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Are macbooks just plain bad for internet useage?

L

LondonGooner

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Oct 14, 2006
264
5
I've been using various macbooks for well over 3 years, and really am sick of each OS update presenting a 50% chance of the wifi connection being ruined. I mean if you google macbook wifi problems, you will see people experiencing problems for almost every single consecutive OS update.
I don't know if its a OS problem, or just shoddy hardware, but really it sucks especially how great macbooks are in general. I mean the main reason for me to have a laptop is the ability to be online anywhere, but I'll probably just get a iMac instead nextime around.

I'm glad Windows 7 is out soon and is a good OS from MS for once, because I will be able to have a backup OS for the almost inevitable wifi dropouts I might face in the future.
 
LondonGooner said:
I've been using various macbooks for well over 3 years, and really am sick of each OS update presenting a 50% chance of the wifi connection being ruined. I mean if you google macbook wifi problems, you will see people experiencing problems for almost every single consecutive OS update.
I don't know if its a OS problem, or just shoddy hardware, but really it sucks especially how great macbooks are in general. I mean the main reason for me to have a laptop is the ability to be online anywhere, but I'll probably just get a iMac instead nextime around.

I'm glad Windows 7 is out soon and is a good OS from MS for once, because I will be able to have a backup OS for the almost inevitable wifi dropouts I might face in the future.
Click to expand...

Never had the problem.
 
LondonGooner said:
I've been using various macbooks for well over 3 years, and really am sick of each OS update presenting a 50% chance of the wifi connection being ruined. I mean if you google macbook wifi problems, you will see people experiencing problems for almost every single consecutive OS update.
I don't know if its a OS problem, or just shoddy hardware, but really it sucks especially how great macbooks are in general. I mean the main reason for me to have a laptop is the ability to be online anywhere, but I'll probably just get a iMac instead nextime around.
Click to expand...

I have never had a problem with surfing. In fact I've been good in place where a PC had problems getting a connection.

LondonGooner said:
I'm glad Windows 7 is out soon and is a good OS from MS for once, because I will be able to have a backup OS for the almost inevitable wifi dropouts I might face in the future.
Click to expand...

Yet to be proven. Back when Vista came out people were touting the same "this is the best OS yet" line only for it to fall flat on its face. I played with Beta and it was not bad but that doesn't mean that it won't have its issues.

Lastly, your WIFI dropouts may have nothing to do with the OS. It could be hardware or simply environmental.
 
Never had any problems with wifi dropout. Two different Mac laptops and they are fine as long as they are in range. I did find the actual range of my home wi-fi by walking away and watching for the signal to drop, but that was what I was trying to do. When I'm in the house or yard, I have no problems with the wifi and never dropped it.
 
I can attest to this. My GFs MacBook is constantly dropping signal and jumping networks. She is running Leopard on a macBook she bought new in March. I feel like everytime I want to use it I have to open up network preferences and tweek it. I have 2 seperate locations set up for her (my place and hers) and it never seems to remember the networks to use. I have ruled out the environment because at my place the computer is in the same room as the wireless router.

From what I have watched it is like the computer scans for networks and jumps on the first available one until I tell it different. Then once it is on a network it is constantly scanning for more networks. It is not uncommon for it to jump networks without any prompt for the user.

TBH I have not ruled out user error. I have owned my iMac for 5 years now but have always had it hardwired so I'm not familar with the airport and setting it up.
 
indy720 said:
I have ruled out the environment because at my place the computer is in the same room as the wireless router.
Click to expand...

Irrelevant to a certain degree. My Macs are in the same room as the router, but it was a while before I established that Channel 1 was the most reliable.
 
In my experiences wireless problems have ended up being the fault of the router. I've been through a few.
 
elppa said:
In my experiences wireless problems have ended up being the fault of the router. I've been through a few.
Click to expand...
Yep. 100% connectivity ok for me on SL.

And when I do experience drop-outs, those little red lights on the router (which are supposed to be green) are blinking like a christmas tree.
 
Duh.. If you google for "wifi problems" you will find reports about.. wifi problems.

lol


My 3 year old 1st Gen macbook is still going strong, I love it!

Patrix.
 
elppa said:
In my experiences wireless problems have ended up being the fault of the router. I've been through a few.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing recently. I have never had a wireless problem until i got a wireless N router (netgear) and immedeatly my uMBP randomly goes through points where the internet is super quick, then 2 mins later its unusably slow. No reason for it, the router is in the same room.. so i returned the router and picked up a linksys wireless N. Same issues, it drops the signal randomly, goes through quick and then slow speeds, its just bizarre. I really do think its a 10.6.1 issue in my case, and im just hoping 10.6.2 comes soon and fixes it...

is it possible that the wifi card they (apple) are using (although it is wireless N) just works more reliably with wireless G routers than with a wireless N?
 
A lot of routers on the market still branded as "Draft N". From what I've read, every manufacturer have a different "draft"..
 
I've never had a single problem with WiFi on my MacBook either on Leopard or Snow Leopard, my husband on the other hand uses and Acer Aspire 9300 running Vista, we can be sat in the same room, both on the internet and his loses connection all the time.
 
Never had a wifi problem myself, except when I have not put something back together properly.
 
I had never used wireless in my life until I received my new Apple-refurbished white Macbook delivered last Thursday. Using some directions I found on the internet, I turned on Airport on my iMac and configured it to act as a router. After a couple of glitches with the sharing/firewall configuration on the iMac, I have had no problem getting four-bar reception and internet access throughout our modest-sized house. My iMac is on Leopard and has an Airport card only current to ‘g’, not ‘n’ (the 2006 cheaper 17”). Earlier today I snuck off to the internet café to try out the Macbook there. Only three-bar reception, but no problems with internet access.
 
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