fobo1964
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Poor Wifi reception with MacBook Pro (vs. MacBook Air)

I have just bought an external display to use with my MacBook Air and MacBook Pro on the upper floor of my house.

 

My MacBook Air gets a strong full Wifi signal (all 5 bars are showing)—so strong that I can easily stream Netflix movies without interruption, but my MacBook Pro gets one so weak (only 2 bars are showing) that I can hardly surf to any webpage at all. And this occurs even though both computers are in exactly the same location.

 

I have AT&T U-Verse, which uses a model 3801HGV modem/router. No computers in my house are connected via ethernet; all through wireless.

 

I estimate that my modem/router is no more than 55 ft. from the location of these laptops.

 

My question: What can I do to improve my MacBook Pro's signal strength. Relocating the modem/router is not an option. Do I need to boost my router's signal somehow. If so, how? Or can I improve the reception of my MacBook Pro?

 

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

MacBook Pro (17-inch 2.4 GHz), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 22, 2014 8:51 AM

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fobo1964

Q: Poor Wifi reception with MacBook Pro (vs. MacBook Air)

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  • by judysings,

    judysings judysings Feb 24, 2014 2:23 PM in response to fobo1964
    Community Specialists
    Feb 24, 2014 2:23 PM in response to fobo1964

    Hi fobo1964,

     

    Welcome to the Support Communities!

     

    The article below will provide some basic troubleshooting steps to improve your Wi-Fi connectivity.  Click on the link to see the complete details, but I've highlighted some info for you:

     

    Wi-Fi: How to troubleshoot Wi-Fi connectivity

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4628?viewlocale=en_US

     

    Symptom: The Wi-Fi network seems slow

    Confirm that your computer is using the fastest protocol available.

    1. Confirm that your computer is using the fastest protocol available.  Hold the Option key while clicking the Wi-Fi menu.The PHY Mode line shows the protocol your computer is using to join the Wi-Fi network. If this does show the expected 802.11 protocol, you should check the settings of your Wi-Fi router.
    2. Disable other active network services. Active network services consume a portion of the available bandwidth. Examples of these include file servers, video streaming, online games, and so forth. When these are in use, they may cause other services to slow down. Try turning off unused network applications to increase the speed of other applications. Be aware that other computers or devices connected to your network may also contribute to poor performance. If you are not sure if a computer associated with your Wi-Fi network is causing poor performance, try turning it off or disconnecting it from the network.
    3. Use WPA2 Authentication, if available. The WPA2 authentication mode meets the highest standards for Wi-Fi compliance and should be used to provide the greatest speeds for modern Wi-Fi networks
    4. Try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network.
    5. Check your range to the Wi-Fi router and reduce the effect of interference.. See Potential sources of wireless interference for more information about interference and solutions.



    iOS and OS X: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4199

     

    You may also want to speak with AT&T for ideas to extend the range of their router.

     

    I hope this information helps ....

     

     

    - Judy

  • by aki009,

    aki009 aki009 Jul 19, 2015 2:48 PM in response to fobo1964
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 19, 2015 2:48 PM in response to fobo1964

    I'm observing the same issue with my Mac Book Pro 15 Retina.

  • by Xenovolcano,

    Xenovolcano Xenovolcano Jan 25, 2016 6:00 AM in response to judysings
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 6:00 AM in response to judysings

    I'Ve had this issue for over a year now, and none of this advice has helped.. Neither has any other advice from apple experts i've wasted hours trying to follow. The terminology is alien to the average user, takes hours of valuable time and always seems to go nowhere. And updating anything is difficult on a mac book pro  when said machine won't go online unless it is either connected to a lan cable or i am within a meter of the modem. And updating the os is the last thing i want to do when said action risks losing the software (without warning) i use to get my work done. this is the second macbook pro with impossible to fix airport issues... Always occurring around two years after purchase. I am not the only one with these issues on their macbook pro. by this point, i am convinced that the aiport is engineered to stop working after a certain amount of time in order to force users into buying another machine. Judy, after spending another two hours trying your links, troubleshooting and wasting valuable time, nothing is fixed... And this is the third time i've banged my head against a wall trying to fix airport issues on my macbook pro, using advice from chirpy experts who treat apple's flaws as acceptable. this is programmed obsolescence on the part of Apple and I've had enough of it. Time to move to PC. sorry Apple, but I've got a life to live, and I've got work to do.