Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Dropping wifi
- Thread starter njain
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Known bug that has yet to be addressed by Apple. Apparently they are taking the Microsoft approach to fixing Lion.
My MacBook Pro, however, used to have Wi-Fi dropouts under Leopard and continues to have them under Snow Leopard. It can't be updated to Lion (Core Duo processor). Should I blame Lion, too? How so?
Exactly as the other poster said, you should have taken it in. Lion has a KNOWN issue with WiFi unlike your issue that sounds like hardware.
Nice try though...
Exactly as the other poster said, you should have taken it in. Lion has a KNOWN issue with WiFi unlike your issue that sounds like hardware.
Nice try though...
No, Lion has no KNOWN issue with Wi-Fi. It isn't any more "known" than the similar Snow Leopard issue. Nice try, though, but no. And I don't have to blame myself for not taking the computer in, as I'm not paranoid about such issues. It rarely happens (twice a month at most). No need to make a fuss about it or rave like a lunatic about KNOWN "issues". Get it?
Your broken MBP can't even run Lion.
My MacBook Pro has never been broken. I know it can't run Lion. If it could, perhaps it wouldn't have those infrequent Wi-Fi dropouts. None of my other three Lion machines have Wi-Fi dropouts. I also have three other computers running Leopard, one of which double boots into Tiger. None of them have Wi-Fi dropouts. The only one with that problem (about twice a month) is my Snow Leopard MacBook Pro, but it isn't broken and never has been.
Strange then how each subsequent Lion update has had Wi-Fi issues listed as something the update is supposed to address. Silly Apple... Fixing crap that ain't broke.
What the hell are Apple employees going to do to fix this rewrite code at the genius bar?
I suppose twice a month isn't that bad. But with my mbp running lion it drops wifi everyday and gets very irritating.
Strange then how each subsequent Lion update has had Wi-Fi issues listed as something the update is supposed to address. Silly Apple... Fixing crap that ain't broke.
What the hell are Apple employees going to do to fix this rewrite code at the genius bar?
Apple has been addressing Wi-Fi dropouts since at least Leopard days. It's a hardware issue of very specific models, not a widespread OS issue.
----------
I think it's an interference issue affecting some Apple machines. When it happens to me, I simply turn Wi-Fi off and immediately back on (without rebooting or anything). It always works. Perhaps the problem is an over-sensitive antenna on some models.
But then why didnt i have any problems with snow leopard?? Nothing has changed but lion in my house so thats seems to be the only variable here. And as you said, switching wifi on and off works, but why should i have to do these kind of things?
That I don't know, but it doesn't seem to be a Lion issue. Otherwise, it would affect millions of users worldwide. It might be a faulty implementation of the Wi-Fi controller affecting only some specific batch of a computer model and not others, but if it is a bug, it must be very difficult to trace, for it affects certain machines running different operating systems. There might be a bug, but then it's been "inherited" from previous iterations of OS X.
Well, pick a stance. First you say there are no known issues now there are? There *is* a known issue otherwise Apple wouldn't address it (As they tried in 10.7.2)
Really people. Enough with all the "Apple can do now wrong" rants. Or the "I have no problems therefore it's you" comments.
I've already picked it. There are no known Wi-Fi issues directly connected to Lion (meaning, not present in previous operating systems). If you claim otherwise, provide the proof. Against your "proof" I'll provide mine: there are have been Wi-Fi issues long before there ever was a Lion. Enough said.
The OS X Lion v10.7.1 Update is recommended for all users running OS X Lion and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability and compatibility of your Mac, including fixes that:
Address an issue that may cause the system to become unresponsive when playing a video in Safari.
Resolve an issue that may cause system audio to stop working when using HDMI or optical audio out.
Improve the reliability of Wi-Fi connections.
Resolve an issue that prevents transfer of your data, settings, and compatible applications to a new Mac running OS X Lion.
Resolve an issue in which an admin user account could be missing after upgrading to OS X Lion.
Yes, there is a known WiFi issue. Perhaps you should start reading the forums before you make ignorant comments. I myself have reported the WiFi issue to Apple.
So yes, I do "get it".
The post above mine clearly points out that they know about it and have been working it. FYI, 10.7.2 didn't resolve it and that was also reported.
----------
LOL, if you have dropouts and you have done a clean install of the OS, then you do have a problem with that machine and as I said, it is most likely hardware.
Right. So I suppose everyone just made it up then. Next you'll be saying the iPhone 4 never had antenna issues.
