When it fails, can you pop open a "terminal" window and do "ifconfig -a"?  Do you see that there is no longer an address assigned to the interface?  What's in the /etc/resolv.conf file?  Is there still assigned DNS server information in there?  What about routing, does "netstat -rn" still indicate a default route is available?

gphonei wrote:

Bluetooth uses the same 2.4Ghz spectrum as 802.11b/g (well, and the 802.11n on 2.4ghz) does. If you are having problems with bluetooth, and you need it on, then you should switch to use a 5Ghz 802.11n capable router, and I'll bet your problems will go away.  RF is RF!  If the same frequencies are in use by multiple devices at the same time, there will be interference that can keep one or more of the devices from working, at all, or at least reliably.

While I agree because my Wifi issues were ultimately fixed by replacing my Apple wireless keyboard with a standard USB unit. However, why was I having Wifi dropouts with Lion yet when I boot into Win 7 I NEVER had an issue? Same Bluetooth keyboard, same router, different OS.

I had snow lepord ,no problem. Updated to Lion in August and had a month and a half of frustration. Changed my router and no problem after that. Am I going to download the latest update NO!!!!!!!

see apple where you have lost???????????

what has happened to Lion!

Even I am planing that I should shift back to Leapord

First time I purchased Apple Laptop and after couple of months Lion released. The days I updated was the start of bad days Will never purchase any OS at first day! You have made me learnt a lesson

I am sorry I dont mean to be rude... HA HA HA!!!!!

"Using Airport Utility 6.0 simply reset your router to default settings, then start over. I am sure it is that simple."

guyfromanytown wrote:

 

gphonei wrote:

Bluetooth uses the same 2.4Ghz spectrum as 802.11b/g (well, and the 802.11n on 2.4ghz) does. If you are having problems with bluetooth, and you need it on, then you should switch to use a 5Ghz 802.11n capable router, and I'll bet your problems will go away.  RF is RF!  If the same frequencies are in use by multiple devices at the same time, there will be interference that can keep one or more of the devices from working, at all, or at least reliably.

While I agree because my Wifi issues were ultimately fixed by replacing my Apple wireless keyboard with a standard USB unit. However, why was I having Wifi dropouts with Lion yet when I boot into Win 7 I NEVER had an issue? Same Bluetooth keyboard, same router, different OS.

The problem, I believe, is in how Lion is dealing with WiFi "RF layer" issues.  It appears, that when it has a disagreement with the other end because of inteference of some nature, that it is "removing" the assigned IP address and/or routing information (no one is answering my questions to them about what they see when it drops).  With no address assigned, there is no connection possible.  The DHCP client process thus needs to "request" an address, and either it is not being notified that it needs to do that, or it is doing slow enough that people are seeing this error, in their faces, all the time.

So, yes, there is some kind of software "change" that seems like a bug.  But, there seems to be a work around, which also has it's benefits.  Get a 5GHz router.  You can get an Apple Airport, or something else like the netgear 600, dual band router.   Make sure you see "dual band" on the box, or you'll just have 802.11n on 2.4ghz and see no change in interference issues.

If you are still having the problem, and have been, or will be talking to Apple support or the Genius Bar, please make them look at "interference" caused by blue tooth, other 2.4ghz radios on the same frequency.  If you see a failure, regularly, before you call them, or take your computer to the Genius Bar, open a terminal window, when it fails, and run these commands:

netstat -rn

ifconfig -a

cat /etc/resolv.conf

and then use "grab" to get a screen grab of you icon on the menu bar that shows that "you are connected".

http://s18.postimage.org/b11pn47d5/Screen_Shot_2012_02_02_at_9_13_03_PM.png

see the screen shot attached.

The problem is in Lion, I have multiple computers/laptops at home all working fine. It should work with 2.4Ghz, there is nothing wrong in that!

I am also a networking engineer and have good command on computers, you can ask me what ever type of notifications/reports you require....

Thanks

Harsh

I know you... I helped you a month ago...your in India right?

yes carlo! hii I recalled you now!

Yeah we have a chat too regarding the problem, it still persists friend... no luck! All credits goes to Apple, as so many people can not have same problem

But I thought you got it fixed... you were also trying to adjust the MSI or something like that... (way beyond me).

yes the last settings worked for couple of days! but then back to same position...

and it is MTU settings hahaha......

I Fianly got the wi-fi completely back to normal The problem is osx Lion. How to 100% sure fix your wi-fi issue:

1) Use your original Snow Leopard disk and go to hard drive completely wipe the drive.

