Q: New Macbook Air - wifi connectivity problems

Ok guys,

I only bought my Haswell Macbook Air 2013 yesterday and I am experiecing the same problems. Although, I do have a temporary fix.. Well, it works for me.

So all I do is run the WiFi diagnostics and once everything is working again (green lights), I leave the window open (minimised into the dock), and the internet just seems to work. However, once I completely exit diagnostics window, my connection drops again.

Let me know if this works for you guys! (This is my first Mac computer too, what an excellent experience I'm having.)

Leaving the diagnostic wiondow open keeps the connection alive you say ?

To me it looks like maybe it's an energy saving issue on the wifi card. Maybe it's so agresive that the connection just drops. id you try plugged and unplugged if there s any difference in the time the connection takes to drop ?

I ordered an i7/8gigs MBA and will recieve it next week, we'll see. But if it has trouble and apple doesn't at least communicate on the preblem and states if it s hardware or software related, i'll return it in the nearest store on day 1.

But on thing i wonder : Did some one try to install windows and test ? It would help understanding whether it's firmware or driver related.

Have a look at this guys,
-Option click wifi
-Open wireless Diagnostics
-Hit Command and 2 (or go window>utilities)
-Then click performance

There are readings of noise and signal strength, i was having the same issue, however was getting a fair bit of noise, was still connected to wifi but no internet so changed the chanel on my router.

I haven't been able to check this at my friends house yet where i also had the same issue a bit more, but haven't had a problem at home.......yet.

Yewe,

What router are you seeing the issue with ?

Okaeeeee...... You've managed to get your router to talk to your shiny new MBA - so what?

The new MBA is alleged to be some kind of superior 'Road Warrior'.

You won't be able to change the router in Starbucks, Hilton, University etc..... So, your MBA WiFi probably won't work away from home.....

Oh, and yes, that wired connectivity thing is still a problem with the new MBA - so you are very limited if WiFi doesn't work....

My MBA (13", 8Gb, i7, 256Gb) and thousands and thousands of others' MBAs have either already been bought or are about to be bought. Perhaps I and those thousands of others should take it back to the Apple Store, cross to the other side of the Mall and buy the new Sony VAIO Pro 13 instead? It's faster, lighter, thinner, has better connectivity and an even better screen? So what if the battery life is less - at least you can use the battery.......

"A P P L E,   W H E R E   A R E   YOU ! ! ! ! ! ! ................?"

Message was edited by: Cloudi

What if an extra usb wifi is installed?  Will it work and not having this issue?  Thanks.

Yes, should do.  But a good one - especially an 802.11 ac - will cost quite a lot (and you already have one inside your new MBA.......)

So I practically need this open if I want my internet connection to stay stable:

Once I competely exit from it, my connection drops. This is such a pain the ***. I've even tried changing WiFi Channels, resetting all my internet settings, router settings, pretty much everything mentioned above and in other threads too.

I'm not going to lie, but I'm not sure what my router is. I've accessed the router but I can't find what Ghz it is too...

It is helpful to know what router channels and firmware upgrades help, but only because that will give Apple a better idea of what's wrong and how to fix it in the MBA's (firmware or software).

It is unlikely to be a wired hardware problem.  This is because some MBAs work perfectly in some scenarios and because it would appear 2013 MBAs play well with the latest new 802.11 ac TimeCapsules and Routers.

So, from the comments in this exhaustive forum thread, I think Apple should concentrate on it's most recent Airplay Update and the choices the Haswell chip is making about power management.

"A P P L E,   W H E R E   A R E   YOU ! ! ! ! ! ! ................?"

Not any help but i have the exact same trouble.

MBA i5 5 days old. :-(

Guys did anyone of you send an email to apple in order to complain about this problem?

I think that if we let apple know of the problem's existence , a fixing update of OS X would surely come out during the next days.

I personally think that this is a problem of new hardware "working under the rules" of older software.

I'm using a D-link DIR-615. Pretty old. The new firmware I got from http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/connect/routers/dir-615-wireless-n-300 -router.

I called support explaining everything I did (change channels, adjust my router to N only, changed MTU, monitored my wifi connection, manually set the IP, erased the network settings and keychain entry to start with a new connection, etc). I asked if I could send the Diagnostic results I got when my laptop lost the connection to someone. The first guy wanted me to come to the store in order for someone to look at it. I kept telling him that this was very frustrating. The next day, someone called me and he was a Senior Technical Advisor. I sent him the Diagnostics and he was the one that found out about the firmware.

Call support, we have 90 days free support.

Leave Technical Care behind. I suggest that you send feedback directly to Apple US from apple.com.

Let's face the music. It is  product flaw that may affect only a slice of the new MBAs out there. It is not your router. These MacBooks are meant to be travel heroes - not sissies on a diet. Return the MBA if you have this problem if you still have a chance and get new ones until you're happy. Or get a Pro as I did without this nonsense. .

Oh, by the way. Watch out for so called Apple engineers sending you e-mails and wanting you to give information. A snake in the grass.

Good luck!