[5x5]

First of all, let me start by saying this is a long story. I'll try to condense it, but thanks for bearing with me here...

(I'll be cross-posting this on several forums, so sorry if it's a duplicate for you)
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About three weeks ago, the range on my wireless router cut out all of a sudden. We have a wireless G NetGear router connected to our cable modem. It's on the opposite side of the house as my MBP, but I never had a problem connecting. I remembered I had a AirPort Extreme from my old apartment, so I thought I'd swap it for the NetGear. Once it's up and running, I still can only connect from that side of the house (I used my MBAir to walk around and watch the signal strength).
The only out of the ordinary thing were the neighbors were doing some minor construction. I assumed that maybe some of the equipment was interfering with the network (even though it was an extra 30 feet from the computer. I assumed their frequencies spilled over this way and... whatever. I may have learned this from the movie Small Soldiers, so who knows, right?).
I had been considering buying a booster/extender/repeater for awhile and this made the decision for me. I buy an AirPort Extreme and set it up. In the same room as the Pro, my Air is connecting. My Air is further away than the Pro, but working.
I call AppleCare thinking the Airport card is broken. I talk to two different specialists for about 90 minutes (all the settings are correct, but still no dice) and make an appointment for the Genius Bar.
The next day I end up checking it in for diagnostics. They end up finding nothing wrong, so I take it home. Where I still can't connect.
So, now I'm convinced that it's somehow environmental, but I get the bright idea to move the Express from it's original placement to the room next to this one. Like, on the other side of the wall. About 5 feet, straight line.
SUCCESS! I can connect, but it's really slow. Signal is dropped frequently. I don't know what else to do.
I'm open to any ideas. I've considered buying a Cantenna, but I'd like to keep it cheap if possible. Also, I'm not sure what adapter I need to buy with it.
Thanks for your help in advance. I appreciate you reading this far.

[dcpics]

Anything new in your house between the router and where you are trying to connect?

New cordless phone, microwave, anyting?

[5x5]

Nope. The only thing that was new wasn't even in our house. But they've since finished and I'm still having issues.

[smax013]

Kind of sounds like an interference issue. Try going into the router setting and changing the channel it uses.

[Martian]

The 5GHz band on the AirPort Extreme should be almost interference free, though it has less range and wall penetration ability than the 2.4 band.

Macs are supposed to switch automatically between the 2.4 and 5GHz bands, but I have found the switch up from 2.4 to 5 is not reliable.


Try this configuration in the AirPort Utility:
? Go to Manual Setup > AirPort (top of window) > Wireless tab > Wireless Options button > check ?5 GHz Network Name?.
? The default will append "(5 GHz)? to your network's name. This will be the name of just the 5 GHz network and the old name will apply just to the 2.4 GHz network.

On your MacBook?s Network Preferences:
? Select AirPort on the left of the window
? Make sure ?Show AirPort status?? is checked
? Select Advanced
? Make sure both of your networks are listed. I think you may have to re-insert the password for the "new" 5GHz network.
? Drag the 5 GHz name to the top of the selection order if it is not already there
? If a neighbor?s network is listed, delete it.

Now you can easily control from the menu bar which network you are connected to. The default will be the interference free 5 GHz.

If your neighbor has a --nuculer-- (oh, he's finally out of office) nuclear powered 5 GHz network, you can play around with manual channel numbers in the Airport Utility.

Edit:
I forgot to add that if you look in System Profiler under Airport - Wireless Channel, one and two digit channels are 2.4GHz and three digit channels are 5GHz. This way you can verify which band you are on.
Message was edited by: Martian

[5x5]

I thought it was an interference issue too, except that the MBAir is in the same room and connecting (as can my iPhone). And I tried every channel when I was on the phone with AppleCare.

Hence my confusion... ?:|

[smax013]

It still could be an interference issue, but it is less likely if you have tried different channels.

How old is the MBP compared to the MBA?

[5x5]

I got the Pro in January of 2007 and the Air is one of these guys:Refurbished MacBook Air.





