Q: Lion WiFi Connection Problem

I actually just started getting this problem recently, and I thought that there is something wrong with my macbook pro.

And then I used my imac, and the same network dropping problem started.

I just recently updated both computers to the newest lion update, so it's clearly a software problem.

All my others wifi-enabled computers work perfectly fine.

I think buying hardware and spending money on this problem is not the best solution..

For now I just wait for a new update and keep checking forums for solutions...

Check that you have up to date firmware on your router, contact your ISP etc. It worked for me, now it makes the connection to wi-fi everytime without fail. My other imac (2001 original) was fine with old router, but not my new G5 imac. All I have to solve now is the Mac freezing but that is another story.

I got two new iMac 27" machines a few days ago. Both machines had Lion, and both were fully updated and patched. Both had the problem of losing wifi connection on an intermittent basis (although the weird thing was that the wifi connection icon would still show all full bars, and report that I was still connected). The problems occurred erratically and unpredictably.  Turning wifi off and then on again would restore connectivity, but only briefly, and sometimes not at all.

After reading a whole bunch of forum posts, I tried the following changes on my wifi router:

1. Changed the wifi mode from"b+g+n" to "g" only

2. Changed the wifi channel from 1 to 11

This has solved my wifi problem, and on both machines, but I don't which of the two changes I made was the fix. I can however confirm that the mode changeover did have an effect: before the changes, the wifi on the macs reported a wifi connection speed of 65 Mbps, and after,  54 Mbps.

While there may be several different causes for the problems listed here, this has solved mine. I have successfully moved tens of gigabytes over the wifi since my fixes, over several days now.

Well, for me, both mac air and macbook remains with this problem... I noticed that it is when using LinkSys router... only this one!

Similar problem here. After updating to Lion, WiFi will not come back after sleep. I have to turn off and on the WiFi to come back or even sometimes I have to reboot the MBP. I have the latest updates from apple and 3rd party. Other network devices like XBOX and Windows PC have no issues.

The funny thing is internet run fine when I use Windows bootcamp and keeps dropping in macosx in the same machine. I tried turned off bluetooth (as I read somewhere saying the interference between bluetooth and wifi signal too) and internet works as well, but then i have no keyboard to use. I've been trying tons of solutions but non of them works, this is really ******* everybody off.

Okay I've just gong into BT webpage (192.168.1.etc) changed my PHY mode to 802.11g hopefully it'l make the updates okay. Running iMac 10.7.3 which kept dropping internet, iPhone & iPad okay - fingers crossed!

Afternoon all,

I too was having this problem/a similar problem. My Mac Pro simply would not connect to my router, I was getting a recurring "time out" error.

I followed several pieces of advice including the following:

1. Deleting all known Wifi networks via Settings\Networks and then deleting all Wifi passwords from my Key Chain. Finally I deleted the Wifi info from the Preferences file in the Mac HD. Restarting after this.
2. I connected via Ethernet and downloaded and installed the 10.7.3 Client Combo update.
3. Resetting PRAM etc.

None of this worked so I wanted to check it was not an issue with my Mac Pro connecting to any network therefore I tethered to my iPhone via the Mac's Airport Card. This worked.

This prompted me to say stuff it and re-set my Router. After doing this and ensuring I carried out step 1 above again (including the re-start) I connected to my Wifi and have not had any issues so far. Albeit only an hour and a half.

hope this helps

okay it's now one day later and since changing 802.11n to .11g - fantastic!

Yep, I have a feeling that 802.11n support in many routers, like yours and mine, is not very good.  I suspect that a large number of users (in this thread even) are currently affected by this.  It also explains why all the other computers and devices connect fine: they very likely all use 802.11g.  I had read a while ago that many cheaper routers can't reliably to multiple modes at the same time either, i.e. it doesn't work for some devices to try to connect via mode "n" and some via mode "g".

calebfromqld wrote:

 

Yep, I have a feeling that 802.11n support in many routers, like yours and mine, is not very good.  I suspect that a large number of users (in this thread even) are currently affected by this.  It also explains why all the other computers and devices connect fine: they very likely all use 802.11g.  I had read a while ago that many cheaper routers can't reliably to multiple modes at the same time either, i.e. it doesn't work for some devices to try to connect via mode "n" and some via mode "g".

I am thinking more and more that this is the most likely issue and why people find solutions in switching to 5Ghz, or in buying a new router that will most likely have better support for 802.11n in the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz RF bands.

Apple has primarily being increasing the requirements for 802.11N functioning as Airplay has become more and more ingrained into the products.

I think a lot of people saying my iphone is fine, and/or my ipad is fine, or my other computers are fine, are just speaking about devices which are using limited functionality in the WiFi stack.

The iPhone, for example only has a 2.4Ghz radio, it can not do 802.11n on 5GHz, only on 2.4Ghz.  Ever wondered why the iPhone doesn't have "mirror" mode?  Probably because 802.11g won't really support it well, and Apple, based on reports of problems and software issues which they know more about, know that people are largely not able to use 802.11n on 2.4Ghz because of how pourly routers support it when there are old 802.11g devices on the network.

gphonei wrote:

 

I think a lot of people saying my iphone is fine, and/or my ipad is fine, or my other computers are fine, are just speaking about devices which are using limited functionality in the WiFi stack.

 

The iPhone, for example only has a 2.4Ghz radio, it can not do 802.11n on 5GHz, only on 2.4Ghz.  Ever wondered why the iPhone doesn't have "mirror" mode?  Probably because 802.11g won't really support it well, and Apple, based on reports of problems and software issues which they know more about, know that people are largely not able to use 802.11n on 2.4Ghz because of how pourly routers support it when there are old 802.11g devices on the network.

Agree 100%.  And I can reconfirm once more for anyone else reading this: several more days after setting my router to 802.11g only (i.e. NOT "n"), my wifi is rock-solid on my iMac.  I am increasingly confident that this has solved my wifi connection problem.

If what you say is true, that older routers are not able to handle the requirements of 802.11n, than I would think that my fairly new and firmware updated Apple Airport Extreme would not have problems with my new iMac that came with Lion installed. But it does. And I don't think that having to go to a slower means of connecting is the way I should have to go with an all Apple system.

I fully agree.  However, for interest's sake, is it possible for you to confirm or reject whether restricting the wifi mode to "g" rather than mixed mode (i.e. including "n") has a positive effect on your wifi connectivity?  If it does not make any difference, then your situation is different to mine.  And if it does have an effect, then we will at least have narrowed our scope of the problem,

My router only does g and b, no n included, and we have the Lion connection problem, but only with Lion, no other OS, no other devices.