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appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Internet connection issues

My internet is very unreliable when I am using Windows with Boot Camp. Usually it doesn't work when I first open my browser, sometimes it says it is connected but it has no internet access, and sometimes it just disconnects out of nowhere. This also means that it is hard for me to get to the login page for public networks where I have to log in, and downloads and updates randomly stop. I do not have any of these problems when using OS X.

One temporary fix I found is disconnecting and reconnecting to my network, but it later stops working again. It also sometimes starts working again if I wait for a while, but it is still a problem.

I already tried the Internet Connections troubleshooting option but it says everything is fine. I also tried the Network Adapter option, and it said it fixed something the first time I used it, but it did not help.

Computer: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)

Processor: 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory: 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Operating System: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6, Windows 7 on boot camp

Posted on Nov 6, 2016 7:48 AM

87 replies

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Oct 1, 2017 7:19 AM in response to appleuser295

Can you install the base BC driver without any issues? Apple Software Updates should provide updates. For such adapters, you may want to disable automatic updates using How to stop Windows 7 automatically installing drivers .

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Oct 1, 2017 11:30 AM in response to Loner T

Yes, everything except the network adapter and Bluetooth adapter (which I realised doesn't work either today) works fine. I already set it to not automatically install updates. I know that you can press f10 while booting up to open troubleshooting, then temporarily disable driver signature checking. I want to know how to fix it, so that I won't have to do that every time I use Windows.

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jan 11, 2017 8:54 AM in response to appleuser295

Do you have a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter? Something like this TB-to-Ethernet Adapter .

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jan 12, 2017 10:33 AM in response to Loner T

Please also see Re: Wifi keeps dropping in Windows 10 (BootCamp) on new tbMBP 15" .

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Jul 22, 2017 7:01 AM in response to appleuser295

There are several others who have reported issues with the recent Broadcom driver update to address security issues.

Please see New broadcamp wi-fi update?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 6, 2016 9:03 AM in response to appleuser295

Does this happen on a specific wireless network or on all networks or all public networks? The Network adapter is constantly scanning for new networks. Have you tried to install inSSIDer or Acrylic WiFi and looked at possible issues? On public networks, DHCP can be an issue, but not always. Have you tested the problematic networks from the OS X side and noted any connectivity or performance differences?

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 6, 2016 9:16 AM in response to Loner T

It seems to happen on all networks I have used with Windows, which is only 2. On my home network, it is what I described in the OP, and on the other network, I don't use the internet much, but I had problems getting to the login screen. I will try to download Acrylic Wifi.

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 6, 2016 9:23 AM in response to Loner T

Installed Acrylic Wifi, what should I do with it?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 6, 2016 9:31 AM in response to appleuser295

Acrylic WiFi can provide RF layer view and provide signal strength, noise and other information.

Also, the same is available from the OS X side using Check for Wi-Fi issues using your Mac - Apple Support and OS X El Capitan: About Wireless Diagnostics .

Does OS X show similar behavior?

In Windows Events, and in OS X, Applications -> Utilities -> Console logs can provide connectivity issues or DHCP issues.

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 6, 2016 9:50 AM in response to Loner T

I'm sorry, I'm confused. Where in Acrylic Wifi is this information? What's Windows Events? Doesn't Diagnostics just try to solve problems and not display information?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 6, 2016 11:47 AM in response to appleuser295

Events are on the Windows side, under Event Viewer. Acrylic WiFi on Windows and Wireless Diagnostics on OS X are similar. They can perform scans and check performance of the specific radio/SSID.

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 7, 2016 6:37 AM in response to Loner T

Should I post the results here after those scans?

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 7, 2016 7:05 AM in response to appleuser295

Yes, you can. Avoid long logs, but screen shots are usually much more precise. Logs can be more specific when the Console is used.

appleuser295 Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 7, 2016 7:33 AM in response to Loner T

Is this it? I didn't see an option to "scan"

Loner T

Level 9

59,471 points

Nov 7, 2016 7:51 AM in response to appleuser295

At the same location, if you Alt+Click on your OSX Wireless Menu item, and run Wireless Diagnostics and look at the Utilities window and look at Performance, is it similar? Does OSX connect without issues?

This graph shows weak signals.

Internet connection issues