ron izzo

Q: MB Pro keeps losing wireless signal.

I am working in a small office with 2 other employees.  All of us have identical MacBook Pro Laptops.  I am the only one who keeps repeatedly dropping the wireless signal.  I have run the diagnostic and even switched the channel for the router to make sure there was not any other network interferences.  The signal will drop off it seems about every 5 minutes.  I can turn off the wireless on my laptop and turn it back on and it works just fine for another 5 minutes.  Needless to say it is very frustrating as it is interfering with work.  Has anyone had a similar issue and is there a solution?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, iOS 9.1

Posted on Nov 4, 2015 10:53 AM

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Q: MB Pro keeps losing wireless signal.

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  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Nov 4, 2015 11:11 AM in response to ron izzo
    Level 9 (61,095 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 4, 2015 11:11 AM in response to ron izzo

    You may find this article helpful:


    Use Wireless Diagnostics to help you resolve Wi-Fi issues on your Mac - Apple Support

     

    The first pass through will show you what it finds, if anything. Then set it to monitor your connection and leave it running in the background.

    There are a number of additional tools there, including this graph showing signal performance:

    Wi-FiPerfomanceGraph.png.

     

    and this graph showing what other networks you are competing against:

    Wi-Fi scan.png

     

    .

     

    .

  • by Linc Davis,Solvedanswer

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Nov 4, 2015 8:18 PM in response to ron izzo
    Level 10 (208,000 points)
    Applications
    Nov 4, 2015 8:18 PM in response to ron izzo

    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.

    Step 2

    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.

    Be sure to test on more than one Wi-Fi network, if at all possible. A desktop computer can be tested with a mobile hotspot, such as the hotspot created by a cell phone. If the problem only exists on one network, then the access point of that network should be the focus of your attention, not the computer.

    Step 3

    Disconnect all USB 3 devices, and also all external displays if the Mac has one built in. If you don't know which devices are USB 3, disconnect all USB devices except keyboard and mouse.

    Step 4

    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 5

    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 6

    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 7

    In the Wi-Fi settings, select

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

    Click OK and then Apply.

    Step 8

    Reset the System Management Controller.

    Step 9

    Reset the PRAM.

    Step 10

    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. Turn Wi-Fi off and then back on. You'll be prompted for the password when you reconnect. Save it in the keychain.

    Step 11

    Reinstall the OS. The linked support article refers to OS X 10.11 ("El Capitan"), but the procedure is the same for OS X 10.7 ("Lion") and later.

    Step 12

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