Q: Lion WiFi Connection Problem

Now I am stumped. I went back to the same site with Buffalo AirStation BSTs where I could not connect with Lion GM on a MB 4,1 last week.

The OS on this MB had been though a clean 10.6.8 install upgraded over the last few months with DP versions of Lion (I am a developer). DP1 and DP2 never had a problem at this site, DP4 developed problems and could not connect in 9 of 10 attempts (reported to Apple Bug Reporter and followed up by data captures for Apple). GM had the same problem at this site and at two others but NOT at a site using an Apple Extreme Base Station. I ran wireshark and could see DHCP problems in the protocol handshaking. I also tried EVERY suggested solution here and none seemed to work 100%.

As a final step before going again, I partitioned and erased the HDD and did a completely clean install of GM. I also ran all the Java upgrades, etc., and did not install anything other than Office 2011. I went back and the MB found the two nearest BSTs (WEP encryption) and logged-in immediately and held a solid connection for 4 hours with fast streaming video, mail, web browsing, etc. I switched wifi on and off 5 or 6 times while running wireshark and watching the handshaking—all completely normal. (I’ll be sending the wireshark saves to Apple.)

On the way back, I tried logging on to 4 or 5 public access points—only one was successful and wireshark was showing failed DHCP handshakes.

Conclusion, this is a complex bug that shows under different conditions.

The first thing I would try if it is driving you crazy and you can’t wait for 10.7.1 is a completely clean install and Java updates, etc., after a disk partition and erase. I know it has not worked for some people but it does seem to have fixed the problem I had at my main site.  I do know that the firmware in these routers has not been upgraded between my visits.

Even it does not work, at least you will know that your problem is not related to some crud hanging around from SL when AppleCare asks you.

I'm having the same problem with my 2010 MBP. I did a clean install on a new partition and after a couple days my wifi began to drop almost constantly after a few mins. I have since deleted my Snow Leopard partition (which dropped off once in a while but not anywhere near as often as Lion) and am stuck with Lion and an ethernet cable now.

I've tried resetting the PRAM, SMC, deleting a network plist, changing router settings, updating router firmware, trying a different router entirely, so it's not the router. I have 2 PS3's, an iPhone 4, an Android phone, a slightly newer 2011 MBP on the same network and all of them recognize the connection just fine. When I try to connect with this MBP I get a "connection timeout" error. It's gotten to the point where it will only connect to the Personal Hotspot on my iPhone, but only about half the time. It's fine with an ethernet cable. I'm installing a Windows 7 partition now to see if it's the same issue because my roommate is convinced it's a hardware issue. I really hope it isn't because my MBP is about a week out of warranty and although I just bought Lion I doubt I'd be able to get an exception if it turned out to be hardware. My roommate's MBP that he just upgraded to Lion has no problems whatsoever, so again, I highly doubt it's the router.

For a while it would connect only if I changed the network settings to 5GHz an to 802.11n. Soon enough it refused to connect at all, and like I said, only works sometimes with my iPhone's personal hotspot now.

This is now starting to get *beep* annoying.

Left my MAC online and loaded with MSN, came back after 2hrs to find MSN had logged out - no internet access. Checked my wifi icon on the top bar, full bar strength and connected to router fine.

Checked 2 PCs on Wifi - full internet access all 100%

Checked MAC Safari, Firefox, Outlook - fails... no internet.

Disabled MAC Wifi, removed settings, switched on WiFi, rejoined. .. No internet.

Checked Router again - All fine.

Rebooted Router (not needed as fine but did anyway).

PCs all fine.

MAC no internet.

Rebooted MAC - Mac now fine!!

Excuse me .. this is Lion!! Never ever happend under Snow Leopard!

Please Apple - Do something!

With my MBP it seems like the connection problems occur when I come back after having left the MBP with a closed lid for a while - longer the  the pause for TM to perform a backup.

I come back, open the lid, and it hangs itself up. No way I can intervene to be able to stop TM, switch off wifi, not even force quit programs. Mouse moves tho...

HTH

Excuse me for saying this, but exactly this was happening to me for the last three years, with Windows 7, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Last year, with two MBP's in the house, one black 2009 vintage and the other aluminium 2010. The newer one was fine but the old one just would not behave itself.

Now, these two computers had all the same software and updates, except the newer one synched to MobileMe iDisk, which by all accounts should have made matters worse, by introducing a delay after being woken up.

No solution seemed permanent, but some tried included:

Clearing out keychain entries (both under "login" and "system"), pulling the root>library>preferences>system configuration folder on to the desktop and rebooting, (a couple of other plist files too, for the network settings.)

Increasing the default comm timeout?

