Q: Wifi drops after a few minutes

Hold down the option key and select the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar. What values are shown for the following?

          PHY Mode

          Channel

          Security

          Signal/Noise or RSSI

          Transmit Rate

Please do not post the BSSID, as that information is private.

Now hold down the option key again and select

           ▹ System Information... ▹ Network ▹ Wi-Fi

Compare the two-letter Country Code with the ISO code for your country. Does it match? The code X0 means that the country couldn't be determined. The code X3 means South America, not otherwise specified.

If the network password includes any characters other than plain letters of the alphabet and digits, change it to one that only includes those characters. You make that change on the router first, then by reconnecting to the network and saving the new password in the Keychain.

Please test after taking each of the following steps that you haven't already tried. Stop when the problem is resolved. Back up all data before making any changes.

Step 1

Take the applicable steps in this support article. The Wireless Diagnostics program 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

Disconnect all USB 3 devices. If you don't know which are USB 3, disconnect all USB devices except keyboard and mouse.

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. If you find that Wi-Fi works better with Bluetooth disabled, you should use the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band. Your router may not support it; in that case, you need a new router.

Step 4

Open the Energy Saver pane in System Preferences and unlock the settings, if necessary. Select the Power Adapter  tab, if there is one. Uncheck the box marked

          Wake for Wi-Fi network access

if it's checked.

Step 5

Open the Network pane in System Preferences and make a note of your settings in the Wi-Fi service. It may be helpful to take screenshots of the various tabs in the preference pane. If the preference pane is locked, unlock it by clicking the padlock icon and entering your administrator password. Delete Wi-Fi from the service list on the left by selecting it and clicking the minus-sign button at the bottom. Then recreate the service by clicking the plus-sign button and following the prompts.

Step 6

In the Wi-Fi settings, select

          Advanced... ▹ TCP/IP ▹ Configure IPv6: Link-local

Click OK and then Apply.

Step 7

Reset the System Management Controller.

Step 8

Reset the PRAM.

Step 9

Launch the Keychain Access application. Search for and delete all AirPort network password items that refer to the network. Make a note of the password first.

Step 10

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