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

[Sam Tetherow]

You could be correct.  Not sure what cards they put in the mac so I 
don't know if it is a sensitivity issue, it could also be a driver issue 
on the mac and the possible new router.  There use to be a problem with 
senao cards and D-Link routers.  For what ever reason they would always 
associate with the D-Link regardless of SSID.

Probably an easy check would be to borrow someone else's router, 
preferably not a linksys, and see if you can get it to work at your place.

    Sam Tetherow
    Sandhills Wireless

Mike Hostetler wrote:
> 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!
>
>