I'm having unbelievable issues with WiFi on Lion, as have many other users. Didn't have the issue as much on my iMac, but my MacBook Air drops WiFi several times an hour, sometimes pretty much directly after establishing connection again. It is very frustrating that Apple have not fixed this yet. Not sure what they've changed, but they need to change it back to how it was in Snow Leopard.
Your point is completely irrelevant. That has been appearing in OS X updates since the days of Leopard.
----------
I've read the forums, and I do know some forum members, such as yourself, make ignorant comments. I also know there are no "known issues" attributable to Lion itself. So, no there are no "Wi-Fi Lion issues".
----------
Everyone? Millions of users? That hasn't happened. Too bad for you.
Well, you'll have to think of other causes, because it isn't a Lion issue, since:
1) Few people on Lion have that issue. For instance, I don't.
2) People on earlier iterations of OS X have that issue. For instance, I do.
So, no, you are mistaken.
LOL, I weep for you. Apple even stated in a patch release that there are issues and you still deny it? How sad.
OP, there are known issues with the WiFi. Until that gets resolved, it will be hard to tell if it is hardware or software but I have two machines here that do have dropouts there were fine on SL.
You're wrong.
When this MBA and my old iMac ran Snow Leopard, there was no issue. The problems started when I upgraded to Lion on both accounts. It is Lion, whether you like it or not. Yes, it may be model specific (since it rarely happened on my iMac, but happens all the time on my MBA), however there is no denying the problem is caused by Lion.
Oh, Windows 7 also has no WiFi issues on the MBA. It is most defiantly Lion. Don't automatically assume I came to a conclusion without testing out a few alternative OS's on my mac and conducting research on the matter on the internet. The WiFi issue exists in Lion, no matter how much you attempt to deny it.
No, most definitely, I'm not.
Too bad for you. I have three machines running Lion. None of them have Wi-Fi issues. My Snow Leopard machine, however, has issues. Too bad, you are wrong: it ISN'T Lion, whether you like it or not.
EDIT: The claims some of you make are patently absurd. The Internet bears testimony to relatively frequent Wi-Fi dropouts in OS X ever since Leopard was launched. For instance, http://splatdot.com/os-x-leopard-10-5-2-upgrade-and-wifi/ contains the following "pearl":
"I installed the OS X 10.5.2 upgrade yesterday. Shortly after installing it I turned 802.11n back on in my D-Link DIR-655. It is much more stable now, at least so far. In thirty-six hours I have had just one dropped connection. Before the 10.5.2 upgrade I was experiencing dropped connections every few minutes. Unfortunately the 10.5.2 upgrade has caused WiFi problems for many users. It would be easy to blame other manufacturers like D-Link because 802.11n is still draft but many of the problems are with either older 802.11g equipment or with Apple's own Airport Extreme product. And WiFi problems aren't the only problems being reported with 10.5.2. I consider myself lucky to have had a problem free upgrade."
Hey, why should anyone worry? The poor fellow must have unwittingly installed some early iteration of Lion as some of you rave!
Another "pearl" found in https://forums.macrumors.com/archive/index.php//t-513213.html:
"I have an ALU 3.06 Imac, which was working perfectly until I upgraded to 10.5.4... now I get numerous wifi dropouts".
That surely is another "Lion" case.
Another fellow claims: "My only gripe is that the wireless capability of my macbook pro appears to be having some issues when I update from 10.5.2 to 10.5.5." (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1792498?start=0&tstart=0). Wow! So many "Lion" cases!
Here's another "Lion" case for you "10.5.6 messed up my WiFi for the third time this year and I fix it again by replacing the IO80211Family.kext file in //System/Library/Extensions/ folder with a version from 10.5.2" (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/1827737?start=0&tstart=0).
Another one: "My early 2008 MacBook Pro at home is struggling with 10.5.7 in the WiFi arena as the last three OS 10 upgrades have seriously degraded WiFi performance and range with the AirportExtreme base station" (http://www.zeldman.com/2009/06/05/quick-survey-on-os-x-1057-bug-triggers/).
All these users claim that Wi-Fi worked for them before they upgraded to 10,5.2, 10.5.4, 10.5.5, 10.5.6, 10.5.7 (and I could easily continue the progression with lots of examples), but stopped working after the upgrade and now some of you claim it's Lion's fault and I am wrong? Ha!
Last edited:
It is like arguing with a brick wall. As of now he has like 10 computers 3 are running lion and the rest are running SL. Totally not buying it. I also like how he had to go back to Leopard to find examples.
I also did the some of the same tests and found the same issues. Macbook ran fine under SL and Win 7 but chokes on Lion. Must be a hardware problem!