2009 Mac Pro Wifi keeps shutting down

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Level 1

24 points

2009 Mac Pro Wifi keeps shutting down

Hi all,

I have an early-2009 Mac Pro, running OSX 10.9.5. Lately, the Wifi only works for about 5-10 minutes at a time. It'll look like it's working -- i.e., the WiFi icon at the top of the screen has full black bars -- but the Dropbox icon will be greyed out due to not being connected with the computer any more, nor do I have access to my printer or the internet. To get it going again, I click on the Wifi icon, turn WiFi off for about 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Then everything works again for 5 or 10 minutes. It used to be that I'd have to reset the Wifi only once every day or two, but the problem is getting progressively worse.

BTW, it has to be just this computer, because all other devices hooked up to my Wifi work wonderfully.

I've tried resetting the PRAM, but that doesn't seem to solve anything. Any other suggestions? Not sure if this is a software issue or a hardware issue. Just not sure where to start my troubleshooting.

Thank you!

Kevin

Posted on May 29, 2015 9:57 AM

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Answer 1

May 29, 2015 10:03 AM in response to kevinmathie

this could be a faulty wifi card that I would recommend having it checked out at your local Apple Store.

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Answer 2

Johnb-one

Level 6

9,156 points

May 30, 2015 7:25 AM in response to kevinmathie

yeah, what he said. your PRAM battery may be dead inside. This is easily changeable and stores various system settings . If the wifi card is indeed bad (and it very well may be), replacing it yourself is possible if you have a #0 Phillips or #1 phillips magnetized screwdriver, the new card, 2 small screws, a sturdy pair of tweezers, maybe an assistant and lots of patience. go to meanderingpassage.com for a rough guide on how to do it. an unsharpened pencil may be helpful to push the antenna connectors onto the terminals, as they are very tiny, but it can be done. I think I paid about $40 for a new card, if any of this helps you

JB

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Answer 3

May 30, 2015 5:42 PM in response to kevinmathie

Hold down the Option key while you click the Wi-Fi Icon on the MenuBar. One of the choices there is Wireless Diagnostics.

Run the diagnostic, and when it completes, have it save the copious results, and invite it to watch the connection on an ongoing basis for signs of trouble.

Then go about your business and wait for what it finds (if anything).

If it dies before finding anything, note the exact time, then use Console.app to look in the logs for messages that might be applicable. If you find some, Cut-and-paste (not screenshot) up to a page of messages. (More than that is too much to ask volunteers to wade through.)

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