Q: New Macbook Air - wifi connectivity problems

Mine was not, even though it was customised.

How long ago did you have it?  Wonder when Apple fixes it how quick does production get the fix. Hardware and or software.

OK, to give a brief background, I purchased a MBA '13 i7 back in June, with the same WiFi issue. It would stay connected at full bar but the Internet connectivity would drop 1-5 times every 10 minutes, and have intermittent access to the web, without telling you that there's no Internet connectivity -- the only way I was able to tell was by observing the Wireless Diagnostics. I've returned the original and got a replacement from Apple, but it exhibits the same exact issue. Please note that I've done every single trick from updating my Airport Extreme firmware to deleting SysConfig files, restoring Mac OS. I also tried 802.11n 2.4GHz, and 802.11a. I also tried every single channel. As for the security, I tried WPA2 Personal and WPA/WPA2 Personal. I also changed the MTU size to different values between 1280 and 1500, including 1453. My 6 year-old MacBook is not having any issues, nor my 3 Dell laptops, Apple TV, iPads or iPhones.

So here comes the best part! This past week, I spent some time testing the battery with different scenarios, and here's what I discovered. While I was trying different things between my MBA and the router, I changed my Airport Extreme's Radio Mode to 802.11n only (5GHz) and as soon as I did that, the connectivity issue disappeared! So I left my MBA on for more than a day, and let it to download all my movies from iTunes, and turned on the Wireless Diagnostics tool. When I checked back after 32-34 hours, I neither saw any Internet connection drops reported by Wireless Diagnostics nor saw any interruptions by the iTunes downloads. Well, as much as this was exciting to me, it was not satisfactory, because half of my systems/devices do not support 5Ghz. Also, this is not an ideal solution, because we simply can't ask public WiFi providers to switch from 2.4 to 5GHz just for us, the MBA owners, because we can't get on a/b/g.

So that's where I am now, I will try few other things and report back.

@ Eurodance - very interesting info

I had something weird just happen.  I was watching YouTube in Chrome on battery power (95%) and all of a sudden the MBA's WiFi actually disconnected (WiFi icon went gray - first time this has ever happened) and at the SAME TIME my trackpad stopped responding to finger movement.

But my router was fine (other devices on WiFi were still working uninterrupted).

Checked console logs and found these:

2013-07-06 10:04:29.524 PM configd[17]: com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.wifi.droppedConnection.beaconLoss

com.apple.message.signature: Link drop due to beacon loss event

com.apple.message.signature2: 149

com.apple.message.value: -61

2013-07-06 10:04:29.818 PM configd[17]: 

com.apple.message.domain: com.apple.wifi.droppedConnection

com.apple.message.signature: Disassociated due to inactivity

com.apple.message.result: fail

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: New Power Throttle state:2 Old state:1

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: wlEvent: en0 en0 Link DOWN virtIf = 0

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: wl0: Beacon Loss Event

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on en0. Reason 4 (Disassociated due to inactivity).

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: en0: link down event, informing supplicant.

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: en0: BSSID changed to 00:00:00:00:00:00

2013-07-06 10:04:29.000 PM kernel[0]: en0::IO80211Interface::postMessage bssid changed

2013-07-06 10:04:32.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:32.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:32.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:32.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:32.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:33.070 PM mDNSResponder[35]: setsockopt - IP_ADD_MEMBERSHIP error -1 errno 49 (Can't assign requested address) group 224.0.0.251 on 192.168.0.189

2013-07-06 10:04:33.097 PM configd[17]: network changed: v4(en0-:192.168.0.189) DNS- Proxy- SMB

2013-07-06 10:04:36.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:36.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

2013-07-06 10:04:36.000 PM kernel[0]: IOHIDSystem cursor update overdue. Resending.

This makes me newly suspicious that it could be an internal power issue as some have previously reported (ie: some under-the-hood power saving code or something is not supplying enough juice to the USB bus or what-not and causes things like WiFi and/or trackpad to become non-functional at random).

FYI, I have Apple's test WiFi fix installed.  Fingers crossed this is just growing pains and will be sorted out with a proper fix soon.

@orchetect Thanks.

The data in your Console logs is very interesting! The the cursor issue and beacon/link loss is too convenientfor a coincidence. I'd agree with your suspicion that it's an internal power issue of some sort.

That reminds me, I have yet to plug a USB device to my MBA, I should do that to see if I will experience any similar issues.

