Q: New Macbook Air - wifi connectivity problems

I'm on a new Core I7 Haswell Macbook Air right now. I bought it yesterday. When I did, I migrated all my stuff and then came home to find ... you guessed it, internet wifi connectivity problems. I called in and spent hours on the phone doing all kinds of things, including repairing permissions, repairing ACL, and creating new accounts. There was lots of binding and unbinding my apple IDs. All to no effect. Then we tried to archive and install OSX over the top of my current stuff but the internet connectivity wouldn't let me succeed in doing it.

I then did an erase disk and install, but it took three tries before it succeeded. So there I was back to original condition and I still had the problem. Then I read this thread. Now I seldom travel and when I do I use an AT&T cellular modem so I don't care about wifi network compatibility. So I weaseled out and went and bought a Airport Time Capsule at the Apple store to replace my ancient Linksys wireless router.

I brought it home and couldn't quite figure out how to set it up. I'm a software engineer but not a network engineer and there was something wrong with the default settings. I called Apple and the nice lady helped me figure out that the capsule had come up in internet bridging mode instead of as a router and once that was set to rights and we rebooted everything. Then she helped me connect my trillions of devices (new air, old air, 2 ps3s, ROKU box, Apple TV, iPhone 4s, and iPad 3). Everything worked!

Of course I know from reading this that it might not last, but so far the new Air is talking on the 802.11AC network I think and it's really fast. So far so good. If it all continues to work, I'll migrate my files over tomorrow. I used superduper to image the current condition of the computer. Then I'll use migration assistant to migrate over my user settings and files from a super duper backup of my other Air. If THAT goes well, I'll install the App Store applications and then last the software from disk.

Does anyone have any modifications to suggest to this plan? Maybe I shouldn't even migrate my settings? But I'd like to do that and I need the files.

Thanks and if it weren't for you guys I wouldn't be as far as I am right now.

I did not, I was trying to review as much posts as I could to see if there were also i5s, but in the time I spent on this thread, I only came across i7s. But I appreciate for taking the time to confirm that i5 has the issue as well. I was thinking to return my 2nd i7 and get an i5, but thanks to your post, I will not. Cheers.

What/which released update are you referring to? Do you have a URL that you can share?

Picked up my brand new 11.6in i5 base model today and it looks like I'm plagued by the Wi-Fi issues. It's pretty frustrating that Apple, knowing this issue existed, sold me a laptop that is almost impossible to use in its current state.

Eurodance, if you read back, several forum members /customers who contacted Apple are  already testing a beta WiFi fix. Some say  fix worked,  some say  fix did not work.  To be clear,  first fix attempt is  being field tested right now - with Apple collecting more data. Apple does not want "back to school" sales negatively influenced,  there is precious little time,  they will get it right or answer to stockholders.

As a comparison, if you search on "2013 Macbook Pro Retina fan problems"  you'll see a thread almost this long.  Apple released a firmware upgrade about a week after the fan issue lit up major blogs.   This was all going on about the same time  reliable sources were predicting new MBA a/c WiFi,   so I decided to wait a bit longer,  switch from MBPr, to MBA.  My rationale was also  a sense that 12 hour battery life is probably not happening for a Retina display any time soon.  I personally prioritize 12 hour battery life and faster WiFi over 13" HD screen.   I have a home theater to watch movies.

So, about a week after this new WiFi issue lit up the blogosphere, Apple has released a first fix attempt. I'm not excusing Apple, I don't know enough about a/c technology vs. a/b/g/n, but it seems perhaps a/c is  more challenging.  I don't think Apple purposely sabotaged connectivity of its flagship new laptop.   I'm not an engineer, but I do wonder if  a significantly faster technology can be compatible with 100% of the mllions of legacy routers. I don't think anyone knows the answer to that, yet.

Some forum members have noted they have traveled in Europe with a new MBA without WiFi incident, but I'm not sure I buy into the theory this is organic only to routers in the United States. I think it's also fair to observe the a/c standard is not even yet officially approved.

