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User profile for user: likes_beer
likes_beer Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Mac mini (2014) WiFi Connection Problems

Hello,


my new Mac mini (2014) with OS X Yosemite arrived today. Problem: It won't connect to my WLAN. My network doesn't even show up in the list of available WLAN's. If I try to connect directly to my WLAN (entering name and password), OS X says "network not found". But my old Mac mini (2012) and my MacBook Pro (2010) connect both to my WLAN without any problems!


I already tried to delete some preference files, installed OS X 10.10.1, did a PRAM reset and deleted the WLAN connection and added it again - it didn't help. The brand new Mac mini won't connect to my WLAN...


This can't be true... I buy a new computer and one of the most important feature doesn't work.


Is there anything I can do? Thanks for _any_ advises and tips!

Posted on Nov 21, 2014 12:48 PM

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18 replies
User profile for user: likes_beer
likes_beer Author
User level: Level 1
6 points

Nov 23, 2014 8:33 AM in response to lllaass

My problem is solved!


The external USB 3 SSD was the cause of the problem. I moved it away from the Mac mini and used a different USB port (that one besides Thunderbolt) - and WiFi works fine now!


The problem is that USB 3 can interrupt/disturbing WiFi connections.


Background:


"Some USB 3 devices, hard drives in particular, can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer."


Source: Using USB 3 devices on Mac computers FAQ - Apple Support


Please keep this in mind when connecting USB 3 devices to your Mac. Hopefully this post will help others. 🙂

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User profile for user: johnjnovak
johnjnovak
User level: Level 1
4 points

Feb 15, 2015 5:51 AM in response to likes_beer

I had a similar issue. My WiFi was working fine and then all of a sudden it would not connect or the connect was horribly slow. The one change I had made to my system was to add a USB 3 hub with two USB 3 flash drives (SanDisk). Finally, I disconnected them and the WiFi works again. So, I moved the new hub to the other side of my monitor and all is working fine. My guess is that the new USB hub/drives connected directly to the back of the mac mini was causing some interference.

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User profile for user: CarlosFromPhilly
CarlosFromPhilly
User level: Level 1
0 points

Jul 31, 2015 3:49 PM in response to likes_beer

Wow... Unexpected, but this worked for me too. Wifi was dropping, sometimes impossible to re-add to my home network for multiple restarts. Similarly, bluetooth connections (apple keyboard and touchpad) were very laggy.


I have a USB 3 Blu-ray and 2TB external HD connected to my mini (living room gaming/music/media system).


As soon as i disconnected my drives, everything immediately began functioning normally. Network joined at full strength, bluetooth devices were smooth and crisp.




Curious: Since both devices require USB3, i don't have much flexibility for connections. Have you tried this with a USB3 hub? I don't want to give up the drives... going to experiment and update this comment.

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Mac mini (2014) WiFi Connection Problems

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