Incredibly Variable Airport Signal Strength

I'm getting very inconsistant Airport reception on my 17" MBP, which is on my desk - about 12 meters from a Netgear Router.
As I type this message I get two bars, three bars, no bars, four bars, two bars, (all within 10 seconds). My wife's Mac mini (which is approx 3ft closer to the router) has a rock solid four bars.
Looking at the signal strength in "Internet Connect" the signal's all over the place - from 0% to about 80% and all points in-between. And randomly it drops out altogether for a moment or two.
I moved the router and changed the antenna for a directional one (which improved the average strength of the signal but not the stability); I've tried different channels; I've tried facing the MBP in different directions.
It's a little annoying, 'cause if I hit a website just as the signal drops out I get a "not connected to the internet" message.
Is this just a quirk of signals strength and atmospheric pressure? Or is there something fundamental that I've missed? We don't have a microwave, and I can't think of any other sources of inteference. And to get the router any closer would require quite a bit of rewiring - which seems to be somewhat contrary to the whole point of wireless networking!
Shall I give it up and run a cable from my wife's computer?

b and g are both on 2.4GHz although b seems impacted more by cordless phones and other devices for some reason.
I just upgraded my home net to g and the signal on this MBP is much more consistent (solid 4 bars mostly) and the range is 20-30 feet better.
One thing I did notice before upgrading was that Airport was more 'robust' when I turned off Bluetooth ...

Similar Messages

Airport signal strength varies a lot

On my Mac Mini the Airport signal strength goes up and down. Sometimes I have 4 bars, sometimes 0. Also I often lose the connection when I restart or wake up the computer and then I have to do something manually to connect, either turn off and on airport or go into airport preferences and click apply or manually reconnect by typing in the network name and password.
I have a closed/invisible Airport network with WPA2 Personal encryption. I have an Airport Extreme on the ground floor and extend the network by an Airport Express on the first floor. The Mac Mini is situated about half a meter from the Express.
I don't have this problem with any of my other 4 Macs. The other Macs are usually on the ground floor but when I take my laptop up to the living room where the Mini and Express are I also get good signal strength even though I'm further away from the Express than the Mini is.

So the problem is that you're not getting/staying connected now, when you had no problems with 10.5.6 before?
There was an update for AirPort and AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule firmware in mid-2009 --> http://support.apple.com/kb/dl849
There was also a March 2009 update for AirPort Client on 10.5.6, but I would assume that you got that one already.
The 'bars' on the menubar AirPort icon may not be most reliable method of judging your wireless connection. When you have AirPort turned on, click on Option + the AirPort icon to see the RSSI
There are specialized programs that provide far more complete information, including channel, signal strength, and noise level of wireless routers in the vicinity.
www.koingosw.com offers a 15-day free trial of AirRadar. I'm a licensed user of AirRadar 1.2.9. It gives a better picture of a wireless connection.

Weak Airport signal strength after MacBook upgrade to OS 10.5

Today, I finally upgraded my 13-inch 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook (2 gig RAM, 160 gig HD) to OS 10.5 from OS 10.4.11. After using install and archive to install the new system, I noticed the Airport signal was down to three bars from the usual four. After completing all the system updates to bring it up to 10.5.8, its still receiving only three bars. We're using a 2Wire wireless DSL modem for Internet service. I was getting the full four bars before the system upgrade, and my wife's 14" G4 iBook is still getting four bars.
What's going on here? Is there an available fix for this? Or am I doomed to going back to OS 10.4.11?
Roger

