maggie2012

Q: Network Problems with MacBook Pro 15"

My new MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, mid 2015) has 16 GB MHz DDR3,

2.8 GHz Intel Core I&, and an AMD Radeon R9 M370x PCie, in addition to a built-in

Intel Iros Pro chipset model. I Am running OS X El Capian Version 10.11.6, with Parallels 12 and Windows 7 for a few

business programs, but mostly I work on the Mac side. 

 

An intermittent connection problem has become constant after a week of using the computer.  My DLink DSL router (model 2750B) is two feet away from the computer.  In System Preferences/ iCloud, I get "There was an error connecting to the Apple ID server."   My MacPro, iPad Air 2 and Samsung Galaxy S7 all connect with the same router wirelessly with no trouble. (All my OTHER computers also connect with the same Apple ID and password with no problem.  IMac 2012, MacPro, 2012 MacBook Pro, iPad 2, and the new iPad Air 2))   I have a screenshot of the error message "None of your preferred networks are available" and in the same shot a list of all the available networks, including mine.  Repeatedly, I click on my network, and get the response "The xxxxxxnetwork could not be joined."

 

I problem-solved with Verizon, my provider, yesterday, and the testing routine found that I have good signal strength, but the computer would not complete the test routine.  I have run "Diagnostics" several times tonight - it is after 11 pm, and the  report suggests that I review wi-if best practices (done), that I have a crowded wi-fi channel (hardly anybody else is in the building at this time of night)  and that I should  restart the router (I have done that several times) and that perhaps I should join a Wi-Fi network that is associated with the Internet (Such as mine, which works for all other devices.)

 

Any suggestions on how to problem-solve, or should I return the computer.  It is beautiful, and I have spent a lot of time updating, installing, customizing, before this Wi-Fi Shutdown.  I was going to buy a new router, but the testing with Verizon made me doubt a new router would solve this problem. 

 

THank you for any wisdom and strategies.  Maggie2012

MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015), OS 10.11.6

Posted on Aug 24, 2016 8:24 PM

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Q: Network Problems with MacBook Pro 15"

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  • by sarah_s1,Solvedanswer

    sarah_s1 sarah_s1 Aug 26, 2016 10:00 AM in response to maggie2012
    Community Specialists
    Aug 26, 2016 10:00 AM in response to maggie2012

    Hello maggie2012,


    Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. 


    I understand from your post that you are not able to connect your new MacBook Pro to your home Wi-Fi network. You have done some great troubleshooting so far! I also recommend testing the issue while in Safe Mode and in another user account on your Mac. The following articles will provide you with the necessary steps to test the issue in Safe Mode and in another user account: 

    Safe Mode

    How to test an issue in another user account on your Mac

    Best Regards

  • by maggie2012,

    maggie2012 maggie2012 Aug 25, 2016 4:53 PM in response to sarah_s1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 25, 2016 4:53 PM in response to sarah_s1

    I really appreciate your offer of help, and I printed out those pages and walked through the steps.  Unfortunately, in Safe Boot and in another user account, the computer continues to see my active router and network but refuses to connect.  First, it says "None of your preferred networks are available," as it clearly displays my network on the list of available ones.  Then when I attempt to sign in it says, "The Wi-Fi network "xxxxxx" could not be joined" and suggests running diagnostics.  It is strange that the computer clearly sees the strong signal my iPad Air 2, HP printer and Samsung Galaxy S7 use.  It keeps fluttering, scanning over and over again, turning up my network and refusing to sign on.  I have a ton of multi-page "diagnostic" files, but none of them result in any useable suggestions. 

     

    My driver is com.apple.driver.AirPort, Brcm4360.  I wonder if it is incompatible with my router?

     

    Maggie2012

  • by Alwayswantingtohelp1,Helpful

    Alwayswantingtohelp1 Alwayswantingtohelp1 Aug 26, 2016 10:01 AM in response to maggie2012
    Community Specialists
    Aug 26, 2016 10:01 AM in response to maggie2012

    Hi maggie2012,

    If the issue persists in both Safe Mode and when signed into another user account that would indicate a system-wide issue. If you have not done it already, I recommend running a system-wide diagnostic. This article has the steps on how to run the diagnostics on your Mac: 

    Using Apple Diagnostics

    Cheers

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Aug 25, 2016 7:15 PM in response to maggie2012
    Level 9 (60,719 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 25, 2016 7:15 PM in response to maggie2012

    Hold down the Option key while you click on the Wi-Fi Icon in the menuBar. You get a display similar to this older one. Please answer the following questions:

    Option-Wi-Fi .png

    What do you get for PHY Mode and Channel?

    what do you get for  RSSI or Signal or signal-to-Noise?

    what do you get for Tx rate or Transmit rate?

     

    and very important, how many other networks do you see?

    and how far are you from your Router? clear line-of-sight, or through walls and floors?

