MB Pro Wi-Fi problems

Question

Level 1

8 points

MB Pro Wi-Fi problems

Hi,

My MacBook Pro keeps dropping out its wi-fi connection (generally every few minutes, and it returns after ~30 secs). This only started in the last few weeks. It's a MacBook Pro mid-2015 recently updated to El Capitan 10.11.5. The wireless router is an Airport Extreme (older, around 2011).

iPad and Mac Mini (connected via Ethernet) have no connection issues.

Eventually did a clean install of El Capitan, and the problem persisted as before.

I then created a bootable USB, with which the wi-fi is working absolutely fine so far. No dropouts at all.

Thanks for any advice.

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5)

Posted on May 24, 2016 11:51 AM

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Answer 1

May 24, 2016 11:59 AM in response to yelihop

Hi,

First, see if resetting your AirPort Extreme helps. Instructions here > Resetting an AirPort base station FAQ

If that doesn't help, network preferences may be corrupted.

Open the Finder. From the Finder menu bar click Go > Go to Folder

Type or copy paste the following:

/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration

Click Go then move all the files in the SystemConfiguration folder to the Trash.

Restart your Mac. See if that makes a difference.

Your Mac will generate a new SystemConfiguration folder for you.

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Answer 2

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,739 points

May 24, 2016 2:13 PM in response to yelihop

DO NOT try to delete the SystemConfiguration folder. You can't, unless the system has been hacked.

A "clean installation" means that you erased the startup volume, reinstalled OS X, and then tested without installing any other software or restoring any data from a backup. Is that what you did? How did you prepare the USB drive you're booting from now?

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Answer 3

yelihop Author

Level 1

8 points

May 24, 2016 2:56 PM in response to yelihop

Thanks for the replies.

A 'hard reset' of the Airport Express seems to have resolved the problem.

To Linc: yes, the clean installation was as you described (didn't resolve the problem). The USB drive was prepared using createinstallmedia, which seemed to circumvent the problem, for whatever reason.

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