Severe Airport Macbook issues

Shorty

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Right, long story VERY hard to explain. Usually my laptop is 100% in my room when I'm home[and when not home it o with me] but recently I've been bringing my macbook downstairs of an evening. Anyway, so last night I did the same - now I do occassionally[and probably too frequently] get internet issues; these can include signal showing as full strength but nothing loading - the internet suddenly disconnecting and disappearing from the drop down list of networks and various other variations. So, last night I unplug my macbook, not in sleep or anything and take it upstairs - it had been having the slow internet while showing full signal most of the evening but thats become so frequent it means/meant nothing.

So, go to load a page on the internet to find that it won't load, look at the airport signal strength in the menu bar and internet is disconnected and not showing in the drop down menu. I shut down computer, restarted, logged out, put in sleep, moved router around downstairs to 'point' upstairs, all of that - and after hour and half gave up and went to bed. Opened up laptop this morning to expect all to be OK, nope. Still not internet and not showing in the drop down. Every other computer/laptop in the house works[all Windows] So, bring laptop downstairs to try, voila, internet works, OK, take back into my room so I can caryr on my stuff...Internet gone. After some elimination I could go ANYWHERE in the house and have signal, but literally the step I take into my bedroom and through the doorway and the net cuts out and disappears. Simple as.

I went out for a couple of hours so switched laptop off for this time. And basically, gradully throughout the day these issues have occured in other rooms of the house and I can now only get internet in the dining room/study - the router is in the study.

It's still playing up occassionally, but I've not done anything on the laptop or otherwise - for it to suddenly occur like this but I reckon before long I'm not gonna have any ability to connect through internet, short of being on top of the router...So...Anyone any ideas? And does this sound like a job for the Mac Genius'? if so, do I just pop into store with the macbook - and do I need to pay etc?

When I'm at client's houses I NEVER have these issues...Ever, no matter their router or ISP... but today has just got me at my wits end....
 
Just out of interest what router do you have.

I've experienced similar problems with a Linksys WAG120 router. Now I'm not sure if it's the router or the iMac, but it does drop connections. Sometimes it's fine for ages other times it drops after a few minutes.

Found a quick "fix" whilst I try and find the cause. I suspect it may be the mac as I have had the router hard wired via an ethernet cable and it still does it.

Fix is as follows. When the signal drops, open system preferences. Select network and click the advanced button. From the tabs select TCP/IP and click the DCHP Renew lease button. Works every time.

I've spoken to Apple and they got me to remove all the networks from my keychain and start from scratch. This did stop the " None of you networks are available" message .

Did a couple of other things including zapping the PRAM but it's still the same. Suspicion is it's interference from other devices, but changing channels hasn't stopped this.

My MacBook Pro is still running 10.5.8 ( iMac is on 10.6.2) so I'm going to run that and see if the signal drops
 
I was having a something similar with my Macbook.I would connect to the internet for around 10 mins then it would just hang and the only way for me to get it to work again was to turn wifi off and back on.

I did look into it and fixed my problem by updating my router firmware.
My Macbook has been fine since.I'm running Dlink DIR635.
 
Chappers said:
Just out of interest what router do you have.

I've experienced similar problems with a Linksys WAG120 router. Now I'm not sure if it's the router or the iMac, but it does drop connections. Sometimes it's fine for ages other times it drops after a few minutes.

Found a quick "fix" whilst I try and find the cause. I suspect it may be the mac as I have had the router hard wired via an ethernet cable and it still does it.

Fix is as follows. When the signal drops, open system preferences. Select network and click the advanced button. From the tabs select TCP/IP and click the DCHP Renew lease button. Works every time.

I've spoken to Apple and they got me to remove all the networks from my keychain and start from scratch. This did stop the " None of you networks are available" message .

Did a couple of other things including zapping the PRAM but it's still the same. Suspicion is it's interference from other devices, but changing channels hasn't stopped this.

My MacBook Pro is still running 10.5.8 ( iMac is on 10.6.2) so I'm going to run that and see if the signal drops
Click to expand...

I'm running a SKY router, don't know what make it is.
Unfortunatley DCHP doesn't work, tried it. And I dunno *** PRAM is, to be able to zap it. But nothing seems to be working at all. However, I am in a teeny spot in my room and have connection...fingers crossed!!!
 
I'm now totaly confused.

My iMac was dropping the wireless connection, although I had a good signal and low noise. Ran my MBP and that never dropped all day ( iMac is running 10.6.2, MBP is 10.5.8).
Switched to old Linksys G router ( new one was "N" ) and the iMac has behaved itself for 5 hours.

Brain starting to hurt
 
I've heard people say MBP's cant actually handle 'N' routers, odd, hey? So if you have the choice of 'g only' apparently to go for that.

My problem is back, but it turns out a windows laptop had same problem the other day so ISP was contacted...But back to square one now :(
 
I'm running a MBP with 802.11n, not sure where that came from. I think that sounds like a dodgy wireless router to me. You could try connecting to it by wire and changing channels. A friend had a similar problem and it turned out that his neighbour had just bought a wireless router too!!
 
A real long shot here but based on personal experience.....

Have you, or a close neighbour, got one of those gadgets that transmit the telly to another room in the house? I got one last year and had all sorts of problems...dropping off the router with a good strength signal, worked in the same room but not in different rooms. It took a while to track it down and I was able to confirm it was the problem once I had the suspicions. I got a different TV relay box and everything's okay with the new one.