rmatile wrote:
Today, I finally upgraded my 13-inch 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook (2 gig RAM, 160 gig HD) to OS 10.5 from OS 10.4.11. After using install and archive to install the new system, I noticed the Airport signal was down to three bars from the usual four. After completing all the system updates to bring it up to 10.5.8, its still receiving only three bars. We're using a 2Wire wireless DSL modem for Internet service. I was getting the full four bars before the system upgrade, and my wife's 14" G4 iBook is still getting four bars.
Those bars are only an approximation of Wi-Fi signal strength. In Mac OS X 10.5 if you pull down the AirPort menu bar item while holding down an option key you'll see a value "RSSI", which is the actual signal strength. If you were using an AirPort base station, you could use AirPort Utility to see actual signal and noise levels.
In Mac OS X 10.4 I don't think that option key trick works, but you should be able to use the AirPort command-line utility, as describe in the electronic book "Take Control of Your 802.11n AirPort Network" (http://www.takecontrolbooks.com/airport-n):
- Launch Terminal
- Type this command:
cd /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/\
Apple80211.framework/Versions/Current/Resources/
- Type this command:
./airport -s
You'll see the "RSSI" value in one of the columns. If you compare the "RSSI" values for both OS versions, you may find the "RSSI" values more similar than the AirPort menu bar arcs suggest.
I have no financial connection to Take Control Books.

Time Capsule/Airport Signal Strength

I have a Time Capsule serving as cable modem ethernet router for wireless internet connection to my MacBook Pro. It works fine all over the house including upstairs at the other end of the place. When I go outside (comparable overall distance), I lose almost all signal strength. I assume it is a brick and mortar problem. What can I do to boost the signal from the TC so that I can connect outside?

Welcome to the discussions!
Take a look at the AirPort Express to extend your wireless network, and if you elect to go that route, be prepared to experiment with different locations for the Express to optimize the signal strength outside.
If the room adjacent to the outside area has a good signal indoors, that might be a good starting location for the Express.
Use your laptop to get an idea of signal strength as you move around the house. Just hold down the option key while you click on the fan shaped AirPort icon at the top of the screen and look for the Transmit Rate.
You can also download iStumbler, www.istumbler.net to provide even more details about your network in terms of signal strength and noise.

Airport signal strength seems way too low...possible for antenna to break?

Hi,
I have a 17" aluminum Powerbook 1.33Ghz that came with built in Airport. I use it on wireless networks both at home and at work. In recent weeks, it's seemed like my connection drops a lot or I have a hard time getting a solid signal.
Right now at work I'm sitting about 15 feet and through a sheetrock wall from a Cisco Aironet 1200 wireless access point, which I understand to be a quality item...MacStumbler is showing a signal strength in the low 20s, but can sometimes jump up to around 50. It seems like the Airport menubar icon used to always show full strength at work, but lately usually shows 2-3 bars.
At home I get a signal strength in the 30s when parked right next to my Airport Extreme, and have trouble losing connection in other parts of the house. An older Powerbook one floor above gets a signal strength in the 60s.
I'm considering the following options:
(a) Take Powerbook apart and see if the antenna has somehow become detached from the Airport card.
(b) Buy an upgraded antenna for the Powerbook from QuickerTek.com
(c) Open an AppleCare ticket, but I hate to send the PB to Texas even for a few days.
or is there something else I should be doing? or is this normal?

From reading your post it sounds like Interference.
In a commercial building you will find that the Metal Studs used in the construction, will and can Interfere, not to mention Metal Bookcases. Just about anything metal.
http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/1497111
Note the 3rd paragrapgh
This of course doesn't rule out that you could have a loose Antenna connection, or your Airport Extreme Card could have become unseated, or loose as well.
Remember the use of microwave, wireless phones and any number of other things can cause Interference.
Cheers Don

AirPort signal strength variation/ loss

Our 17" Powerbook G4 (Aluminum) started having connectivity problems with the AirPort Extreme base station last fall. This roughly coincided with AirPort Update 2005-001 and Security Update 2005-009. There was no change in behavior of other wireless machines (e.g. iMac G4, Powermac G4 Mirrored Drive Doors).
Often, signal strength is full after a restart or awake from sleep. After some period of use (minutes) signal strength drops markedly (at the same location, without any change in orientation of the PowerBook). Often, the machine then loses network connectivity
At other time, there just is no signal strength. This is at locations as close as 10 feet from the base station.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. It used to be nice to use the PowerBook wireless, but now is generally an uncertain and unpleasant experience. My recent AppleCare experiences have made me somewhat pessimistic about the value of investing time with them.

