Q: New Macbook Air - wifi connectivity problems

But since I installed it today, no problem so far.... where during the last days I lost connection about every 10 minutes

Wigchert: do you install all the updates with frequency?... or  when did you got the efi update message??

I use the standard/default settings, did not change anything to this MBA, have it only a few weeks working now.

The message appeared today on the right upper side of the screen.

And it seems to have solve my issue

Wifi connection (RDP) is still alive, for hours now, just checked it again, where till today it dropped almost constantly.

Strange thing... just got a mail from Apple Care that there are no known problems with the MBA concerning wifi... i just linked this discussion wondering if there are no others contacting Apple directly and just posting here...

Maybe it is a hardware problem which doesn´t affect all MBAs so Apple can´t fix it...

well, congrats to you for fix your wifi problems!... but i don't know why you got the update mesage today, it was posted for apple on Oct. 8.

I'm so boried about this situation i tried everything on this thread (change settings, drivers, router settings...wpa, wpa2, tkip, aes, all channels, 2.5 and 5 ghz, tried with other routers, tried with mavericks)  but i'm still having the same wifi weird issues.

So definitely it's someting wrong with my mba wifi hardware, time to go for a replacement or a devolution...

I can't opine on whether it's HW or SW issue, although it would seem that if it was SW it would be relatively straightforward to fix.  Whatever the problem is, I found that its pretty easy to see if you have the problem or not.  Start up the Wireless Diagnostic App (found in /system/library/coreservices/applications).  Let it do its diagnostic test - it will probably come back and say everything is OK.  It will then give you the option to continue monitoring the wifi - choose that option.  Then do something that's going to exercise the WIFI....I prefer to go to speedtest.net and begin a test (which will test your ping, download speed and upload speed).  Without fail, at some point during the speed test, the Wireless Diagnostic icon will begin jumping up and down to tell me that my WIFI just disconnected.  Repeating the speed test causes the same thing to happen over and over: the WIFI disconnects, pauses, then reconnects.  The practical impact of this disconnect-reconnect behavior is a very slow download speed.  My workaround was to install the IOGEAR GWU625, which many here have recommended.  It seems to work flawlessly.  Unfortunately, Wireless Diagnostic will not work with anything but the factory installed MBA wifi.  But then I don't really need it with the IOGEAR.

I may buy a MacBook Air soon Douglas. Are you recommending your test as a valid way to be 100% sure the mac is okay or not. Having read much of this thread as it has built up these past months it sometimes seems some people have trouble further along in their use of their Air's. I would rather know within the 14 day return period.

In response to Senate 88  (your reply to my post was branched off into a different discussion and I can't respond directly to it, so I'm responding here in this discussion).

No, I can't guarantee you 100% that the test I outlined will tell you if the MBA you're thinking of buying has the problem or not. After all, no one on here is sure what the problem actually is, so no "test" is going to be 100% accurate.  However, if you do as I outlined and it does indicate the disconnect issue, then you know you will have the problem.

I should also say that I didn't actually notice the problem until 4 or 5 weeks after I got my MBA 2013.  For most of the the things I do - like email and using a browser - it isn't  much of a problem.  Occasionally, the browser would slow down, but I attributed that to my IP.  It wasn't until I started streaming internet music through iTunes that the problem became noticeable and irritating to me.  At first I thought it was my router or IP.  But simultaneous testing on a PC laptop and my MBA showed that only the MBA was experiencing a problem.  That's when I hopped on this discussion.  So far, none of the suggestions that I've seen here cause the problem to disappear, other than using the IOGEAR.  It does seem ironic to have to use an external wifi adaptor for a laptop that brags about it's wifi prowess in its very name. 

Haven't read thru the entire thread but want to quickly add my expierence. I bought a new 13" MBA this morning, brought it home and it would connect to my wifi, acquire an IP and display full wifi bars but I couldn't resolve any web pages.