And to MARTIAN: I tried following your directions, but I haven't had a chance to use it continually for long periods of time yet, so I don't know if it's an improvement. I can tell you that some of the settings you mentioned, I wasn't able to change because they weren't available to me. Maybe a newer firmware than yours or something?

[smax013]

5x5 said:

I got the Pro in January of 2007 and the Air is one of these guys:Refurbished MacBook Air.

So the MacBook Pro is older than the Air? It sounds like it might be a second generation MacBook Pro. Which OS is it running? Tiger or Leopard?

Quote

And to MARTIAN: I tried following your directions, but I haven't had a chance to use it continually for long periods of time yet, so I don't know if it's an improvement. I can tell you that some of the settings you mentioned, I wasn't able to change because they weren't available to me. Maybe a newer firmware than yours or something?

Which settings specifically were not available to you? When did you get the Airport Extreme Basestation?

[Martian]

I assumed you had a NEW Airport Extreme when you said, " I buy an AirPort Extreme and set it up". I am pretty sure that the older models had only one radio, therefore only one band, or at least one band at a time. Therefore an older model means my suggested two-network settings would be impossible.

However, if the AE has only one radio, can it be set to your choice of either band? If yes (???), then 5GHz would be the way to go as long as all your computers can use that band (older computers and new low-end PC's typically can't). If you determine your computer is OK, but your AE won't do 5GHz, then see if you can borrow a 5GHz router (802.11a or 802.11n).

I found that in my kitchen with the microwave oven on (MW cooking is always at 2.4GHz, the resonant frequency of the water molecule) my new MacBook often, but not always can slowly struggle through an internet connection at 2.4GHz whereas my netbook PC never can. This is in spite of the fact that the two computers otherwise appear to have equal long-range signal ability. (Naturally, at 5GHz the connection is 100% immune to the microwave).

[5x5]

It's the Pro that came out before the aluminum unibody design. I'm running Leopard 10.5.7.



I mistyped. I meant to say AirPort Express. The Extreme is from sometime in 2008. The Express is from last week. Sorry about the confusion. Thought I proofread the post...

[smax013]

5x5 said:

It's the Pro that came out before the aluminum unibody design. I'm running Leopard 10.5.7.





I mistyped. I meant to say AirPort Express. The Extreme is from sometime in 2008. The Express is from last week. Sorry about the confusion. Thought I proofread the post...

If it is an Airport Express, then the instructions that [~10027] provided in such wonderful detail would not apply. And if you go it prior to March of 2008 (or there abouts) then it is likely only 802.11g...they did not release a version with 802.11n until March of last year. As such, the older version could not do any of the 5 GHz band (either 802.11n or 802.11a).

I forget if I have asked this...have you tried running without encryption (assuming you are using it now) to see if that helps at all?

Is this a house or an apartment?

[5x5]

It's a house. And it's an 802.11n Extreme, so sometime after March, then. Also, it's set to 802.11n (b/g compatible).

The setting I couldn't do from MARTIAN's post was the Manual Setup > Airport > Wireless > Wireless Options > check "5 GHz Network Name" because when I click the Wireless Options button, the changes I can make (with my settings in parentheses) are the country (USA); the multicast rate (11 Mbps); the transmit power (100%); WPA Group Key Timeout (1 hour(s)); create a closed network (unchecked); and use interference robustness (checked).

Does that help at all?

[Martian]

5x5 said:

I mistyped. I meant to say AirPort Express. The Extreme is from sometime in 2008. The Express is from last week. Sorry about the confusion. Thought I proofread the post...

The current model of AirPort Extreme came out just a few months ago. It is the only router from Apple (and one of the very few from any mfg.) that has simultaneous dual band capability. The Airport Utility ?5 GHz Network Name? setting you have been looking for is only relevent to a router with simultaneous capability. Logically, that setting should either be grayed out or eliminated altogether when addressing a non-simultaneous router.

It shouldn't be difficult to determine if your Extreme is the current simultaneous model or a previous model (I am assuming it is a previous model).

BTW, if your MBP is too old to do 5GHz, you can look into an ExpressCard WiFi card if they have Mac drivers (yes Apple, it is boneheaded to make any laptop without an ExpressCard slot--even my cheap 10" Lenovo netobook has one)