Imac WIFI internet connectivity issues

[dknyc1]

This is an update of my orignal posting from Nov 2018 - still havent solved it:


Computer Troubles:

This is an update of a posting I made in Nov 2018.

I have been having internet / wifi issues for 6+ months now.


I mainly work from my 2011 Imac on my desk which has direct ethernet connection, not using wifi.


Noticed internet on Imac & wifi in house keeps going out.


I installed an app on my Imac to monitor / log the internet connection & it shows the connection goes off and on constantly through the day. No rythme or reason… sometimes 50 times per day & sometimes 5 times per day.


There are a lot of devices in the home ie 2 Imacs, 3 macbooks, 3 ipads, 3 iphones, wifi printer, fire tv & apple tv boxes & they are all having trouble.


I called my internet provider & after not being able to troubleshoot over the phone they sent a tech to the house & he showed me even when the monitoring app says internet connection lost the cable modem always shows online so it is not their issue. He also had me plug Imac direct to cable modem with no router & that worked great. No outages at all. So, it appears the signal coming into house is fine & steady.


I went to cable company store & got replacement modem. I also switched to using their router - thinking if it doesn’t work I can blame them as I am using only their equipment.


Where I am at now… looks like it has to be something that I am plugging into to my wifi router that is causing the issues. Here is what I usually have plugged into the wifi router:

Sonos Speaker system.

Imac

VOIP Cisco phone connecting to my office 200 miles away.

HP M1212mfmfp printer.


When I disconnected everything from the router & just use my imac on wifi, not direct connection, all seems to work ok.


When I plug back in other devices the issues start back up.


Perhaps one of the devices needs a firmware update or something like that?



I know I provided a lot of info here.


Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Have you tried adding one device at a time?

 

[dknyc1]

smart idea - since 915am this morning i have just had my voip phone plugged in & so far so good - tomorrow I will plug in 1 more device

 

[dknyc1]

UPDATE - so, it worked well with no lost connectons all day while working. I stopped work at 7pm & woke up this am at 2am to find approx 15 disconnects / reconnects - could this have to do with the imac going to sleep or sleep mode or energy saver while I wasnt using it? Are there settings i should change?

 

[Fishrrman]

You are going to have to "start over", I think.
Remove everything (but the Mac), and start "building your connections" again.

Also, this time, keep a "paper log" (handwritten notes), to the effect:
- date and time you add a device.
- date and time next device added.
- etc.

Maybe "somewhere in there" you will discover a connection between a particular device and the disconnects.

My guess is that it's NOT the cable modem/router, but some kind of "interaction" going on between the modem/router and one (or possible more than one) of your devices.

Unfortunately, "tracking down" the problem can be an exercise in frustration.

Hope you get it worked out!

I'd try removing the speaker system and the Cisco phone first.

One more thing:
At night, I'd TURN OFF everything that I wasn't using.
Then turn it on again in the morning.
Does doing this change things at all?