Glad to hear that you were able to get the test fix. I hope it works out! Will await for feedback

After almost a month since the first report there's still no official response from Apple's side, right?

Can anyone please confirm is this problem is persisent in all products or there is just some corrupted bunch of them?

I bought my MBA 13" yesterday and had a perfect experience with it in a café next to the store, but when I took it back home and connected to my WiFi network it would keep connection active for a couple of seconds (1 minute max) before halting any network activity. This is serously frustrating as I got this laptop as a good alternative for iPad ffor sake of mobility. And if it just doesn't work with a wast amount of wireless network types then why should I even bother keeping it waiting for Apple to make a final statement.

I will wait a bit for an answer and then go to the store and hand this piece of hardware back. It is simply ridiculous. I know things like this may happen to every company, but keeping silent like that is just a spit to their (previously loyal) customers like myself.

I would recommend returning it now, get your money back, and if you haven't bought something else in its place by the time they truly sort out this issue, buy it again.  I can't imagine anyone would seriously recommend you keep this brand new MBA in the hope that the issue will be resolved soon.  That's not what Apple customers should expect.  Right?  I am about to walk over to my local Apple store and return the 2nd bad unit, maybe try a third only because I live 1 1/2 blocks from the Apple store.  But for anyone who doesn't have such convenient access, save yourself the grief and expense!

You have 14 days in which to return it. If you can work with it, go ahead and use it in case Apple comes up with a fix during that period. If they don't, then return it and get something else.

I've been experiencing the same connectivity problems in my office, but it works flawlessly at home with Time-Warner Roadrunner and an Apple Airport router. I have another week to go and if something doesn't happen to solve the problem by then, it'll go back and I'll get a 13" retina Macbook Pro.

@Eurodance, that's interesting. My Airport Time capsule runs a multi band network and it's given me a stable connection, but then perhaps the Air prefers 802.11AC and that's the difference? Not sure. Apple really needs a room full of miscellaneous routers (apparently including some of its own) to test with. Hard to believe this wouldn't have shown up in testing.

I thought the odds of trying a third unit and it working properly were approximately zero, but the Apple store just sent me home with a third unit to try, and amazing it works on my home wifi, while the previous two units would stop working after a few seconds.  I asked them to pull this third unit from the other end of their pile in the back.  I don't know if they did do that, but for some very bizarre reason this MacBook Air 13" Mid-2013 (Haswell, 256Gb SSD, 4Gb RAM) has not yet stopped working on my "mixed" home wifi.  Through all 3 units, yesterday and today, I have made no configuration changes to my home wifi (nor would I -- these things are supposed to just work).

So it would seem that going back to the Apple store to try yet a different machine *can* clear up this problem.  I'm surprised, amazed and relieved.

I wish you all the luck with your third try, but I'm afraid that 1 hour is too soon to make conclusions. As it seems that all the variety of Mid-2013 configurations are keen to this issue I tend to believe it may be software-caused or, if it's hardware, it should be present in all the models. Waiting for more info from your further tests!

I'll contact Apple hotline tomorrow as they are only open on workdays here in Russia.

Well I now sheepishly return here to report that, while this 3rd MacBook Air 13" stays connected much, much longer than the first two tries, this one will still "foul" the wifi connection after some use.  I was able to apply the outstanding software updates and reboot, but after a bit more use, the wifi connection stops working.  So sadly I'm off to return this last unit, and get the purchase price refunded.  I hope Apple gets this thoroughly resolved soon, because I still want this little machine!

If you hold down the option key and click on the WiFi menu Extra icon in the finder bar what values do the RSSI and Security have ?

I can confirmed there are unaffected MacBook Air's. I bought 1 for myself & 1 for my wife (both are 11" stock models). We've had absolutely no connection issues. We both are in the airline industry and travel all over Europe & the USA, to date we've not had an issue with the dozens of networks we've connected to. At home we have a dual band Airport Extreme, and no problems there either. So I'm not sure what's up, but I can confirm that not every unit has this afflicition.

mine works perfect everywhere on all wifi

talked to buddy mine at apple store. he told me hes seen none come back under wifi or speaker issues. i trust him fully.   he would tell me the truth

another apple rep diff place.  also friend of mine says also hes yet to get anyone squeaking about wifi connects issues

so id assume its not any kind of widespread problem