bluetooth and wifi both cutting out - mid 2011 27" iMac

[Icarus73]

Hi,

I've recently had problems with my mid 2011 27" iMac wifi cutting out. Trying to upload/download documents is a huge hassle unless I hardwire a connection (which is not convenient in my apartment set up). I've also noticed my bluetooth mouse cutting out just as often, even with fresh batteries. Oddly, keyboard doesn't seem to have the same issue. I'm mostly concerned about the wifi. Any suggestions? I tried the SMC reset process, updating OS X software, etc. Nothing seems to work yet. Prefer to avoid lugging this "television" to the Apple Store for support if at all possible.

 

[hellfried]

I think they may have licked the problem with El Capitan. I have the beta os installed on an external HD and now there is no more jittery and glitchy audio via my Bose soundlink mini and the UE mini boom box. Yes!!

 

[macnjack]

A couple years ago I had an issue where the wifi channel on the apple extreme router would interfere with my 2011 iMac bluetooth. I cannot remember exactly if i moved from channel 6 to 1 or 11 but it fixed it immediately. Moving back to 6 would cause the keyboard and trackpad to lag and disconnect. I also had a period where my wifi would drop regularly when connected to 5ghz band from across the house....really not far in my opinion but the signal was so weak it would disconnect. Changing to 2.4 band helped a bunch.

Also, it doesn't necessarily fix the problem, but you could try some power line adapters for a LAN connection. I recently grabbed a pair of TP Link 500's for $35ish from Amazon and I get 50 mbps through them with very low latency.

 

[hellfried]

I think they may have licked the problem with El Capitan. I have the beta os installed on an external HD and now there is no more jittery and glitchy audio via my Bose soundlink mini and the UE mini boom box. Yes!!

Unfortunately the problem has recurred even on El Capitan. I give up!

 

[Taz Mangus]

Hi,

I've recently had problems with my mid 2011 27" iMac wifi cutting out. Trying to upload/download documents is a huge hassle unless I hardwire a connection (which is not convenient in my apartment set up). I've also noticed my bluetooth mouse cutting out just as often, even with fresh batteries. Oddly, keyboard doesn't seem to have the same issue. I'm mostly concerned about the wifi. Any suggestions? I tried the SMC reset process, updating OS X software, etc. Nothing seems to work yet. Prefer to avoid lugging this "television" to the Apple Store for support if at all possible.

I also have a 2011 27" iMac and have not experienced the issues with Bluetooth and WiFi. Let me make a suggestion of something to try. Create a new partition on your internal hard drive. Install Yosemite on the new partition. Boot to the new partition, don't install anything, leave it as it was installed. Setup your Bluetooth mouse and WiFi. Does the issue still happen? If it does not then something you have installed on your primary partition is causing your problem. When you are done with this test, reboot back to your primary partition and delete the new partition.

 

[xgman]

I really wish we could get past wireless problems. They seem to be widespread and prevalent and not getting any better. As far as I'm concerned we need a new technology to replace both bluetooth and wi-fi. How about R-W. (Reliable Wireless), with and emphasis on reliable. Seriously though, it's not getting any better.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

If both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are having problems, it's at least conceivable that it's a radio interference problem. Well, more than conceivable. Whenever two or more separate systems are affected by a similar problem, it's worth looking for a single cause that can affect both. And in wireless systems, that means the problem is often "in the air."

I'm constantly amazed that few people ever suggest this possibility. I guess the generations that grew up on cable TV, iPods, and radio systems that deliver digital signals just don't have routine, obvious examples of how this can happen. When a TV picture ghosted whenever a plane flew overhead, or the FM table radio started breaking up when someone stood nearby or touched it, or went to crap when someone ran a vacuum cleaner or microwave... Now folks blame their hardware or software, and rarely think about external causes - the environment in which wireless gear operates.

If both Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth mouse/keyboard are affected, look in the immediate neighborhood for electrical/electronic devices that might be causing/contributing to the problem. Cables (especially damaged cables) can behave as either receiving antennas or transmitting antennas. Move stuff around (cables, the boxes to which they're connected) (even if it's only moving/rotating by a few inches), turn stuff off or disconnect entirely (since "off" is rarely completely "off" these days)... Maybe it won't be the fix, but it's far more likely than a problem with an operating system.