2) You are now able to downgrade to Snow Leopard after the instalation is complete your problem is solved!

I don't have any problems using snow leopard it is still suported by Apple

After installing the second router I had no problem for the first 4 days (switching off or letting MBP going to stand-by). Then last sunday my provider had a problem, there was no internet in this area for several hours. With the connection restored I have no problem (so far) while I am connected or if I switch MBP off. If I close the lid living the computer on, when I re-open it, after some hours, the connection is no longer active ( I tried to re-open the lid after half an hour and the connection was still there).

Just to remind you, this is how I'm connected: internet-provider >> (wi-max) >> router huawei >> (ethernet) >>  router tp-link >> (wi-fi) >> my MBP .

The other day when I opened the mac there was no connection, I was able to login to both routers, I tried to traceroute to 8.8.8.8 but the trace didn't pass the huawei. it was enough doing a hot reboot from inside the router huawei to have the connection back.

While I was disconnected these are the commands that you suggested:

localhost:~ MacBookPro$ ifconfig -a

lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384

options=3<RXCSUM,TXCSUM>

inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1

inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000

inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128

gif0: flags=8010<POINTOPOINT,MULTICAST> mtu 1280

stf0: flags=0<> mtu 1280

en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

options=2b<RXCSUM,TXCSUM,VLAN_HWTAGGING,TSO4>

ether 00:1f:5b:ec:34:fe

media: autoselect

status: inactive

en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500

ether 00:1e:c2:bd:e7:aa

inet6 fe80::21e:c2ff:febd:e7aa%en1 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x5

inet 10.1.1.100 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 10.1.1.255   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<     

media: autoselect

status: active

fw0: flags=8822<BROADCAST,SMART,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 4078

lladdr 00:1f:f3:ff:fe:0e:3e:5e

media: autoselect <full-duplex>

status: inactive

localhost:~ MacBookPro$ netstat -rn

Routing tables

Internet:

Destination        Gateway Flags        Refs      Use   Netif Expire

default 10.1.1.1 UGSc           15        0     en1   <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

10.1.1/24          link#5 UCS             1        0     en1

10.1.1.1 f8:d1:11:50:2c:2c  UHLWIi         21       85     en1   1059

10.1.1.100 127.0.0.1          UHS             0        0     lo0

127 127.0.0.1          UCS             0        0     lo0

127.0.0.1 127.0.0.1          UH              2     5102     lo0

169.254            link#5 UCS             0        0     en1

Internet6:

Destination Gateway                         Flags         Netif Expire

::1 link#1                          UHL             lo0

fe80::%lo0/64 fe80::1%lo0                     UcI             lo0

fe80::1%lo0 link#1                          UHLI            lo0

fe80::%en1/64 link#5                          UCI             en1

fe80::21e:c2ff:febd:e7aa%en1 0:1e:c2:bd:e7:aa                UHLI            lo0

ff01::%lo0/32 fe80::1%lo0                     UmCI            lo0

ff01::%en1/32 link#5                          UmCI            en1

ff02::%lo0/32 fe80::1%lo0                     UmCI            lo0

ff02::%en1/32 link#5                          UmCI            en1

localhost:~ MacBookPro$

localhost:~ MacBookPro$ cat /etc/resolv.conf

#

# Mac OS X Notice

#

# This file is not used by the host name and address resolution

# or the DNS query routing mechanisms used by most processes on

# this Mac OS X system.

#

# This file is automatically generated.

#

nameserver 10.1.1.1  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

localhost:~ MacBookPro$

the above data refers to the connection between my mbp and the tp-link which uses for the lan the address 10.x.x.x this router is functioning normaly, I can go through it and see the huawey, I did a traceroute to 8.8.8.8 and it stopped to 192.168.1.1 which is the huawei.

this is the situation of the huawei:

DNS

Conexao

LAN Host   

Status LAN 

Pacote Ethernet      

Cliente DHCP    

It seems to me that there is nothing unusual, with this parameters in place the connection must work and I don't understand while in one case it is not. I have completely isolated the mbp from the router connected to the provider therefore there could not be anything generated by the mac that can block the huawei. Hence I'm thinking now that maybe is the provider that drops the connection with an automatic time-out  after sometime of inactivity. I really don't know and in angola I have no possibility to go to any genius.

I updated yesterday to 10.7.3, it didn't change anything, I'm afraid apple lost some good system engineer or they hired someone from microsoft (hahahah).