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iMac drops Wifi connection after 10.7.4 update

Hello there,


I am experiencing intermittent wifi connection problems after installing the 10.7.4 update on my 2011 iMac 27".


The symption is that the iMac drop its Wifi connection after a period of time and when that happens the iMac cannot detect any wifi networks in my area (disabling & re-enabling Wifi on the iMac doesn't help). I have to resort to restarting the iMac to revive the wifi interface. Note that my other devices (including my iPhone and my MacBook Air) can connect to my Airport Extreme without any problems.


Is there any "quick-fix" solutions out there that can fix this problem? I want to avoid a complete re-install as much as possible.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4), 27"

Posted on May 13, 2012 2:44 AM

Reply
234 replies

May 24, 2012 10:20 AM in response to Öllegård

I went this route too, setting all my access points to a fixed channel seems to have tamed the problem. Was dropping connections like crazy before then.


Öllegård wrote:


Same issue here. When updating my iMac 2011 to 10.7.4 wi-fi started dropping. No problems with other machines using the same AirPort Extreme. I've tried a lot of solutions mentioned here and in other fora, except re-install OSX or changeing kext. No success. At last I changed the channel-setting in my AirPort Extreme from Automatic to fixed channels - on both 2,4 and 5. Since that I have had wi-fi without dropping, even after sleep. I don't know if this ”fix” is permanent, but it works so far.

May 25, 2012 12:05 AM in response to theneb.bstl

Hi,


Currently checking and collecting logs for "Suresh @ Apple", and the feedback i got from the inital checks of the logs is:

"disable VMWare Fusion 4 (Latest Version) wireless adapter"


As i have not used it for a while i simply did uninstall it (Following the manual procedure from VMWares site.)

Did then reenable debugging in OSX for the WiFi and is now waiting for the problem to reoccur.

Hopefully it will help, we will see if the update to 10.7.4 maybe didn't like VMWare Fusion 4!


Any one else with the WiFi problem (Loosing the connection and beeing unable to see any SSID's) that has VMWare Fusion 4 installed? (Not using it but installed...)


/J

May 25, 2012 2:56 PM in response to theneb.bstl

I've been communicating with Apple Care Senior Advisor. They are aware of the problem, and that it seems to be mostly mid-2011 iMacs involved. I followed his suggestion and I've been having internet sharing for 24 hours, so far so good.


Here's the configuration:


Firewall is OFF

Preferences --> Sharing:

Screen sharing, Scanner Sharing, Web Sharing and Internet Sharing are checked.

WiFi Options: Security is set to NONE. (to do this: uncheck Internet Sharing, you should have "Share your connection from:" then select how you connect (I connect with ethernet to a cable modem) "To computers using:" check WiFi. Then click on WiFi Options, and for security select None. (I think it's None - frankly I'm afraid to touch anything) - anyway, just make sure there is no security on your sharing.

Network preferences still shows self-assigned ip for the WiFi, but now I understand that the WiFi is a separate function from Sharing.


At one point last night, I did have to restart my iPad to make it connect. I was getting a weird chain link icon in the upper left of the screen (where the wifi connection should be)


The sense I got from the Senior Advisor is that they know there is a problem and they are addressing it. How long it will take is another story. He also said that they are not going to leave us with our Internet Sharing unsecure, so they are working on this.

May 29, 2012 7:05 PM in response to simon yixiang

I changed my authentication to WPA2 based on a post in this forum and the drop problem is largely curtailed. However, upon boot up my iMac brings up a window that lists all available networks and asks me to select one. I select my own network and from there things run OK. Before changing to WPA2 my iMac logged in automatically. Does your iMac log in automatically or do you get the window with choices?

May 30, 2012 9:25 AM in response to theneb.bstl

I was having the exact same problems: after waking from sleep and waiting a few minutes, my wifi would drop and my 2011 iMac would fail to find any networks until a restart. This was happening once or twice a day.


I seem to have fixed this issue by setting the 2.4Ghz & 5Ghz channels to a fixed value, rather than automatic. I haven't had any wifi drops for 4 days now.

iMac drops Wifi connection after 10.7.4 update

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