WiFi during sleep

[Handle]

When my 2009 iMac went to sleep and then had to be woken up, WiFi was always disconnected and it took a few seconds to reconnect to my router. Even with the newest version of OS X installed on it.

I just bought a MBA and every time I wake it up the WiFi is connected. At first I just figured it was connecting faster, but I've paid close attention to it, it's always connected the split second it wakes up.

I'm just curious why it's different for the MBA? Why is it keeping the WiFi connection during sleep?

 

[fisherking]

When my 2009 iMac went to sleep and then had to be woken up, WiFi was always disconnected and it took a few seconds to reconnect to my router. Even with the newest version of OS X installed on it.

I just bought a MBA and every time I wake it up the WiFi is connected. At first I just figured it was connecting faster, but I've paid close attention to it, it's always connected the split second it wakes up.

I'm just curious why it's different for the MBA? Why is it keeping the WiFi connection during sleep?

it's not talking to wifi when it's asleep, it's just connecting faster when u wake it. maybe a hardware issue with your iMac, or software issue...

my macbook pro takes a minute to reconnect; true in 10.9.4, but in some versions of osx, connected immediately. so...software, probably...

 

[satcomer]

OS X: About Power Nap


Newer Macs have this new Power Nap. Older Macs have the old style of standard sleep.

 

[Handle]

It's probably because I have Power Nap turned on. I figured it would only connect periodically during Power Nap, but apparently not.

 

[fisherking]

OS X: About Power Nap


Newer Macs have this new Power Nap. Older Macs have the old style of standard sleep.

oops, i stand corrected...

 

[Handle]

So it must be Power Nap because when I leave it on battery power it disconnects from WiFi and has to reconnect when I wake it up, which is a feature of Power Nap.

The one thing that I found odd is that I left my MBA connected to the power outlet all night, but I also connected my external backup drive. When I woke up this morning I checked and the last Time Machine backup was shortly after I left my MBA last night. I thought during Power Nap it would do Time Machine backups all night while it was sleeping.