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Want reliable WiFi with retina Macbook pro? Turn off bluetooth!

Bluetooth and WiFi only work together on my retina MBP when I have a very strong WiFi signal indeed. At even around 60% signal strength if both are on WiFi can drop out. At 40% strength there is no hope of getting WiFi if bluetooth is on. Swithch off bluetooth and WiFi is just fine.


In the middle signal strength zone I find that when it works WiFi is abiout 10% of the speed it should be if bluetooth is on.


This is using WiFi 'n'. Perhaps different with b / g - I have not tested myself.


I noice that individually both bluetooth and WiFi reception seem very strong on the retina MBP


Is this hardware or software or some combination? How likely is a software update to fix this? Does everyone have this problem or just some users.

MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012), Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 10, 2012 4:13 PM

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29 replies

Jul 12, 2012 4:42 AM in response to iaeon

An update on the Wi-Fi / Bluetooth issue following more tests:


If blutooth itself is on but paired bluetooth devices are switched off speed is normal.


With bluetooth on the further from the router on gets the worse Wi-Fi speeds become until Wi-Fi drops out. The decline in speed is massively greater and faster as one moves away from the router than when bluetooth is off or not active.


With either my mac mouse or keyboard switched on Wi-Fi is compromised.


An alternative Wi-Fi connection to a b / g router is no different in behaviour.


A long call to express lane support and various resets has not resolved the issue. Next stop a visit to a genius bar.

Jul 14, 2012 7:17 AM in response to iaeon

I also have the same problem on my retina. My wifi connection just stopped responding, so I tried pinging the router (saw no response) and then disabled bluetooth. The results are very interesting ...

ping 192.168.1.1 (my router, bluetooth is on)


Request timeout for icmp_seq 444

Request timeout for icmp_seq 445

Request timeout for icmp_seq 446


<Turn off Bluetooth here>


64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=447426.805 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=446430.860 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=445432.253 ms


< ... snip about 400+ responses ...>


64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=447 ttl=64 time=443.412 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=448 ttl=64 time=0.945 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=449 ttl=64 time=3.895 ms


I think what is particularly odd here is that the ping packet was not dropped. The very first packet (icmp_seq=0) did get a response back some 447 seconds later. This means that there is queuing going on ... either the outbound or inbound icmp packet was queued by OSX. If the packet was sent out and interference caused the packet to be dropped - due to a poor wifi signal - we would not be seeing this. Instead, the packet would have been sent, dropped in the air and we'd never see the response. I guess my point here is that this looks to be complex that say wifi and bluetooth using the same part of the EM spectrum. Even so, I'm going to try adjusting my wifi channell and see if that helps.

Jul 14, 2012 8:38 AM in response to Apple_II_GS

Interesting... I have tried channels 8 and 9 and 'n' and 'b / g' (perhaps I should try some others) and I get the following with Wi-Fi signal strength at just under 40%


<=== Bluetooth OFF ===>

Ping has started…


PING 192.168.0.1 (192.168.0.1): 56 data bytes

Request timeout for icmp_seq 0

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=8.947 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=9.633 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=64 time=9.045 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=64 time=6.550 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=64 time=6.347 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=64 time=14.040 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=64 time=6.504 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=64 time=35.137 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=64 time=23.713 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=10 ttl=64 time=34.067 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=11 ttl=64 time=9.076 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=12 ttl=64 time=8.264 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=13 ttl=64 time=6.391 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=14 ttl=64 time=8.142 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=15 ttl=64 time=7.670 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=16 ttl=64 time=8.618 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=17 ttl=64 time=8.439 ms

<=== Bluetooth ON ===>

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=18 ttl=64 time=129.383 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=19 ttl=64 time=147.372 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=20 ttl=64 time=6.453 ms