Adding a new "location" in the network setup.

Switching off IPv6.

Changing wifi channel to avoid the neighbours.  Check in About This Mac>More Info>System Report>Network.

Using Google DNS addresses (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4)

Disabling wireless "N" on the router

I'm as fed up with this voodoo as everybody else

ahhhhhhh........ (A.Q APPLE'I)

MY PROBLEM IS BACK, AND I AM REALLY REALLY REALLY ANGRY, FIX THIS PROBLEM RIGHT NOW APPLE, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From reading your previous post, I see you installed SL first and then a load of other stuff.

Try this instead:

1. Burn a Lion USB boot stick/installer—Google if you don't know how.

2. Boot from Lion USB boot stick.

3. Select Disk Utility and partition hard disk (make sure you have backups of all important data BEFORE doing this).

4. Erase hard disk.

5. Install Lion from USB stick onto cleaned hard disk.

5a. Run disk utility and fix all disk permissions.

6. Try wifi connections WITHOUT any other software installed.  Try multiple times for different base stations.

6a. If can connect, run Apple Software Updater and get any available updates.

7. If works OK, try adding new non-Apple software applications one a time with testing between.  Go slowly and allow time for wifi testing multiple times.

8. Let us know what happens.

Surely the whole point of a laptop is that you can move it from place to place without being tethered to an ethernet cable. In my view, if you can't, it's 'not fit for purpose'.

In the UK you can go to the Office of Fair Trading if you don't get a square deal and complain officially about the supplier. If they won't replace the faulty merchandise with something that works, or offer a full refund - you can take them to the Small Claims Court (an easy process), and air your grievances in public. This often generates adverse publicity for the supplier.

I'm very surprised that an outfit as publicity-concious as Apple are prepared to risk this by apparently ignoring a widespread problem with their product. If it were Toyota they'd have to do a recall!

galmeida-us wrote:

 

After installing Lion I had problems with Wi-Fi, reseting SMC did the trick for me: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964?viewlocale=en_US

wow. i can't believe it, but this seems to have worked for me! thanks!!

Are you kidding me? Of course this is a well structured way to narrow the root of the problem - BUT: This is going to take hours and this is exactly (for different reasons) what I had to do again and again when using Windows. I changed to the Mac-World and willingly paid some extra bucks because I didnt`want to experience things like this any more!

I don`t use any exotic third-party-software, I`m using a standard-router (FritzBox 7220) which is widespread in Germany and after going back to Snow Leopard (which I did after hours of unsuccessful troubleshooting - including help of the Apple-Hotline and trying almost all the solutions described in this post) the wi-fi-problems dissapeared.

Problems like this have to be excluded by comprehensive and serious tests BEFORE releasing a new OS! Especially when it`s distributed via the internet only...

But I`m sure Apple is working on the solution: It`s BUMPERS - you can order them soon via the Apple-Store (within the 30 seconds to 5 minutes your wi-fi-connection works under Lion)!

But why worry any more? If Apple doesn`t release an update to fix this issue pretty soon they (like others before) will experience the real power off social media...

I suggest to wait for some hours and see if it still works after rebooting your Mac...

No, I wish I was and I know it ***.

It worked for me but it hasn't worked for some.

With a Time Machine backup it is not so painful to go back to the non-wifi-connecting system in about 20 minutes.

Alternatively, install a clean Lion on an external firewire or USB drive and boot from that and see if Lion wifi will work for you then. If it does and stays connected, it might be worth trying on the internal HD.

I know it is painful but we're looking for solutions rarther than revenge.

And if it doesn't, we've given it a good shot and then it is up to Apple.

Serious! This is exactly why I to moved away from the M$ realm.

By paying more, to a frm with a good reputation so far for being able to keep their act together. I mean come on, they produce all the hardware, they produce all the software. How can this possibly go wrong?

Oh wait, it's a company, they have people that work there, and I suppose sloppiness is being accepted nowadays...

Expecting fix release real soon mister Jobs!!!

With a Time Machine backup it is not so painful to go back to the non-wifi-connecting system in about 20 minutes.

Simply not true. In the week that past since my Lion installation, Lion Time Machine decided it was time to throw away all my backups and make a brand new one from scratch... :-(

And as for clean installs... Come on. You can't be serious.

I don`t get the point about accusing third-party-software:

• The wi-fi-components of my iMac (mid 2010 / 3,2 GHz) come from? Right: Apple!
• The new OS working hand in hand with the wi-fi-components of my iMac comes frome? Right: Apple!

So - is there anyone who can explain to me how third-party-software (except the router-firmware which is actual and the same as under SL in my case) can influence the stability of the wi-fi-connection in a well build OS?