Q: OSX Yosemite Wifi issues

Noticed that.  In the beginning, there was an occasional post in Macworld but silence since.  (No comment about Digital Macworld.).  I have added nothing to the thread because you folks seem to have it covered but following you has been fascinating. 

Agreed. Apple's lack of response is worse than just coming out clean with it. My meager opinion: It's time to go back to iOS for portable devices and OS X for the Macintosh PC. let Apple apps and third party apps do the intercommunication between the two. While, Apple goes back to the drawing board and, in the meantime, sends out an OS X that works for all.. Trying to be objective from a User stand point. Corporate Servers and Small Business Servers along with workstations can't and will not go with Yosemite if sensitive company data is at risk plus the unreliable connectivity via Wi-Fi in the workplace. Apple has got to hear our voices! News article, press release. Do something!

Firewire a mere DHCP configurable port for peer to peer. Introducing Thunderbolt! brought to you by the inventors of Firewire. Apple. Innovation at work for You!

Doing my bit re publicity-retweet

https://twitter.com/dairymews/status/549970462164664320

sorry: reply toWalter SF

OzziesMAC wrote:

 

Also notice how UNDER-REPORTED this issue is on all the Apple or Mac Magazines out there.

It's either downplayed or flat out not mentioned.

That's no surprise as the magazines are more or less dependent on Apple's goodwill.

The magazines want to be able to send people to attend Apple keynotes and also like to receive product samples early.

Yes I guess bribery still works and it trumps real reporting.

Maybe the Windows Magazine should exploit this vacum

of reporting.

Been following this thread for a while so thought I might aswell contribute.

I decided to go to the Genius Bar today just to rule out any hardware issue since obviously this Wifi issue is affecting some users and not others.

He checked the Airport card which was fine, so no hardware issue. However, the Wifi worked absolutely perfectly in the Apple Store - didn't drop once whereas usually it's connecting/disconnecting from the moment the computer is started. So the fella then suggested that it's probably something to do with the environment I'm in e.g. Wifi interference that Yosemite can't quite handle (there are indeed 4 Wifi networks around my house so potentially there is a bit of interference or something?)

He said that I wasn't the first to come in with this problem and that he had it himself, until he tried the 10.10.2 beta which he said solved his problems completely - so fingers crossed for that when it's officially released to everyone.

Also, he deleted my Wifi network preferences and then restarted the Mac as a potential solution to my problem. And so far...... no problems - the issue seems to have been fixed, although I will come back and edit this post if the problem comes back. So maybe some of you might want to give that a go? I'm not sure how he did it exactly but it took him like 30 seconds - just deleted Wifi preferences folder and restarted the Mac.

Been there done that and the issue came back the following day.

10.10.2 beta is no difference, will work for a while then go back to its old ways.

Maybe the issue has something to do with the router you are connecting to.

I am sure the store is using current Apple routers.

That I have not tested, but would explain way it did not drop at the store when

it normally does at home.

I thought the issue might also be down to my router but the thing is I have another iMac and also a Macbook Pro in the house both on Yosemite with zero problems, so it surely can't be the router. My room is a bit closer to the neighbours' wifi networks so I'm really buying into this interference theory. I guess I could take my iMac downstairs and test this theory out if I can be bothered to move it some time.

Well 10.10.2 does seem to be fixing some people's problems so it may be the fix we're looking for.

Also can you not edit posts on this forum? In continuation of my last post, deleting Wifi preferences did not completely solve the Wifi issue - it kind of disconnected about 20 minutes in and then I put my Ethernet cable in. But it did seem to make things better.

Yes you can edit your own post Look in bottom right corner

This is not a router issue. I have a six month old AirPort Extreme set up with my 2014 MBP and am still having these issues, though only when connected with Yosemite. Internet connected with my iPad only works perfectly well.

It's a freaking joke that this hasn't been resolved yet. Every day I lose more respect for a once great company.

