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does your first gen macbook have wifi problems ? here's why

B

bontempi

macrumors member
Original poster
May 14, 2008
68
13
mine has. i opened it for the first time, and here's what i found.

these are the wifi antennas cables :




they've been cut by the simply opening and closing the display, for more than three years.

the cables are stuck in a bad place and suffer from excessive pressure and contorsion.

img9519y.jpg


of course my Apple care is finished... but all these wifi problems in the apple support forum make me think every first gen macbook is concerned

http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1171&start=0

this is a MacBook Core Duo 2.0 ghz (Early 2006)

just spreading the word ...
 
The wifi antenna cable you have in your picture, comes with the wire showing from the Apple factory and the bare spot had tape over it. I suppose the other wire just wore out ofter three years. Good find.
 
The cables are soldered to the metal brackets, then the brackets are screwed to the LCD. The brackets you need look like these. $60 shipped for the antenna cables and bracket is insane, contact ebay member Falconprice for antenna and cables, you may be able to find a better price.
Akso, can't view you link above.
 
The picture you have looks like a WIFI antenna from an Apple mac mini and not a macbook. If this is the case, the connectors ends will be the same and should work as a viable/cheaper substitute.
 
bought them too early :)

as i don't use the internal bluetooth, i took its antenna, and plugged it to the airport card. the cable is short, so the receptor is just under the keyboard (SDF keys area) but so far it's working great. not dropouts !

fingers crossed...

just thought i'd share the workaround
 
My Macbook also has wifi problems. I wonder if it's antenna is also cut. Is the antenna in the same location in the late 2006 Macbooks (2nd gen)?
 
so far so good ...

I've had a few dropouts, but they only happened in a room quite far from the Airport Express (which is downstairs, at the end of a corridor - the house is pretty big). Considering there's only one small antenna under the keyboard, i think this is a pretty normal behavior. and the wifi connection worked most of the time anyway.

i'm not far away from that same room right now, just a little closer, and i have zero dropouts.
 
:eek:
I also got first gen macbook... now I got another reason not to close the lid if i'm not taking the macbook out.
Now that my applecare has expired, when I am at home I don't close the lid as it makes those hairline cracks at the bottom right of pad (had it repaired twice). Also my airport card died one month before warranty ran out so got it replaced for free :D
 
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