This has been confirmed as a hardware problem, apparently at the lid hinge.
Being addressed via AppleCare.
The hardware problem was verified fairly rapidly at the Lenox Square Genius Bar, who authorized the repair. Booting from another startup disk, for example, rapidly ruled out any software problem.
Telephone AppleCare, on the other hand, took substantially more time with no real results. Not that it was a waste of time, but it certainly was not productive and did not isolate the problem (hardware vs. software vs. base station vs. local reception).

Airport signal strength for 2008 mac pro

Hello everyone,
So, I have a 2008 Mac Pro 3.0Ghz. I read on some of the threads that the airport signal is kind of weak due to the aluminum case. Is this true on all the mac pros, or only on some? I plan to get rid of the USB wireless adapter and use the internal airport option.
Thanks,

The internal airport is way better, you'll be a lot happier. I had problems recently when I updated from 10.5.5 to 5.7, but after upgrading my wireless router firmware, I've actually got a stronger signal than before~
People having issues, should check with their router as well. It's not always the card, even if a different computer is getting a great connection. I think it's a case by case kinda thing.
Anyway Highly recommended

How to test my Airport signal strength?

Hi,
My Airport icon in the top menu bar of my Mac Pro has always been at full bars, but recently it has started dropping, sometimes to 3 bars and sometimes none.
Is there an application or something i can download that tests speed and strenght etc?
I'm running 10.5.7 and recently switched to a BT home hub but i have a sneaky feeling the issues have come after the 10.5.7 update?

After updating to 10.5.7, it killed my wireless connection. At 10.5.5 I was averaging 5 Mb/s download, after the 10.5.7 update it tops out at 1-2 Mb/s and very, very unstable connection. The internet times-out on page almost every 5 mins.
I have tested this thoroughly running different clone backups, adding airport utility updates, etc. Nothing has worked, so for now I have been forced to revert back to 10.5.5
Test your connection under different versions if you can. Use speedtest.net or speakeasy.net
This really s ucks though, cause I want to upgrade my video card which requires 10.5.7. Slow internet or faster graphics If apple doesn't fix this, I the only fix is going wired.

Full signal strength but unable to connect to the internet

I just got my ibook G4 about a month ago and have only been able to access the internet for about 2 weeks on and off. After I set up my wireless linksys router I was able to connect right away and it was fine. Then about a week or so after using it when I tried to open safari a message popped up telling me I was not connected to the internet. This lasted for about a week and then one day out of the blue I was able to connect. This lasted about a week and has since gone back to being unable to connect for the past 5 days. I have full airport signal strength and it recognizes linksys in the drop down menu.
I called Apple and was unfortunately disconnected but they advised me to reset the router by disconnecting it and plugging it back in after ten seconds. Still no luck. I even tried connecting through the cable that is normally connected to the desktop, still nothing.
Does anyone have any advice or know what could be wrong??
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.2)

Megz, first welcome to the discussions,
Here are the recommended steps to regain your connection.
If you have not changed or fiddled with any of your settings.
1st Check and make sure all of your cables are good and plugged in all the way.
2nd, Shut your computer clear OFF.
3rd, Pull the AC adapter from your Internet Service Providers Modem.
Next Pull the AC adapter from your Router.
You will have to wait a minimum of 5 minutes.
Next In Order.
Plug back in your Internet Service Providers Modem after your 5 minute wait.
Now you need to wait untill it has regained it's signal from your ISP's server, to your modem, this normally takes a minute or so, or untill you have all the lights (normally 3).
Next you can plug back in your Router and repeat the process of waiting for all the lights again, about a minute.
Now you can turn your computer back on and you should be good.
If not, repeat the process and wait a little longer.
If there is a problem it is normally caused by not waiting untill you have re-aquired the signal form your ISP's Server. Good Luck Don

Airport signal is up & down?

Hi,
My Airport signal strength is up and down on my 1.25ghz Powerbook G4. I get a good signal downstairs but it drops upstairs and seems to vary depending on the angle of the lid? I don't have this problem with my Wife's 1.5Ghz Powerbook?
I'm running 10.4.11 although i can update to 10.5.8 if that would make it better?
Thanks.

