Airport drops wireless signal

Hello,
I have seen similar questions posted but haven't found any answers that seem to work for me. I have an ibook G4 that keeps dropping the Airport connection. It will work fine for some time, then all of a sudden, the airport icon will go gray and I am unable to see any networks in the drop down menu. (I cannot even see the networks that my neighbors have set up, where I usually am able to see them).
I will describe my setup a bit more. I have 2 wireless networks. One is through a wireless router provided by my ISP, Verizon. The other network is an Airport Express network. The Airport Express is plugged into the wireless router and also is how I use the printer. Both are protected with WEP passwords. (The ISP wireless network came preset with a WEP password, and we set the Airport Express with a WEP password when we got it.)
The Airport drops the signal periodically regardless of which network I have it connected to. My husband's PC can see and connect to the internet via both networks and does not seem to have the dropping problem.
I have fully updated the software on the ibook. I have also tried various suggestions I have read, such as deleting all the networks from the list of preferred networks and then readding them and moving Airport up to the top of the internet connection priority list.
I just love my ibook and it has worked perfectly for so long. I hope that maybe there is something simple that needs to be fixed. Thank you so much in advance.

I have the same issue. i immediately went to Google for help and found this bit of interesting information, saying that if you upgrade the ram in your notebook, which i have done, that the WIFI card will overheat. The problem with this is I had upgraded my ram and it worked fine for months. Perhaps overtime the heat got to it who knows.
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=485804
Then I found this monster of a tutorial:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=2005093011343164
I tried many solutions on that including resetting my PMU and NVRAM which made sense because the track pad would get funny when the wireless dropped out. (the PMU controls the power to devices such as track pad and airport) No luck. I guess it's just our hardware failing.
I use Mac OS 10.4.2 to answer ilikemycomputer's question. Although i may update to 10.4.11 so i could use logic 8 if i decide that's what I'm going to do.
I was hoping maybe there was a firmware or BIOS update or something, if macs have such things.
I have been considering experimenting with Linux on my G4 just for fun. I don't know if I'll get around to doing that but maybe that will tell if it's a software problem or not.
More information:
This only happens to me when I'm downloading or seeding torrents. I never have any problems when working in web browsers, even if i download files off of a web sight. no problems. Even if i slow the upload speed on my torrent client (Transmission V1.0) to 5KB/s up and down. It will eventually have problems. I'm going to experiment with slower speeds.
My workaround:
I invested in a 25' non shielded patch cable. for $7 USD. Whenever I'm going to be torrenting i just plug it into my rougher. They come in all sizes and colors so you can be very expressive with it. I got a purple one.
This seems to be the fate of internet on Macintosh laptops.
Message was edited by: whos on de phone

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New White Macbook Dropping Wireless Signal

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I've read that a lot of people with 2006 Macbooks have been having trouble with their wireless signal through Airport dropping out. I'm having the same problem, but I have the newest white macbook that's been sent in two separate times to Apple for repairs.
The first time was my computer was over heating and the plastic actually changed colors. The second was after having my computer back for only 3 days, my computer wouldn't even turn on. Turns out my mother board was faulty as well.
Now, after having my Macbook back for only a month, my wifi signal is constantly dropping out. Even after upgrading to Snow Leopard, I'm still not having any luck.
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Router Status
Account Name WPN824
Hardware Version V2H1
Firmware Version V2.0.18_1.2.17NA
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In the last week or so the wirlessly connected computer sees the wireless signal (WMP300N card) drop whenever the wired computer is booted. Looking at the router one can see the wireless light go off briefly. The Wireless computer, XP SP3 is the one effected, so I opened the WIRELESS NETWORKS and I can see it go from CONNECTED to ACQUIRING ADDRESS.
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lordstag wrote:
You are not understanding. Just because the link is at 270 mbps, does not mean you are actually getting that speed.
The whole 2.4 spectrum is only 60 mhz. 40 mhz uses bonded channels which means it is subject to 2 times the amount of interference as 20 mhz. It is using 2/3 of the 2.4 spectrum. So if there are any other wireless networks around, or wireless devices that use that spectrum you will see a dramatic loss in speed, but not necessarily the link it shows.
While it may show a link of 270 mbps, it may only be using 10mps due to interference.
I do understand that. I've run InSSIDer and checked what is also in the area. I see only 2 other SSID's, and both are very weak. Live in single family homes here. I would think most of my neighbor's are not techies and wouldn't hide the SSID's. Only one of them isn't a default SSID as well.
I've checked the speed between my Gigabit wired and my wife's wireless when copying files via Windows explorer. Moving at the rate of about 20 - 25MBps, here machine is only 10 feet from the router. Lowest speed is about 12MBps at times. Depends on the drive on here machine, RAID 0, standard or external. Could be the disk speed that is the limit here, not the connection.
Checking the iPad, it showed 20Mbps with and without the 40Mhz channel, that had no effect on it?
My other router, the ASUS RT-N56U is due back from Repair today. I'll be putting that back and we'll see if that fixes this problem? If it does, I'm going to RESET this LinkSys and put it back and see what happens. I'll try relashing it too if necessary.
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Irv S.