Bob
 
Yeah, the IBM laptop isn't picking up the signal again, and tonight I can only get signal by being in adjoining room to the router...It is sounding like a router issue, int it.

We havn't got one, no, but I have no idea if our neighbour does....Hmm, might have to approach them about that.... Thanks Bob!

I'd heard the 'N' issue via a mac forum when searching for answers, it'd been something that had helped some people, I think it was with the 'older' MBPs
 
Shorty said:
Yeah, the IBM laptop isn't picking up the signal again, and tonight I can only get signal by being in adjoining room to the router...It is sounding like a router issue, int it.

We havn't got one, no, but I have no idea if our neighbour does....Hmm, might have to approach them about that.... Thanks Bob!

I'd heard the 'N' issue via a mac forum when searching for answers, it'd been something that had helped some people, I think it was with the 'older' MBPs
Click to expand...

I would ask your neighbour about his router as per my post above. If he has changed ISP and been given a new router or bought one himself that could be it. It does sound like a interference problem or a broken router causing lack of power.
 
Check out what networks are around you. If ypu got to "About this Mac" in the Apple menu, then click "more Info" you'll see a lot of details. In the left hand column under Network, select Airport. It'll show you all the networks nearby and the channels they are on. Also it will give you the signal strength and noise level from them, as well as your own.

May help identify if you have a dead spot or co-channel interference. Just moved my router 15 feet and the signal strength went from -78dB to -29db. I think this may have been my problem.
 
cowasaki said:
I would ask your neighbour about his router as per my post above. If he has changed ISP and been given a new router or bought one himself that could be it. It does sound like a interference problem or a broken router causing lack of power.
Click to expand...

We don't get on with neighbours as such, and I'm away all week but I will ask if we run into them. Thanks

Chappers said:
Check out what networks are around you. If ypu got to "About this Mac" in the Apple menu, then click "more Info" you'll see a lot of details. In the left hand column under Network, select Airport. It'll show you all the networks nearby and the channels they are on. Also it will give you the signal strength and noise level from them, as well as your own.

May help identify if you have a dead spot or co-channel interference. Just moved my router 15 feet and the signal strength went from -78dB to -29db. I think this may have been my problem.
Click to expand...

I have istumbler which tells me most this info, our signal is 9% from my room, same as any other network round here. Our router says on the back it's set to a certain channel, will changing that not mess things up at all?
I will see if my stepdad will let me do any changing, he doesn't like me 'messing' with anything and I don't fancy being shouted and screamed at :p
 
id go with what cowasaki said. for some unknown reason a LOT of routers are set to 1 channel by default.. which is odd as they have the option of about 13.. this can lead to interferance issues as more people around you go wireless.

log in to your sky router, if you havent changed it then the default details are:

http://192.168.0.1
user - admin
pass - sky

go to the advanced section (i think, im not at home at the mo) and you should have the option to change the wireless channel. one thing to note some machines dont like channels over 10 if i remember rightly (as i found with my sisters HP).
 
Ours is set to 6, will see what others around here are on. Ah, but still not connecting in my room....

The channels keep changing, ours is on 3 atm, and I can now get signal in my room. But one network is showing as 6, then 1, then 6, then 3, then 6.....
But we're staying on channel3 according to istumbler. And next door's router has more signal strength, but my room is fairly close to where they place their router anyway. And I'm on the adjoining wall to them.
 
Right, we changed channel. I seem to be connected in my room now[was a 'fake' connection, the airport icon hadn't refreshed itself and thought was still downstairs] HOWEVER, it is crawling along like a damn snail!
 
Shorty said:
Right, we changed channel. I seem to be connected in my room now[was a 'fake' connection, the airport icon hadn't refreshed itself and thought was still downstairs] HOWEVER, it is crawling along like a damn snail!
Click to expand...

I would suggest that this is now confirmed as interference OR less likely a faulty router. If it is a sky router then call them out. Try and lock your router to a specific channel if your can and try them all. If you were nearer I would suggest borrowing an Airport Express to try which would confirm the problem.
 
Well, I'm at a clients house. Full uninterrupted signal picking up from an open network somewhere here.....It'll be a router problem. Thanks very much!
Hopefully when I get back there's been no more fiddling and that I still get signal!
 
I've had a *lot* of experience with wireless problems not only on Mac but on Windows too.

If you have netstumbler/access to System Info and you can see what channels other people are using then try the following:

Most wireless accesspoints by default are set to channel 1. If there are others around you, try a channel with no overlap (1,4,11). If 1 is used, try 4 or 11 and vice versa. Channels inbetween do have a variation of overlap and this can add to noise / interference. Especially if someone next door has a new whopping router capable of pushing -100dbm S/N and you are stuck with -50dbm S/N, you are bound to lose the battle if you are on 1 channel. The noise would be too much (even if signal is full strength) and the throughput / quality of your connection will certainly be affected.

My friend had issues with his 15" MBP (new model) and found that changing the encryption from WEP to WPA stopped his constantly dropping connection to be fine.

Likewise, if you have no encryption - that also was fine on the MBP. Only WEP appeared to drop his connection (and same at my house, the studio and workshop etc).

Best of luck!
 
We're now on channel8, and have always been on WPA.
Almost everyone around us is on 1,6,11 so we chose 8, we'd done 3 and 4, but both did nothing....I'm back home friday evening so should be able to see then if simply changing the channel has helped.
 
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