  • by maggie2012,

    maggie2012 maggie2012 Aug 26, 2016 10:05 AM in response to Alwayswantingtohelp1
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 26, 2016 10:05 AM in response to Alwayswantingtohelp1

    Good idea, and I saved the resources.  But without any internet connection (except

    on my iPad Air 2 and my Samsung phone (on the same network), I could not pursue

    most of the diagnostics for this computer and El Capitain 10.11.6, even with the

    Apole Care specialist helping me. 

     

    I always learn from the community's kind help, even when it applies to future situations but

    does not work in this one. Gratias.

     

    maggive 2012

  • by maggie2012,

    maggie2012 maggie2012 Aug 26, 2016 3:32 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 26, 2016 3:32 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Thank you, Grant.  Very helpful pushing option and Wifi button.  My display is very different from

    yours, but I do not have wifi on the computer, so I cannot send a screen shot.  I am trying a photo from my phone, sent to my iPad Air 2.image.jpegvia email, then photos, 

     

    There are a lot of networks and the symbol next to my network is all bars strong.  The computer sees it but says "Your preferred networks are not available," until I type in my network and password, when it erases the name, then pauses for a while, then says, "The Wi-Fi network "my network's name" could not be joined.  The router is two feet from the computer. The iPad I am typing on and the Samsung phone work very quickly with the network even three rooms away, in my waiting room.  As you can see, I get nothing for PH mode, RSSI, and Transmit Rate. 

     

    In one of the gazillion Diagnostic Reports, a selection of "wifi.scan.txt" says

     

    "My network' <5268696e 4f32>,

    bssid=28:10:7b:a8:6c:3c

    channel=[11, width=20], cc=(null), type=11n,

    rssi=27, rsn=[mcast=ages ccm,

    ucast={ aes. ccm }, auths={psi },

    capps=0xc] wpa=(null),

    wep=no, ibss=no,  ph=no, swap=no,

    hs20=no, airport=no

     

    Since I started replying to you, my printer has stopped responding to the computer, although it had a great connection

    before (WiFi until that stopped working, then USB, and now that has stopped).  This is my business computer, and I need to have a working computer.  Thanks for helping me to establish what is what.

     

    Maggie2012

  • by maggie2012,

    maggie2012 maggie2012 Aug 26, 2016 3:35 PM in response to maggie2012
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 26, 2016 3:35 PM in response to maggie2012

    P.S. I tried mightily to mark all the efforts to help me as "helpful," but the icons will not change.

    Perhaps it is because I am working on an iPad Air 2, in the absence of wifi on my MacBookPro.

     

    I Really appreciate all of your efforts and the new learning.

     

    maggie2012

  • by maggie2012,

    maggie2012 maggie2012 Aug 26, 2016 7:35 PM in response to maggie2012
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Notebooks
    Aug 26, 2016 7:35 PM in response to maggie2012

    Followup--  HARDWARE PROBLEM!   I still had my accounting for the month to do and client files to scan,  bills to print,  several hours of work to do when the computer gave up several more shreds of pretense to be the sleek,  mean machine it first appeared to be.

     

    Printing functionality quit,  even via USB (even though phone and iPad continued to send to and operate the printer.)

    I finally faced it -  THIS IS A HARDWARE PROBLEM AND A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.!  So that I would not go nuts with anxiety about undone work on my last day at work before a two-week European vacation,  I STARTED UP MY SUPER-DUPER BACKUP DRIVE AND FINISHED MY WORK ON IT.  Of course the backup drive could not give itself wifi  capability.

     

    But It did run the printer and separate scanner in both Mac and Parallels 12/running Windows 7.  And it let me file and take care of all kinds of business.   What a disheartening two weeks wrestling with a faulty new machine.   What a good save from a 1TB Seagate Thunderbolt backup drive and a 3TB Seagate Thunderbolt Time Machine!

     

    Thanks to all who listened,  prompted,  suggested and helped.   I am glad you are there and bummed that I got a defective machine.  I have an appointment  to turn it over  to Apple to fix [not likely]   or replace.

    maggie2012

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Aug 26, 2016 9:24 PM in response to maggie2012
    Level 9 (60,719 points)
    Desktops
    Aug 26, 2016 9:24 PM in response to maggie2012

    channel=[11, width=20], cc=(null), type=11n,

    You are using channel 11 in the very, very crowded and interference-prone 2.4GHz band. You could try changing setting or changing Routers to get to the 5GHz ban, but if you have 21 neighbors, this may never work on your computer.

     

    If are only 2 feet away, I suggest a radical move. But an Ethernet adapter for US$29 and plug in an Ethernet cable. This will connect you to all the other things on your Network, wired and wireless. It will be at least three times faster than regular Wi-Fi, and your wi-Fi is likely to be awful regardless. The IPod and iPhone have much better radios, because they also need to pick up the cellular network.