I thought I might also add, since I haven't seen it here in what I have read. Connecting via 2.4GHz works for me fine on my new D-Link 880L, but when I attempt to connect to 5GHz, it actually crashes the router after about 30 seconds of working, breaking the internet for ALL users until it comes back up. It's making it very hard to troubleshoot with everyone yelling at me that "the internet is down again!".

iPhoneUser1000 wrote:

 

I thought the issue might also be down to my router but the thing is I have another iMac and also a Macbook Pro in the house both on Yosemite with zero problems, so it surely can't be the router. My room is a bit closer to the neighbours' wifi networks so I'm really buying into this interference theory. I guess I could take my iMac downstairs and test this theory out if I can be bothered to move it some time.

I have seen interference issues in WiFi that have been resolved by moving the computer, or by backing off on the router settings so the router is less "aggressive" in trying for a higher data rate.  That might explain some of this … EXECPT … why did it start with Yosemite but it was not present with earlier OS's? One possibility is that Yosemite has "improved" logic that is more aggressive in trying to maximize the data rate and this fails in an environment where there are numerous competing/confounding signals, resulting in periodic loss of signal. Earlier OS may use different logic in managing and sustaining the WiFI signal. If this theory is true, it would mean that Yosemite may be more flawed (I'm sure Apple originally thought it was an improvement) in a cluttered RF environment, which is probably the type of environment many of us have in our residences, with many other networks nearby, but the Apple test environment might not reproduce this type of user environment very well. It would also explain with 5 GHz seems worse for some than 2.4 GHz (5 GHz is naturally more susceptible to interference due to shorter wavelength), and also why in Apple Stores, or in my workplace, where there is ~ one strong network, the problems don't surface.

One way to test this would be simply to see if the WiFi problems get better when one moves closer to the router? Also, look at the signal/noise ratio (listed in About This Mac, detailed report, under WiFi info) as a function of distance from the router and note where the WiFi problems become apparent).

Meanwhile, if this theory is correct, then it is on Apple to look at what they changed in the WiFi logic in Yosemite and maybe back away from it closer to the earlier OS approaches. And test it in a more typical user environment, like with a slew of Linksys, Netgear, Asus, and of course Apple branded routers within 1-2 hundred feet or so.

If people have reported here that they lost WiFi ~ inches from their routers, then this theory might not explain those cases, unless the interference is really large. The signal/noise ratio would confirm that, however.

Interference from other nearby WiFI networks can be very time variable, people are constantly setting up new routers, hot spots, and extending their networks through their residences.

I live on a farm. There are zero other wireless access points in my area.

square_eyes wrote:

 

I live on a farm. There are zero other wireless access points in my area.

Well, you also reported that 2.4 GHz works fine for you, but that it's 5 GHz that is problematic for you. That presents a different situation than some others have reported here, where they have had unreliable connections at all frequencies and their computers are unusable. So it might indicate that you have a different issue than some of the others. The 5 GHz behavior points to a possible router issue, especially as you reported the 5 GHz froze the entire router and internet distribution. You also reported a few weeks ago that your Mac was freezing just from connecting a USB device, which might be indicative of some sort of hardware problem.

Interference can result from other devices on or near the WiFi frequency, or at lower frequencies where the harmonics land on top of the WiFi 2.4 and/or 5 GHz frequencies. This can come telephones, microwave ovens, even refrigerators have been reported. This is why moving the router or computer can provide a clue about what is happening. Also 5 GHz can provide much higher rates, but is fairly sensitive to intervening walls, wiring metal, etc. 

Do you have another router you can try? Have you tried your laptop in an Apple Store, coffee shop, or some other router than serves up internet signals? A new router should not freeze like that at 5 GHz.

I live on a farm. There are zero other wireless access points in my area

That, square_eyes, is a very rare test case nowadays (consider yourself lucky), and telltale something very big is amiss with Yosemite.

Park your ipV6 address to a "link local" address somewhere in System>Preferences> Advanced. Try to link to an ipV4 address instead.

Good luck to you!