Update to Mountain Lion 10.8.5 has killed my wifi access. Help needed.

Repair permsisions.

Go to Applications -> Utilities.

Double click Disk Utility.

Click once on First Aid.

Select the boot hard drive.

Click on repair permissions.

I just want to thank brody, repair permissions has solved my issue after the 10.8.5 update! Good job 😉

Send Apple feedback. They won't answer, but at least will know there is a problem. If enough people send feedback, it may get the problem solved sooner.

Feedback

You have the only solution that works that I could find to help my 15" Macbook Pro late 2008! I had to revert to 10.8.4 after 10.8.5 took away wifi, and now all is fine with wifi. The machine never had any issues until this update - then no wifi! Late 2008 Macbook and Macbook Pro users may want to wait on this particular update.

This isn't my first time around the block, I think my first update as a young one was from System 6.0.8 to System 7. So I did all the familiar protocols to get around the issue. I zapped the PRAM, reset the SMC, repaired the permissions, used the combo updater, made sure all other updates were applied - all to no avail. The temporary fix of deleting WiFi from Network in the System Preferences, restarting and adding it back in - this works but you lose it after a restart (so you have to continue to do it). I added a new Network Location with DHCP lease renew and MTU size change, but still no wifi. I did the System Configuration file deletion from the /Library/Preferences/System Configuration/ path and restart, but this was equivalent to the temporary fix and was lost on subsequent restart (links to all of these methods are in Eric's response above). After a number of hours and frustrations, it seemed to me that this was an issue with 10.8.5 alone and a reversion was needed. I went back to 10.8.4 and all works wonderfully now just as it always did previously.

10.8.5 included some modifications for better compatibility with 802.11ac wifi, and somewhere in there it seems to have broken wifi access for users of Late 2008 Macbook and Macbook Pro models (at least is seems so from the many web posts I've seen). I've applied the 10.8.5 update to a 2008 iMac and Mid-2008 Macbook Pro without any issues regarding wifi.

I'm a long time Mac user because things do "just work", and I normally plunge right into updates without a second thought and never had an issue until this one. Which is a big issue now that so much is web-based. I agree if anyone has this issue you should provide Apple feedback, so it can be fixed; and a lot of machines with a lot of life left in them can keep current.

Do you know how I actually provide Apple feedback?

Here is a link: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

Hi a,

the 300N is not the model number, it is the speed. The model is probably WL309, or maybe another, the 300N indication is used for a lot of routers also for other brands: eg I have a netgear "300N": a/g/n protocol, speed 300MBps.

Lex

I have been going crazy .... but .... with NO action at all taken .... except a few restarts .... I was preparing to do a OS X reinstall so was doing backups, but that did not affect the Wifi .... I did connect a few times using Ethernet (and ... could that have done something ?)

but in a restart just now .... it is back and working .... WiFi ....

I cannot say what might have happened on my side - I think nothing at all ....

so in connecting via ethernet, perhaps apple has done something "secret" they did not want to advertise .... throwing an "x" update to the 10.8.5 at all of us ....

so .... I'd say .... get connected with ethernet ..... restart a few times and let it sit for a bit so if some download goes on in the background ... it can get done ....

and .... go for it ....

Also go to http://developer.apple.com/ and sign up for a free online developer account. This will allow you to post bug reports at http://bugreporter.apple.com/ Obviously since some people are successfully connecting, something is esoteric in the setup that needs to be isolated. It would be nice if someone took the effort to compile a survey on a separate page of what 10.8.5 machines are successfully connecting via WiFi, and what ones are not by vintage and Make, and if a third party router is part of the equation. Mind you, the terms of use on this board dictate no surveys to some extent, so that's why I say a separate page. This would help people know if there is any pattern. Having a "me too" thread can only go so far to giving us some idea what is happening.

Have you guys tried completely shutting down the Mac ( disconnect from AC power) , wait 5 minutes and then restart it and check if Wi-Fi shows up ?

hi guru ... you know, now that you say this .... my need to go to ethernet meant I did disconnect from power, and I did shut it down / restart .... so it may have been part of the cycle of fix that I could not put my finger on exactly .... I prefer the conspiracy theory, it's more fun .....

you are right - sometimes it's the very VERY basic things that need doing to re-set things .... and now you have said this, I'm buying it as more a reason for my fix than just that I connected to ethernet for a while ....

thanks .... we are in this together ..... (at least it's not PC **** .... 25 years of macs and maybe 5 times a problem I could call "apple created" ... and always fixed !!! relatively fast ...)

g'nite from france

Another thing to try is reset the SMC and check if that helps resolve the issue.