This sounds like your Antenna wire has come loose from the Airport Extreme Wireless card installed. Or, it might be that it has simply just jarred loose. These are notorious for needing to pressed in VERY FIRMLY, to eliminate this error.

I just purchased a wireless connection for my Tivo but the signal strength from my airport express does not allow the tivo to load data. How do I increase the signal strength?

I just purchased a wireless N network adapter for the TIVO premier and am trying to use my apple airport express to connectand it is in the another room. I am only receiving one bar of strength on my network adapter. How can I raise the signal strength of my airport express.

There are several things that might help, not all of which would be feasible depending on your situation: (1) Move the TiVo unit and AirPort Express closer together. (2) Use another AirPort Express to "extend" the network of the first AirPort Express. Put the second AirPort Express half way between the first AirPort Express and the TiVo unit. (3) In the general case, Power-Line equipment might allow the TiVo unit to get a good signal, but it's likely that the Ethernet port of your AirPort Express is probably connected to your broadband modem, so that solution wouldn't work for you. (4) Changing the band or channel that the AirPort Express is using might help. If the TiVo unit is connection on the 5 GHz band, try one of the three-digit channels, which are allowed to use higher power.

IMac G5 AirPort Issues - Very poor signal strength.

Disclaimer: I am normally a PC user, but just bought a iMac G5 for my son's bedroom. Problem is that I am having a **** of a time getting the iMac to stay connected to my network long enough to download a newest OS update and in general, it is very slow downloading webpages...clearly not normal...at least I hope not.
My connection is Broadband DSL to my main PC equipped with a Linksys WRT54G Broadband Router. My 2nd PC is connected wirelessly and is much further away than my iMac, but gets better reception.
Therefore, what is the deal with my iMac??? It seems to be super slow downloading the large software updates and has often timed out as they have bogged down.
As a PC guy, I am wondering is it an internal antenna issue in the iMac G5 or is it something as simple as Wi-Fi (AirPort) setting?
If is is a lousy internal antenna, what can I do to boost my signal strength? I was thinking of disabling the Wireless and buying Gaming Console access point to hard wire to the ethernet port. Is that possible? Would AirPort Express device be good for anything?
Help...I am ready to return my first Apple and go with a Dell!!!
Solutions???

Thanks Rod. Your comments were very helpful...
Apologies for the dash of sarcasm, M., but these things usually are just that simple to get running, and your Dell jokes started me down that path you know . Yes, I should have resisted the temptation.
Screen orientation really can make a difference in a low signal situation. So can simply changing the channel on which your wireless router operates (have you tried that yet?). You also can't assume that because a computer in a neighbouring room gets gets adequate signal , the one that you are working on will too. Walls, power circuits, nearby electrical gear, etc etc can all have highly localised effects with this stuff.
If, as it appears, you have adequate signal strength (I thought you indicated initially that you didn't have) and the problem is not related to local interference on the channel which the router is using (that's why you need to try a different channel) , then its time to check other aspects of the setup, both of the router and the iMac. The problem could be caused at either end.
Lets take the router first. The WRT54G usually actually works pretty well with Macs. In some cases, however, it may need a firmware update from the Linksys site. There have been quite a few different models of this particular router produced, so you'll need to check the downloads section at Linksys support for the correct one.
The best people here to answer this sort of stuff are probably Henry B. and Frank Canzolino . They both spend much of their time over in the Airport forums. If a firmware update for the router , or a simple channel change, doesn't fix the problem then I'd try posting there with "WRT54G and iMac G5 AE " displaying in the subject line.
As far as toast goes, I personally recommend asking the power company to drop the voltage for a few minutes. Saves all that time wasted knob twiddling.
Cheers
Rod

Can I configure a wireless home network with two cable routers (both with separate connections to the same cable company)? Issue is poor signal strength even with multiple Airport Expresses added to the network.

I have a wireless home network consisting of a time capsule, two airport expresses and a cable modem. Even with this configuration I get a very weak signal in much of be condo - the walls, etc. are solid concrete. I want to see if I can add another separately connected cable modem and connect one of the existing airport express to it by Ethernet cable. If so, this would give me two wired hubs and greatly improve signal strength. I do not know if this configuration will in fact work or if I will just wind up with two, separate and unrelateable networks. Unfortunately, there is no way to run any additional Ethernet cable and I doubt simply adding more Airport Express will help. Thanks.