I had to call support and went through two levels of techs. The last tech basically blamed my router despite the fact that it has almost 15 other Apple devices connected with fully functioning internet connectivity.

I finally asked to speak to her manager, who with a quick test from the restore partition determined that the fault lied in the hardware. I returned to the Apple store and exchanged it for a new one. The new MBA is working flawlessly.

What did the manager do to test from the restore partition?  I'd like to do the same.  At work my ping times are from 1-10 seconds and at home they're about 30ms.  Tried at a coffee shop today and it's the same as at work so unsure of if it's a hardware or software issue.

I am having very similar problems except mine is with a MacBook Pro (13" Mid-2010). The biggest difference is that I have 2 routers on one network. All of my other devices work fine (PC, iPhone 4S, iPod 3, 2 Printers, etc...) but my MacBook will drop signal every 10 minutes or so. It rarely had this problem before I installed the second router, but why would adding a second router ONLY affect this MBP??? This is why even though I use 2 routers, I am relating it to the same problem you all are having. Again, this problem rarely occured when I only had one router btu I needed to extend, installed a second, and now it's DROP DROP DROP all day long. The odd thing about this is that every time it will drop, and the Mavericks diagnostic page comes up, I ONLY begin to start the diagnostics, then the wifi jumps right back online, every time, INSTANTLY!! (for about 10 mins till it drops again). So I hit "Start Diagnostics" and before I type in the information, it just come right back online, weird huh?

Note: Both routers are Netgear WNDR3300s and up-to-date firmware. Again, all other devices work with this setup.

Hopefully this issue, or whatever it is, can be resolved either by apple or on an individual base. Either works for me, before I end up throwing my computer at the wall...

Thanks!

I wrote previously that changing the router settings would help (D-Link DNS relay). Well it did so for about 10 hrs. Finally I changed the router to Netgear D6200. Wifi has been working fine for 2 days now.

I just got my 2013 Mac Air today. I had the day off work so Ive been using it for about 9 hours straight. It dropped the wifi one time during that period. I got a 404 surfing the web and I noticed I had no bars. 10 seconds later i refreshed and it connected. I hope the issue doesnt keep showing its ugly face. I havent had it long enough to know how bad it is.

I have a feeling this issue is like the 2012 mac mini black screens. its been 1 year now and the mac mini still flashes black screens. Even though they have been working on it an entire year they have admitted nothing about it being hardware. It makes me think of this issue. will it be a year later with apple still going on no there is no issue. hoping it will just go away if they ignore it.

Expecting my first ever Mac to be arrived next week. I am really worring this wifi issue.

I am wondering is this the issue happens to every single Air or just lucky bet?

Cheers

Will Battel wrote:

 

I am having very similar problems except mine is with a MacBook Pro (13" Mid-2010). The biggest difference is that I have 2 routers on one network. All of my other devices work fine (PC, iPhone 4S, iPod 3, 2 Printers, etc...) but my MacBook will drop signal every 10 minutes or so. It rarely had this problem before I installed the second router, but why would adding a second router ONLY affect this MBP??? This is why even though I use 2 routers, I am relating it to the same problem you all are having. Again, this problem rarely occured when I only had one router btu I needed to extend, installed a second, and now it's DROP DROP DROP all day long. The odd thing about this is that every time it will drop, and the Mavericks diagnostic page comes up, I ONLY begin to start the diagnostics, then the wifi jumps right back online, every time, INSTANTLY!! (for about 10 mins till it drops again). So I hit "Start Diagnostics" and before I type in the information, it just come right back online, weird huh?

 

Note: Both routers are Netgear WNDR3300s and up-to-date firmware. Again, all other devices work with this setup.

 

Hopefully this issue, or whatever it is, can be resolved either by apple or on an individual base. Either works for me, before I end up throwing my computer at the wall...

 

Thanks!

It sounds like you might be experiencing interference issues with the 2 routers. You may want to play around with the channel settings on the routers.