Wifi Issues with MacBook Air
New MacBook Air wireless problems
Here's a script I wrote that will detect a network meltdown and do something about it. No warranty implied or offered. It works for me. Your mileage may vary.
This is NOT a fix for this issue. Unfortunately we need to wait for Apple to both acknowledge the problem publicly and/or fix it.
check-network.sh
It needs to run as root via cron? Don't know what I'm talking about. perhaps this isn't for you. I can't be held responsible if you break something. But I'll try to provide some simple instructions below.
NOTE: This assumes its running on a Macbook Air and that the wireless interface is en0
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1. Download the script and put it in a suitable folder. (I use a /scripts folder in the drive root. eg at the same level as Applications etc)
2. Open up terminal
3. Change the ownership of the script to root:staff (sudo chown root:staff /scripts/check-network.sh)
4. Ensure the script is executable (eg sudo chmod 550 /scripts/check-network.sh)
5. Add the script to the root crontab to execute every minute. ( sudo crontab -e)
* * * * * /scripts/check-network.sh
Type :wq to quit the crontab editor
7.The script will now watch your network and give it a kick when it identifies a problem.
If you have growl and growlnotify installed, edit the script and change the USEGROWL=0 line to USEGROWL=1.
You'll now get a sticky growl notification on your desktop when the script needs to take action.
Otherwise you can check for entries in the /var/log/check-network.log file
**Update and commentary on other published "fixes" - 29/08/2011
- 10.7.1 hasn't fixed it
- Creating an "internet" profile doesn't fix it
- Disabling bluetooth doesn't completely fix it
- Removing the Bluetooth PAN device from your Network profile helps, but doesn't fix it.
Summary: Apple needs to get their act together and resolve this. Macbook Air is a Wifi orientated portable device. If Wifi no worky, its a massive FAIL:
Customers shouldn't, under any circumstances, be expected to have to carry out any obscure low level technical "workarounds" to get their device to function to a basic level. Shame apple. shame.
*Update 2/2/2012
- 10.7.3 seems to help with the Wifi on wake issues
- Explicitly disable IPv6 seems to solve the random internet dying issue.
- sudo networksetup -setv6off Wi-Fi
Time will tell.