Request timeout for icmp_seq 21

Request timeout for icmp_seq 22

Request timeout for icmp_seq 23

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=23 ttl=64 time=1289.430 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=24 ttl=64 time=317.421 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=25 ttl=64 time=319.929 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=26 ttl=64 time=1730.235 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=27 ttl=64 time=1126.194 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=28 ttl=64 time=477.108 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=29 ttl=64 time=748.309 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=31 ttl=64 time=33.426 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=32 ttl=64 time=29.944 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=33 ttl=64 time=857.148 ms

Request timeout for icmp_seq 34

Request timeout for icmp_seq 35

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=36 ttl=64 time=643.957 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=37 ttl=64 time=290.116 ms

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=38 ttl=64 time=278.066 ms

Request timeout for icmp_seq 39

Request timeout for icmp_seq 40

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=41 ttl=64 time=23.239 ms

Request timeout for icmp_seq 42

Request timeout for icmp_seq 43

Request timeout for icmp_seq 44

Request timeout for icmp_seq 45

Request timeout for icmp_seq 46

Request timeout for icmp_seq 47

Request timeout for icmp_seq 48

64 bytes from 192.168.0.1: icmp_seq=49 ttl=64 time=147.150 ms


--- 192.168.0.1 ping statistics ---

50 packets transmitted, 35 packets received, 30.0% packet loss

round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 6.347/251.585/1730.235/416.709 ms

Jul 14, 2012 9:00 AM in response to Shootist007

Why not return it? Well, I am taking it in on Monday, but am outside the 14 day 'no questions' period for a refund. I daresay they will offer a replacement which I would take if they are convinced this is just a problem with a particular batch and any replacement seems to be running smoothly with both weak Wi-Fi signals and bluetooth!. (Always assuming the screen on any replacement looks OK which is a more serious problem area for some users I understand). If there is likely to be a driver fix at some point I can wait. It took me over two weeks to notice the issue and this was only as I was further from my router than normal.

Generally the retina MBP is great. Creaked a bit when new from my left wrist resting by the trackpad, but tightening a couple of pentalobe screws seems to have sorted that. Shame that 'pixel doubling' seems to make fonts look much worse in some apps at present (Firefox / Thunderbird etc) I would have thought that there would be no difference using 4 pixles in place of 1 to looking at the old 1440 screen, but is seems not... Still again with time this issue is likely to go away (though perhaps not in the case of Thunderbird given that development seems to have stalled unless Apple write better scaling algorithms).

Jul 14, 2012 9:30 AM in response to Benjamin Timmins

No I'm getting ready to do a 50 mile bike ride, Just got done watching the TDF.


If the shoe fit, as the saying goes. I'm not bashing Mac's, they seem to be doing a good enough job of that on their own.


Really a $2000 computer can't use both WiFi and bluetooth as the same time?


I see you have some free time on your hands. You might try putting them to better use.


Have a great afternoon.

Jul 14, 2012 10:01 AM in response to iaeon

Shootist is a pro troll here, sorry you had to put up with that. His advice is always "return it" or "Buy a PC."


Back to topic, I do not think it is a particular batch, but when did you buy it? I think that if you were to get a replacement, even the same "batch," the problems would not continue. It would really be hard to determine why your current machine is doing what it's doing without seeing it in person.

Jul 14, 2012 12:36 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

stevejobsfan0123 wrote:


Shootist is a pro troll here, sorry you had to put up with that. His advice is always "return it" or "Buy a PC."



You are, as usual, very much mistaken. But then your last comment speaks volumes of how you think.


Right you buy something, you take it home and it does not work as it should. I suggest you take it back because simply it is not RIGHT. And you say I am a Troll. And please point out in this thread where I said "Buy a PC".


To the OP.

What is going on is the bluetooth antenna is probably interferring with the WiFi antenna and or the wires inside the case are crossed over each other, not properly shielded and causing interfernce when both are turned on.

I would bet the bluetooth does work that well leitehr with both that and WiFi turned on.


I would also think it is a wide spread problem and we just aren't hearing about it from all that have the problem. Maybe because they haven't enabled BT yet.

Want reliable WiFi with retina Macbook pro? Turn off bluetooth!

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