Ready to toss imac out window on account of airport

[thewhitehart]

I have one unsolvable problem with my intel imac. It's the only real problem I have with any of my macs.

Starting with 10.4.8, airport experiences random disconnects, where the airport menu bar icon goes gray, and no networks appear. Attempting to connect to my network under "Other..." results in a connection error and a "Try Again" message. Only a reset of the computer fixes this, and upon resetting the computer will connect automatically.

I connect to an Airport Express. I have my network at the top of the preferred list, and I use WPA2 security. I refuse to compromise security by switching to WEP. The express assigns IP addresses via DHCP. It is not an express problem, as my PPC ibook stays connected. I am now running 10.4.9, and none of the airport security updates have fixed this problem.

I am ready to chuck my 17" imac core duo. I cannot live with this problem, as constant resetting is not an option for me. This problem happens both after waking from sleep, and randomly while using the computer. This is a problem discussed on this forum constantly, and on Apple's support forums. I do not think Apple can solve this problem, and they refuse to acknowledge it. This is a serious problem, and a lot of people on this forum are experiencing it. I also need to be running 10.4.9, and I cannot revert back to 10.4.7, although I have tried via an archive and install to fix the problem. As soon as I put 10.4.8 on, and 10.4.9 with all the airport fixes, the problem comes back.

Any airport experts out there? I am at my wits end.

 

[Queso]

There might just be something in the area that is broadcasting on the same 2.4GHz channel as your Airport Base Station. Log onto it and change the channel. On the iMac you then only need turn off the Airport and on again for it to pick up the new setting.

Also what's the setting for Interface Robustness on the iBook? Replicate that onto the iMac and see whether that helps.

 

[Sherman Homan]

Here is what I did to solve that on a cranky laptop after 10.4.9
Open the System Prefs, Network and delete all of the preferred wireless networks.
Find and trash the com.apple.networkConfig.plist
Log out, log in, reestablish your network configurations.
Let me know if you decide to toss that iMac...

 

[wordmunger]

Another vote for changing the network channel. It's made all the difference on my network.

 

[thewhitehart]

The microwave seems to be the only 2.4 Ghz interference, and when it's on, airport still holds a slight signal even with interface robustness off. I usually keep it off. My phones are all 5.8 Ghz.

I changed the channel, and I also trashed com.apple.NetworkConfig.plist . Hopefully this will fix everything, but I'll post back if the problem occurs again. I'm trying to narrow down all possible suspects without spamming macrumors with threads every time this happens to me, so I'll keep updating this thread when the problem happens

 

[Drpepper99uk]

Hello,

I'm not the only one who's been having aggravation with my built in airport in my C2D 20" iMac. I too have had random cut off's and sometimes it just stops working altogether for reason's unbeknown to me and mankind, and it cannot find my router(although after doing a scan it will find other's in my area, but be damned will it find mine!!!) It's the one thing that really has let down my Mac experience as when I used my old PC it never, ever cut off so suddenly like it does with my Mac, which now often involves me reaching for the trusty old ethernet cable which I'm glad I still have or I'd be well and truely buggered without it!!!

Come on Apple, ditch that useless airport nonsense and give us all something half decent that's reliable and compatible with most routers to say the least




Michael.

 

[jtown]

The microwave seems to be the only 2.4 Ghz interference, and when it's on, airport still holds a slight signal even with interface robustness off. I usually keep it off. My phones are all 5.8 Ghz.

Just because you don't have 2.4ghz devices doesn't mean the neighbors don't. There could be a phone (or multiple phones) running on 2.4ghz in your neighborhood. There can also be other wireless routers and access points running with their SSID turned off which wouldn't show up on a normal wireless scan. Check your antenna connection and change the channel.

Come on Apple, ditch that useless airport nonsense and give us all something half decent that's reliable and compatible with most routers to say the least

You do realize that airport is just 802.11b/g, right? It's all the same. People who say their airport equipment is incompatible with their linksys/dlink/netgear/belkin equipment are like people saying that Chevron gasoline is incompatible with their Toyota Corolla because they happened to have engine trouble after filling up at Chevron.

Same advice goes to you. Check your antenna connection and change the channel if you're getting interference.

 

[Shadow]

Another vote for changing the network channel. It's made all the difference on my network.

Seconded. A simple channel change took my network from crap to brilliant.

 

[thewhitehart]

But I have changed the channel, numerous times. It doesn't seem to be interference, because I've experienced interference from 2.4 Ghz devices before, and the signal becomes uselessly weak. Yet as soon as the interference stops, the signal is useable again.

My problem isn't interference, but rather a disappearance of airport network connectivity altogether, which is immediately solved by a reset.

To be even more thorough, I have kept a 2.4 Ghz phone call active right after the problem occurred once. I reset the computer, and airport connected to my network, even while the 2.4 Ghz phone call was active. The signal was terribly weak, but it was connected.

On top of this, my PPC ibook stays connected when the problem occurs on the intel imac. This is a real intel imac problem that Apple refuses to recognize.