Jeffrey.scott.hill

Q: 802.11X connection issues at University

So I am having connectivity issues with my University's WPA2 wifi network. I have had this issue since Moutain Lion and still have it with Mavericks. It will connect but will drop every few minutes and will take a long time to reconnect. Rarely there are times when I can stay connected for a few hours consecutively. I have talked to my school's tech depot and they blame Apple. I've talked to Apple and they blame the university. Has anyone had this problem? or know any fixes?

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 20, 2013 6:15 PM

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Q: 802.11X connection issues at University

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  • by sanjampet,

    sanjampet sanjampet Dec 20, 2013 6:26 PM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill
    Level 5 (7,874 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 6:26 PM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill
  • by Jeffrey.scott.hill,

    Jeffrey.scott.hill Jeffrey.scott.hill Dec 20, 2013 9:04 PM in response to sanjampet
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 9:04 PM in response to sanjampet

    Still no luck. Thanks though!

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Dec 20, 2013 9:39 PM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Dec 20, 2013 9:39 PM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill

    Yes a lot of people have had problems with Mac notebooks dropping a WiFi connection to many different Wifi networks. If this is a Retina screen MBP it is more common then on the Non retina screen model but it can still happen on the standard model. It is an Apple problem that they just refuse to acknowledge claiming it is a Router problem and suggest to buy a Apple Airport extreme, which in your case isn't possible.

     

    Your only option is to take your Mac into an Apple store and hopefully it will happen when connecting to the Apple stores WiFi system so you can show them what is happening. Otherwise they will only state it is the schools problem.

     

     

    There are numerous threads about WiFi connectivity problems with all types of Mac computers on this and other Apple forums.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Dec 21, 2013 11:55 AM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Dec 21, 2013 11:55 AM in response to Jeffrey.scott.hill
    Back up all data before making any changes.
         
    Step 1
      

    Take all the applicable steps in this support article. If you're running OS X 10.8.4 or later, run Wireless Diagnostics and take the remedial steps suggested in the summary that appears, if any. The program also generates a large file of information about your system, which would be used by Apple Engineering in case of a support incident. Don't post the contents here.

      
    Step 2
       
    Run Software Update and install all available updates for OS X or your computer's firmware.

    Step 3

    If you're not using a wireless keyboard or trackpad, disable Bluetooth by selecting Turn Bluetooth Off from the menu with the Bluetooth icon. If you don't have that menu, open the Bluetooth preference pane in System Preferences and check the box marked Show Bluetooth in menu bar. Test. Continue if you find that Wi-Fi is faster with Bluetooth disabled.

    From that same menu, select Open Bluetooth Preferences. If the box labeled Discoverable is checked, uncheck it. Click the Advanced button, and in the sheet that opens, uncheck the top three boxes, if any are checked. Click OK. Enable Bluetooth and test again.

    If the application called "Bluetooth Setup Assistant" is running, quit it. Note: this is not applicable to OS X 10.9 or later.

      
    Step 4

    This step will erase all your settings in the Network preference pane. Make a note of them before you begin, and recreate them afterwards. It may be helpful to take screenshots of the preference pane.

    Triple-click the line below on this page to select it:

    /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select

    Services Reveal

    from the contextual menu.* A folder should open with an item named "SystemConfiguration" selected. Move the selected item to the Trash. You may be prompted for your administrator password.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select

    Go Go to Folder...

    from the menu bar, paste into the box that opens (command-V). You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

    Step 5

     

    Reset the System Management Controller.

    Step 6

    Make a "Genius" appointment at an Apple Store, or go to another authorized service center.

    Back up all data on the internal drive(s) before you hand over your computer to anyone. There are ways to back up a computer that isn't fully functional — ask if you need guidance.

    If privacy is a concern, erase the data partition(s) with the option to write zeros* (do this only if you have at least two complete, independent backups, and you know how to restore to an empty drive from any of them.) Don’t erase the recovery partition, if present.

     

    Keeping your confidential data secure during hardware repair

    *An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.