frequently losing internet access - timeout error?

[helplessinFiji]

I'm on a boat in Fiji, using a Vodafone wireless dongle, and keep losing my connection. My vodafone software and my apple network software show I'm still connected, but suddenly I can't get into another page, or if I'm downloading a software update, I get a message that I have a timeout error. I then disconnect my connection and re-connect and then things start happening again. However, I have not been able to stay active long enough to download my apple software updates which is really frustrating. It seems to happen more often when I'm downloading something sizeable, like a video or software update, but happens other times as well. I'm a mac novice, (bought this, my first mac about 10 months ago) and not terribly computer savvy to begin with. Looking through this forum, I'm confused by much of what I read, but I'm beginning to think this problem may be beyond my capacity to solve. Anybody have any suggestions?
PS - the dongle works fine on my husband's PC, no disconnects, so it must be my computer with the problem.

 

[revbarabbas]

I'm on a boat in Fiji, using a Vodafone wireless dongle, and keep losing my connection. My vodafone software and my apple network software show I'm still connected, but suddenly I can't get into another page, or if I'm downloading a software update, I get a message that I have a timeout error. I then disconnect my connection and re-connect and then things start happening again. However, I have not been able to stay active long enough to download my apple software updates which is really frustrating. It seems to happen more often when I'm downloading something sizeable, like a video or software update, but happens other times as well. I'm a mac novice, (bought this, my first mac about 10 months ago) and not terribly computer savvy to begin with. Looking through this forum, I'm confused by much of what I read, but I'm beginning to think this problem may be beyond my capacity to solve. Anybody have any suggestions?
PS - the dongle works fine on my husband's PC, no disconnects, so it must be my computer with the problem.

So you are on a boat in Fiji using a Vodafone cellular modem dongle and you keep getting disconnected? I would assume that's because you are on a "boat" in "fiji", and not using it in a normal coverage area. It might work sometimes but not reliably. The fact that it works on your husband's pc is because it just isn't telling him he's disconnected...believe me he is getting disconnected but Windows software doesn't like to tell you when you've lost connection...it just waits the few seconds until you regain a connection then goes on it's way. Whereas on a Mac it will tell you that you lost the connection even if it's only for a second because it is more helpful like that...I would wait until you get home to download your updates.

Also, where is your normal coverage? And where are you on this boat? Unless you are in specific areas of Pacific Harbor I would suspect you are getting a very unreliable connection that is just barely bleeding through to where you are.

 

[helplessinFiji]

So you are on a boat in Fiji using a Vodafone cellular modem dongle and you keep getting disconnected? I would assume that's because you are on a "boat" in "fiji", and not using it in a normal coverage area. It might work sometimes but not reliably. The fact that it works on your husband's pc is because it just isn't telling him he's disconnected...believe me he is getting disconnected but Windows software doesn't like to tell you when you've lost connection...it just waits the few seconds until you regain a connection then goes on it's way. Whereas on a Mac it will tell you that you lost the connection even if it's only for a second because it is more helpful like that...I would wait until you get home to download your updates.

Also, where is your normal coverage? And where are you on this boat? Unless you are in specific areas of Pacific Harbor I would suspect you are getting a very unreliable connection that is just barely bleeding throug

where you are.

Thank you, Mathew, for the response. Unfortunately, my normal coverage is on the boat - it's our home and we live on it as we sail the Pacific. We're currently at Vuda Point Marina, where Vodafone has 3G coverage, and a tower fairly close by. My husband is not getting disconnected, while his windows software might not tell him, his inability to change pages and continue to surf certainly would. It's not happening to him. It's also not happening to another yachtie with a Mac and Vodafone whose anchored where the Vodafone signal is much weaker than here at Vuda. At this point, I can come to no other conclusion than that it is a glitch in my computer.
As for me, my Mac software is not telling me I'm disconnected, nor is my Vodafone software - I just suddenly can't move to another page, and will eventually get a message that I am no longer connected to the internet, or that Safari can't open the page - but there's usually a very long wait before I get those messages, and my "connection" software still shows me connected. So, I hit "disconnect" and then "connect" and I'm flying again - until the next time it happens, maybe in a minute, maybe in 20. When trying to download software updates, I would eventually get a message about the download failing because of a timeout error. Looking through this forum I gather several macbooks and MBPs have had timeout errors or disconnect problems, although I'm not sure any of them are exactly like my problem. And unfortunately, there is no apple store anywhere near.

 

[djasterix]

That maybe not a problem with your mac, but a problem with the dongle

 

[macbookmike]

You could try creating a new network location. I was having the same issues on my new MBP13" when I was using the "Automatic" location. I have since created a new location and haven't had anywhere near the same issues.

Hope this works and from here on it's all plain sailing

MM

 

[toto1]

network timeout error! with mac & vodofone dongle

helplessinfiji,

Have you managed to find out what the problem is with your Mac/dongle? Or more importantly have you been able to solve the issue?

I'm also on a boat and experiencing the exact same problem. I bought a vodofone dongle 2 days ago, and have a strong wireless connection. My computer which is a pc isn't experiencing any problems, however my boyfriends Mac is! Initially things were running smooth although by coincidence the network timed out sometime soon after, or possibly during a itunes software update.

I would appreciate hearing of your progress and any solutions you may know about.

Regards

 

[SeamusBerkeley]

Dropping Wifi connection, not on boat in Fiji

Hi HelplessinFiji,

Did you find an answer to your question?

I'm not on a boat and only using the built-wifi on a MacBook Pro. On occasion, the wifi connection drops without notice except when a page fails to load, alerted by the same message you describe.

Further, on reconnecting to the same wifi network, it asks for the password, which had already been saved. Oddly, the password and wifi network is still available in Keychain Access.

Something is just not correct and I suspect it with Network Preferences somehow dropping the connection and not relocating the network name and password.

Seamus Berkeley
Fine Art Painting
www.seamusberkeley.com