Try Ethernet over Power adapters.. these are very popular for your kind of environment.. being able to make non-wireless link to another area where you can setup a wireless access point.
Airport Express are not great for wireless power.. if you really have issues with wireless strength in a bad environment apple stuff is not the way to go.
The comparison chart here.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/router-charts/bar/58-2_4-ghz-dn?see=P_F
This is their worst test location you can also see averages.. the latest airport extreme.. is there a long way down.. and that is a much better wireless device than Airport Express.
The Ubiquiti power AP is small cheap and designed for precisely this duty.. useless in an apple wireless network.. you will need to run ethernet or EOP adapters back to the main router.. but if the normal omni directional antennas don't provide enough signal you can get directional ones.. I suspect you can cover your whole apartment with a pair of these and high gain directional antenna.

Possible to add a non-Apple signal booster to Airport Extreme to improve signal strength?

Good day to you all.
This might seem like a weird question. I've just rencently purchased my first ever MacBook Pro to enter the Mac family
With it, I also bought an AirPort Extreme. Like others today, I've had a lot of trouble trying to get the thing set up. I somehow managed to get it working, but the signal strength in the far room of the house is too weak.
I suppose I could just get a better Wi-fi adapter for that computer to pick up the better signals, but, my question is:
I have a signal booster (repeater?) from Cisco/Linksys that I used for my Cisco/lynksys router. It would connect to the network and bounce that signal from that base off to improve the signal strength to the rest of the house. It worked like a charm. So, my question is is it at all possible to connect a non-apple booster like this to the network to bounce the signal?
I assume it would work, but thought I'd ask anyway just to be sure; to check if anyone else knows about this. I'm going to try sometime soon if this works, but would love to know what others think.
Thank you very much for your time and help!!

Ah, yes. Good idea. Well, in a few year's time, we'll probably move on to better devices, but, for those who do have something that isn't Apple...I encourage you to try it.
I'm using the Cicsco/Lynksys Range Extender that I believe is simply called RE1000; mine was refurbished, too.
Anyway, it came with a set up disc that I'm not entirely sure if it works on a Mac computer. I didn't try it.
You'll run the set up disc (somehow), make sure you follow the instructions on the screen, and it should allow the RE1000 to find the network you created using the AirPort. Once the set up is complete, it'll ask you to move the RE1000 to another electrical outlet in your house that can take the signal and bounce it to a wider area of your house, and presumably the neighborhood (secure your network).
Seemed to work without a hitch. So, if you're not using an Apple range extender (another AirPort type thing), hopefully this helps you. It did work for me, otherwise I would have taken the AP Extreme back for a refund haha

Strange signal strength values reported by Airport Utility

I am finding some strange signal strength values displayed by the Airport Utility (under the "Advanced" tab):
Client Signal Noise Rate Type
1 -24 -95 54 802.11b/g iPod Touch
2 -59 -90 130 802.11b/g/n MacBook Pro
3 -24 -95 54 802.11b/g Dell laptop
4 -24 -95 117 802.11b/g/n Airport Express
The four wireless devices are all approximately the same distance (about 4 metres) from my base station (another Airport Express).
What seems odd is that:
- Three of the devices show EXACTLY the same signal strength (-24 dBm signal, -95 dBm noise). The graphs are dead straight lines with no wiggles. If I move the iPod away, for example, to a distance of 10 metres, the figures remain at exactly -24/-95.
- The MacBook Pro values behave in a much more reasonable way. The graph has small random fluctuations (and an occasional large peak). If I move the MacBook further away, the signal level drops, as you would expect.
I should be interested to know why the values displayed by Airport Utility make sense for the MacBook, but appear to be nonsense for the other three devices.

The signal strength values now behave as expected. This was probably a result of a Mac OS X update or Airport firmware update. So, I am marking this issue as answered.

Incredibly Variable Airport Signal Strength

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