[olug] [ot] Sudden wireless problems with a MacBook Pro

[Mike Hostetler]

The only reason I'm asking this question here is that this list is  filled
with smart people. :)

For about two years, I've had the following setup: a Linksys WRT54G Series 5
in the basement and a MacBook Pro directly above it on the main floor.  I
also have an old Linux box hooked directly to this router via a wired
connection. This worked perfectly for all that time.  Two months ago, I got
my wife an old Dell desktop.  It's on the main floor, but on the other side
of the house than the MacBook Pro.  This also worked perfectly for about a
month.

But a few weeks ago we start to have problems with the MacBook Pro. It
starts dropping connections like crazy and at random times.  Now the
connection is mostly off.  The Dell on the other side of the main floor has
zero problems, as well as the Linux box.

I flashed my Linksys and installed DD-WRT on it so I could tweak the setup
(really, everyone should so this!) but it didn't help. I changed channels,
turned up the Xmit Power, turned down the Beacon Interval, etc. but nothing
helps. I can take the  MBP to the basement, set it beside the router and
have no signal. This used to work fine before!  I have also tried it next to
the Dell box and the MBP doesn't do any better there, either.  The error in
the MBP's /var/log/system.out is "Error: WirelessAssociate  <yadda yadda>".
Google searching shows a few questions without any answers.

Now, here's the strange part -- I can take the MBP to Panera, a hotel,
anywhere with open wifi and it picks up the network  and works perfectly.
So it's not just the MBP -- it's a combo of the router and the MBP.

My theory of the moment is that some neighbor just got a wireless router
that is running all over the board on channels and the MBP is more sensitive
to it than the Dell box.  But I'm willing to listen to any ideas and (even
better) any possible solutions!

-- 
Mike Hostetler
http://mike.hostetlerhome.com/