I have strange wireless problems at home with my PowerBook. Maybe people have ideas on how to fix this…?
Every once in a while, my PowerBook completely loses access to my home (WEP-encrypted) wi-fi network. In fact, it completely stops seeing the SSID at all though it will still see all of the other SSIDs of my neighbors’ networks. This is true in both the Airport toolbar as well as using a tool like iStumbler.
Since it’s only my access point that disappears, it would ordinarily sound like an issue with the access point (a Linksys WRT54G running the Sveasoft Alchemy firmware). Except that my wife is still happily surfing on her Windows XP laptop.
So that makes it sound like an issue with the PowerBook. Except that resetting the Airport and even rebooting don’t seem to help. But what does help, interestingly enough, is rebooting the access point. Which makes it sounds like an issue with the access point; not the PowerBook.
OK, I’m confused. Is it the PowerBook or the access point?
Any ideas?
Is your access point broadcasting the SSID or is it configured to be hidden? If it is hidden, wireless access on some devices will sometimes behave what you described.
I had various issues with my WRT running Sveasoft. I finally gave up on Sveasoft and switched to DD-WRT and haven’t had any problems since.
Hey Hsin,
The access point is indeed broadcasting the SSID.
Hey Ryan,
Interesting. I haven’t heard of DD-WRT, but perhaps I’ll take a look at it. Is it comparable to Alchemy?
Oh man, I had the exact same problem but inverted. I would see dropout on my XP laptop and pocketPC but absolutely no problems with my new MacBook Pro. I swapped between three routers all WRT54G[S]. Even if I moved close to the antenna, I would still see drop outs. Very weird. I tried everything.. Maybe these might work for you:
1) does this happen at any particular time of day? If so, it is possible that the XP is also seeing problems at that time.. I would guess no for this one..
2) change the channel to see if that helps
3) change the frequency to see if that helps
4) turn off WEP/security.. that’ll still be problem still I would guess as well.
5) is the antenna obstructed in any manner or near large bars of steel that might cause interference. Also, I assume that no one is microwaving or talking on a gigahertz phone at the same time.
6) I have a D-Link extender you can borrow. What that may do is allow the signal to be rebroadcast to identify if you have an antenna or signal issue.
7) can you borrow an external wifi access card to isolate if the problem is your hardware/software on the Mac ?
8) if you have an older router, use the ‘a’ protocol instead of ‘b’ and ‘g’. It is slower but more robust
..good luck
I was just googling this issue and this blog entry came up. My Ti PowerBook 667 DVI model running 10.4.6 and using a SCM wireless router just started doing the same thing. Has worked fine for over a year and just within the last couple of weeks starting having this issue. The wireless connection will just drop and the network does not appear (I’m broadcasting the SSID). It’s not the router, my XP laptops (2 of them) are fine.
It seems the to drop after about 20 min of use and then just loses signal. If I put it to sleep or turn off the airport and then turn it back on, it will work for a while. The working time shortnens over time. I suspect it is heating up a bad circuit in the airport card or the laptop. I have begun looking into a card slot wireless card with the OrangeWare wireless driver for OS X. Hopefully this will overcome this issue and upgrade the old 667 to wireless ‘g’.
Hey Mark, i’m having the same problem (only diff is that i’m using WAP). Where you able to find a solution?
Be sure that your wireless transmitter isn’t near a cordless phone base. Both may transmit in the ballpark of 2.4GHz causing a conflict and disruption.
i have a wrt54g v2 with : DD-WRT v23 SP1 Final (05/16/06) min as my firmware. how about this all started with a wrt54g v6. i bought one, set it up, wireless drops and is no where to be found after tryin everything. i have 3 computers, 1 wireless, 1 wired, and 1 that has both. i use the one that has both to configure the wireless and see if it works. so itook the first one back, got a different one, another wrt54g v6. same thing. 20 minutes after pluggin it up, no more wireless. but wired is fine. so i took that back, and a friend let me have a wrt54g v2. perfect timing. anyways, after doin some research, i went straight to dd-wrt cause obviously linksys might not know what theyre doin and lo and behold! the same thing happens!! and it happens with my dlink too. i originally thought my di524 just started goin crazy after 2 years. so i went for the linksys… it has great features but i dont know whats goin on in my house!
I’ve been surfing trying to find solutions to the problem I am having and it matches some of yours. Basically it seems to be an incompatibility between tiger os 10.4.etc. and the wrt54g v6.
I have had my network for several months, running two computers fine. I upgraded my powerbook to tiger and boom, no connection. Not only that, it kills the router for my other computer and I have to unplug and plug it back in. I have tried everything, updating router firmware, no encryption, dumping network prefs etc. I got a newer powerbook running 10.4.7 and same problem. Oddly enough, during this whole time my wifes ibook on 10.3.9 continues to surf happily all day long.
I have tested this with several older linksys routers and they all work fine. According to the MAC service guys I had on the phone while trouble shooting the linksys v6 uses a different chipset from the others. I have been in contact with them trying to get them to admit the problem and come up with some solution, but to no avail. If anyone finds any reliable firmware for this router with Tiger, shoot me an email.
S
Same here (Wifi used to work for months, then dropped).
Happened with Netgear DG834GFS
Solution:
If you using a WEP key, just but a dollar sign, $, in front of the key and it should work. My roomate was having the same problems you guys are facing and apple told him to do this and it worked.
same problem: Powerbook G4/17″, OSX10.4.8. Router: Alcatel speedtouch 716 or Trendnet.
20 minutes online, then signal dies for 30 seconds.
Can do the off/on of airport, or reset the router, or restart the computer.
Moved the the router, ran all new cables, new signal splitter. Problem continues.