On El Capitan, 10.11.1, my wifi connection keeps dropping every (maybe, 30) minutes, for about 30 seconds, and comes back again. It doesn't seem to happen at my school (I THINK). So I'm led to believe that El Capitan doesn't go well with my home router setting. I'm using Cisco DOCSIS 3.0 DPC3825 from Rogers in Canada.
What is the best setting for my router? I'm not great with network settings.
Thanks!
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
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.
I just want to know the best router setting. I tried all those already a while ago after seeing that exact same reply in another thread. Didn't help except I didn't do re-install of the OS because I don't have time to do that at the moment due to busy school work.
I think my wifi doesn't drop at school or other public places, but it drops often at home. I think it's the issue with my router and el capitan compatibility or some setting in router. The firmware I think updates automatically from rogers though, so it shouldn't be that issue.
You'd have to take it up with the makers of your router. Unless someone here is using the same router on the same wireless network, we'd have no way of knowing what settings work best for that particular model.
You asked what the best router settings were. Apple's recommendations are linked to Step 1 of my last comment.
Hi there,
Have you found a solution? I'm in your exact situation. By exact, I mean, EXACT. Both my sister and I use macbooks and are connected to our home wifi which is using Rogers' Cisco DPC3825 and internet would drop every 15-20 minutes! But for me when I go back to my dorm, everything works fine. Please share your experience/solution! Thank you!
Also looking for a solution to this same problem. Running El Capitan 10.11.3 on a Macbook Air at home with Cisco DPC3825router using Rogers in Canada. Like sw6lee, my wifi seems to drop connection every 10 or 20 mins. This does not happen when the computer connects to other networks at other locations. Another computer in my house, Macbook Air running Yosemite, does not experience the same issues. Called Rogers today and they "tweaked some settings" but I haven't seen an improvement; still dropping connection frequently. Have found that keeping Network Preferences open and clicking "Renew DHCP Lease" is the quickest way to resolve the connection issue each time it drops. Wish there was a permanent fix though. Has anybody else found a solution to this?
El Capitan WiFi Connection Dropping. Best Router Settings?