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INB4:
Try the following steps:
# Open up the browser and on the address bar type 192.168.1.1 that will open up the Router setup page.
# Then Click on wireless Tab select, Wireless Network mode “Mixed”, and make the Channel to 1, 3, 6, 9, and 11. Click Save Settings.
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~~ Lower the beacon interval from 100 to 75
~~ Lower the fragmentation threshold from 2346 to 2306
~~ Lower the RTS threshold from 2347 to 2307
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3. In the router also look at wireless security setting. Set WEP encryption to 128 bit hex 26 hex digits. There are reports the settings such as WEP personal are not as reliable a connection.
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Hello everyone. First post and new mac user. I have made the switch to mac and have left my pc for my children:)
I am trying to connect to a kodak esp 5200 wireless printer.
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I can connect my printer to my wireless network.
I download the software to my mac and add the printer via syst pref-print/fax and then add it with +
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Well-intended long shot, based on a similar experience with a different printer:
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I have a Airport Extreme that is dropping the wireless signal alot (several times a day). The green light will go amber but the internet service (ethernet cable) will still be fine. The wireless icon on devices with go away.

I have a Airport Extreme that is dropping the wireless signal alot (several times a day) The green light will go amber, but the internet service is still ok if your using an ethernet cable directly plugged in. When the light goes amber all devices that is using wireless will lose there wireless icon. The only way to get the green light back is to unplug the Airport device and replug it back in. I tried the reset on the back but still no luck. What is the fix?

Let's see if I can get this straight.
You have an Airport Extreme base station that is set to "Create a wireless network" and you have the box checked for "allow this network to be extended"....
Then you have an Airport Express that is set to "Extend a wireless network" which you selected the name of your network in the box...
Correct?
See this Apple document:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4259?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
The wireless unit on the right of the diagram can be either of the newer Apple base stations.
Extreme, Express, Time Capsule

Airport wireless signal dropping

I just bought an airport extreme (n) last week with my brand new iMac, so far i've been loving both...except for when my airport base station decided it was going to stop broadcasting a wireless signal. It's been on and off all day and the first thing I did was disconnect it and my modem, wait 3 minutes, replug the modem in and wait for all the lights to come back on; then turn on the router with success. However it just did it to me again (mooching off neighbor's unsecured wireless right now) and I can't get it to go back up for whatever reason. The wired clients are working fine, the wireless signal is not even being recognized by either of my macs, both using airport configuration software 5.2.1 and I can't even get into the configuration of the damned thing due to there being no wireless signal. Any ideas/suggestions on how I can fix this problem?

Hello nighshrill. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!
It is very possible that you may have some form of Wi-Fi interference in the immediate area that is preventing you from getting a good clean signal.
I suggest you perform a simple site survey, using utilities like the following to determine potential areas of interference, and then, try to either eliminate or significantly reduce them where possible:
o MacStumbler, or
o iStumbler

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As background, my Mac Pro is setup to never go to sleep as it is hosting some web sites, the only thing that sleeps is the display, so I don't think it is any kind of issue on wake from sleep . . . it just drops the signal at some point.
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Mac Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Slow connections, weak signal, dropped, lost signal after sleep...
While Apple has a good "troubleshooting networking" the Mac Pro using Wireless has had more of its own. I would pick up a Netgear router, go wired.

Why is my wireless connnection dropping my signal

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Although it is possible that an AirPort update may be the cause that is preventing your Dell PC from maintaining a solid wireless connection, there may be other causes as well.
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If it makes you feel better, I have had the exact same problem that you describe, and I am at a loss to explain it. The wireless signal just drops randomly (I have an iBook G4 with an AirPort CARD only). This does not happen on my windows pc that is in another room, and uses the same wireless router. My wireless connection had worked for months before this without problems, and I have not moved my iBook or my router in the last several months.
I also have been able to rule out the recent software update, even though it was initially what I suspected. Here is another interesting wrinkle - I took my iBook to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store yesterday, and while waiting (45 minutes or so), I could NOT replicate the problem. My wireless connection was fine the entire time and never dropped. The "Genius" and I brainstormed, and could not come up with an explanation, other than some new type of interference in my building. He advised me to try a new installation, but it seems many of us have tried that to no avail.
A lot of people have viewed this topic, so I suspect there are more of us out there with this problem.

Airport drops wireless signal

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