What I do suggest with  confidence, the  WiFi issue will be sorted by end of July. Apple store employees can't possibly flash all the  base config MBA's 'in the wild' waiting to be purchased.  Those will get upgraded by the customer at first-start up/install via internet update.

It seems to me, custom builds will be first to have the fix preinstalled and ready out of the box.

Just my two cents.

Drewsky, have you tried changing your wireless router security settings to WPA2 AES??  I did it and it fixed all my issues.  Not an ideal fix if you're an avid traveller, but it should get you by until Apple comes out with a fix for these MBA's.  I'm confident they'll have a fix soon!!

I tried that, didn't work for me,. I've been messing with my Wireless/Computer settings for about an hour to find a combination that works and can't seem to find one.

Just to update my earlier post, I have continuous problems with holding onto the wifi connection at my office, which uses Time-Warner Roadrunner and an SMC router. I'm now at home using Time-Warner Roadrunner and an Apple Airport Extreme and have have no problems holding onto a wifi connection—zip, nada.

So maybe the problem is between Apple and all the myriad of non-Apple routers out there. I do hope they manage to solve the problem, because outside of my own home it's been a real pain in the butt.

My issues are at my parents house with Comcast and a NetGear router. I'll update when I'm back home (Comcast/AirPortExpress)

This may be a one-off issue and solution, but I found I was getting lap interference to my laptop. Internet speed wired to the Cable Modem was around 25 Mbps. Using Wi-fi right next to the router speed was around 20. Sitting in my living room one room away, the speed was 0.5 Mbps. Tried walking slowly from the router to the living room to see where the problem arose, and it was only when I sat down and put the laptop on my lap. Tried using a wooden cutting board as a lapboard, and the problem went away. Speed is now around 20 on the lapboard and 0.5 on my lap.Guess I'll use a lapboard to keep my legs away from the wifi antenna.

@DougsPlace, thank you for your thorough response, it was very helpful and informative.

Earlier today (and after many long calls with Tier 2 support) I was on the phone with an Apple Support Supervisor, and she pretty much "blamed" my home network and ISP (even after I told her that the issue also happens when connected to Apple stores' WiFi,) and she did not mention anything about possible/suspected WiFi issues that's affecting the new MacBook Airs, despite the genuine complaints. Also, she told me that problems like this can take as long as 6 months before they're addressed, and I should be patient. If I don't see any fixes by my 13th day, I'm returning my system. I spent close to 2,000 dollars on this system, and I don't want to get stuck with it even if it comes with an Apple Care.

Given that this is my 2nd custom-built i7/8GB/512SSD system with the same exact problem, I'm contemplating whether or not I should just go to an Apple store and buy an entry level i5, just to see if I can replicate the same issue.

In the meantime, I'm trying different things, hoping I can make the disconnect last more than 1-5 minutes. Will post an update later.

Hi guys want to ask a question. for you who got air from online store, how many days your air post to your home? I will go abroad 2days after the est delivery time, start worry about this

@ samfordj

Oh wow, you're totally right.  I think it's unrelated to the WiFi issues being presented in this thread, but I watched the "transmit rate" (WiFi link speed) being reported in the WiFi menu.  On my lap, it varied between 80-160.  If I just lifted the MacBook up a few inches into the air, the transmit rate jumped to 220+.  I tried this multiple times to confirm.

This was on a 5GHz 802.11n connection (maxes out at 300 Mbps) about 30 feet from an AirPort Extreme 5th-gen.  Haven't tested 2.4GHz for this phenomenon yet.  Makes me wonder what an 802.11ac connection would do.

@flinlov, I custom ordered mine online from Apple.com on June 21 with posted delivery date of July 2. Then I received an email saying that my MacBook Air was going to be delayed until July 8 due to an 'unexpected delay', but it arrived on July 1st.

I hope that helps.

Reason why few complains from Europe is because of European routers (as wel hotels as home config.) most often are have a standard 2.4ghz and WPA2 configuration.