WiFi drops when running a 'heavier' program
Ever since a few months my WiFi has been acting up.
If I'm streaming (kijk.nl or horizon.tv), or working in one of the Adobe Programs, or having a conversation on Skype, my WiFi keeps dropping out. All of a sudden the WiFi symbol will be empty (like if you have turned WiFi off) and it has to connect again to my network. Sometimes, like with streaming, it will connect right away, but other times, like with Photoshop or Skype, it keeps disconnecting and reconnecting. And sometimes, when I'm browsing on Safari, WiFi will turn off permanently, resulting in having to delete and add the WiFi again in network preferences, and restarting my laptop. Don't know if that's related though, since I've come across it several times while googling for solutions. Also, sometimes my internet speed will become very VERY slow. Just now during the speedtest (coincidence that I was just testing the speed haha), my speed went from 86,72 Mbps, to 0,13 Mbps (which results in slow loading pages, even Google won't load at that point).
As you can imagine, this is all very frustrating.
Things I've tried:
- Restarting Macbook
- Turning off WiFi and turning it on again
- Resetting Router / Modem
- Deleting and adding the WiFi again in network preferences
- Adding the network again
- Changing the network settings (now every router is named the same, with the same password and the same settings: 2.4Ghz band).
- Changing all router settings so that it'll automatically choose a channel (currently I'm on channel 13).
- Changing all the switches in the network from 100mbit to 1Gb switches.
- Ran WiFi diagnostics: no issues found (while the WiFi disconnected during the diagnostics).
- Ran Apple diagnostics (to check hardware): no issues found.
The router I'm most likely connected to (seeing the WiFi strength), is about 1-2 metres away. It's connected via an 1GB (Netgear) switch to the main router (Netgear) which is directly connected to our modem (Ubee). The internet speed is 300Mbit.
Macbook Pro Retina 13" specs:
- 2,9-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
- Turbo Boost till 3,3 GHz
- 16 GB 1866-MHz LPDDR3 RAM
- 512 GB PCIe-flashdrive1
- Intel Iris Graphics 6100
- Updated to latest software (all programs)
Nobody else in the household is having the kind of problems I have (and my two sisters have a macbook 13" and a macbook air 13", and I have better specs). The last option I can try is connecting the ethernet cable directly to my macbook, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a mobile laptop, don't you think? Want to avoid that if possible.
I've opened a tread before and thought the issue was fixed after changing the network settings, but the problem wasn't solved. It's kind of like my Macbook can't handle internet connection while running a (bit) heavier programs? At this point, I'm really afraid it's got something to do with my Airport Card. Which *****, because I'll lose my Macbook for one and a half week to get it repaired (which prevents me from working on school and my job).
At this point, I'm quite desperate, so I really hope someone can tell me what the issue is.
Some print screens and such:
(speedtest.net)
Running it again, just after a minute or so. See the change in speed? And the network-connection curve dropping instantly (below the 1.43 value)?
The print screens below where before we've changed the internet settings and changed the switches.
Can't run new tests, because the trial has expired.
MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.5), 3,1 GHz i7; 16GB; Iris 6100 1536mb;