Mac loses connection to the internet

[Andyowl90]

Hi, this is my first post on here so forgive me if I miss out any information you might need to help!

Im having some issues with my iMac. It will connect to the WiFi and work correctly, however within 30 seconds to a minute it will be unable to load anything, but is still saying it connected to the internet. If I turn the WiFi on and off again, it will wok again for a short period of time then stop again. I am currently on my macbook pro next to the iMac using the same WiFi with no issues so I can only assume the issue is with the iMac and not the WiFi itself.

Is there anything that can be done to fix this issue?

Im running a mid 2011 iMac with OS X Yosemite version 10.10.5 if that helps!

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

-Do you have any third-party utilities like MacKeeper or CleanMyMac installed?
-Do you have an antivirus app installed?
-Are the date & time correct on the iMac?
-Do you have the ability to try an Ethernet cable with the iMac?

C

 

[Elrich]

I'm having a problem similar to Andyowl90's, although the problem doesn't happen so frequently. It might happen once or twice an hour, or even less.

I have Open MacBooster 2 installed. Not sure if that qualifies as the kind of utility Cory mentions.

No antivirus app. Date and time are correct. There is an Ethernet port and I assume there would be no issues if I used that, but then nobody else in the house would have Internet access.

More detailed description of my problem:
I use my MacBook Pro regularly at three different locations. At two of the locations, I never have this problem. At the third location, I have it frequently, even though the router has been switched out twice and the provider at that location was recently changed.

I’ll be in the midst of using my Mac, and the pie-wedge wifi symbol at the top of the screen will remain black, but I’ll lose Internet access. The icons for Skype, Dropbox, and GoogleDrive will go gray. Usually (but not always) I can reestablish contact by turning wifi off and then turning it on again. But this is really annoying when I’m using Skype — which is often, because I teach English to ten private students on Skype, and also frequently record Skype conversations for podcasts.

Since it doesn’t happen elsewhere, the problem is not the computer. But clearly also not the router or the internet provider. Which, as far as I can tell, only leaves some kind of interference. But how can I identify that interference and prevent it from causing this problem? Or, could it be some other cause?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

-Which version of OS X?
-Is it IObit MacBooster 2, or the latest version 4?
-At the location that the issue occurs - what is the brand/model of the router and the ISP?

Yes, that would probably be on my naughty list.

It could still be the router/Internet connection, or interference at that location. Since it doesn't happen elsewhere, that would be what I would focus on. It could also be the type of network security they are running - WEP vs WPA for example.

C

 

[Elrich]

It's Mac OS X 10.11.6 and MacBooster 2 -- 2.1.6

MacBooster is very crashy - I can't even get it to open right now -- I might as well uninstall it. But actually, the wifi problem predates my installing MacBooster, so I don't think it's related to this problem.

As I said, we've CHANGED routers twice and ISPs once, and it's made no difference. I'm in Japan -- current ISP is SoftBank (cable internet). I'm not sure which of these two devices is the router. But since the problem existed with the past two routers, I don't think that's the right tree to bark up.

 

[Elrich]

I should add that changing ISPs seems to have made the problem WORSE. Yesterday and today it's going through periods where it disconnects repeatedly, like every 10 or 15 minutes. Other times, it stays connected.

 

[Cory Cooper]

It really sounds like an issue in that particular location, since it seems to be fine elsewhere.

Since the router, modem, or both have been changed, maybe there is a bad Ethernet/coaxial cable, or some kind of interference in the area? Types of Wi-Fi interference are: cordless phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, etc. Depending on the layout of the actual location, it could be from an adjacent room or neighbor as well.

It may be a good test to uninstall MacBooster to see if that helps the issue.

Also, since the Wi-Fi icon seems to stay at full strength (black), and you are losing Internet, then it is definitely connectivity somewhere before the Wi-Fi router - i.e. the modem, the line from the ISP, etc. If it happens at the same times of the day, then it could be a usage pattern issue in the general vicinity, and would probably affect others with the same cable line feed.

Hope that helps,

C

 

[Elrich]

I found out that, contrary to what I had thought, others at that location ARE experiencing the same problem.

I think that the cable between the router and the wall has been the same one all along, so that could be the issue. As for interference, it doesn't seem to line up with the microwave oven usage at that location, so IF that's the issue, it's probably coming from elsewhere in the neighborhood.

Thanks. I'll keep in mind to post here once we identify the issue.

 

[Elrich]

The problem is still not solved. I've been too busy to try to figure it out, but since I currently have a bit more free time, I'm trying to take advantage of that to solve the issue.
I tried calling the internet provider. Given that I'm in Japan, it's more difficult because my Japanese isn't up to the level it would need to be. The woman I talked to kept talking too fast, and even when I got her to slow down, I didn't understand some of what she said.
Since the problem is not with with the router they provided, replacing it probably won't do much good. They didn't seem to have any other options, although they did point out that one part of the setup was missing. I discovered that this "Fiber Optic Telephone Home Gateway" had been lying around the house for several months and nobody told me. Now I'm trying to figure out how to connect it (it has a LAN port for computer, so I'm thinking I could just connect my computer that way and get around the wifi issue), but I'm baffled because the instructions don't show what the whole setup should look like, just what plugs into the device, but I'm not clear on what's supposed to be on the other end of those cables!
The current setup
https://www.dropbox.com/s/9a7tsltkd2jtf1g/2017-03-07 16.04.31.jpg?dl=0
The white device is the router; I don't understand what the black one is. It has a white cable coming out of the right side that goes to the wall (I mean the rounded one, not the flat cable)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/kzemn0h60p8cn0m/2017-03-07 16.20.58.jpg?dl=0

The device that hasn't been set up
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0qlzp3b0qe5g1ib/2017-03-07 16.04.49.jpg?dl=0

I thought the woman on the phone said that this device needs to somehow be set up BETWEEN these two devices. But I don't understand why things seem to be working mostly OK without it.

The diagram
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oafglpydzrb8vzf/2017-03-07 16.14.11.jpg?dl=0

 

[Elrich]

I talked to them again and found out that we should be using EITHER the new device OR the white router. My tech-illiterate housemate seems to have doubled up contracts. Anyway, I found that I can get internet by connecting my Mac to the white router with a LAN cable, so let's see if the connection problem is solved.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

It looks like the black box could be a cable modem, and the white box could be a router or a combination router/digital telephone modem. The white "round" cable is the coaxial connection from the ISP. The flat cables are Ethernet cables. If they sent you the third box, which looks like a router/telephone modem, and they suggested you use it, I would probably replace both the white box with it. But, don't until we figure out what is what.

If you could upload photos of the sections all three boxes where the ports and their labels are, as well as their model numbers, we may be able to determine what they are, which to use, and how to connect them.

C