Macbook Air WiFi Issues

[kochofski]

I got a new MacBook Air just a few months ago and a few days ago it already started to give me problems.
So I'm just surfing the web, when suddenly the internet connection breaks off. I deactivate WiFi, then activate it again and reload the page and all works just fine again for a couple of minutes until the internet connection breaks off again and I need to do the same thing again. It's extremely annoying.
I've already tried all the steps listed in the Troubleshooting Guide below but all it's done is it's prolonged the time period until my internet connection breaks off again.

http://osxdaily.com/2014/10/25/fix-wi-fi-problems-os-x-yosemite/

Gracefully awaiting helpful responses... Thanks!

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Those are good steps to take. Apple actually patched Yosemite in the 10.10.4 update to replace discoveryd with the older and more stable mDNSResponder for networking to correct this issue. Make sure you are updated to 10.10.4.

Arrange the preferred networks to have your home Wi-Fi network on top in the list, and try setting IPv6 to Link-local only mode to see if that helps the situation. Also, use the Set Service Order to put Wi-Fi on top. For some reason, Apple puts Bluetooth DUN as the first network service, which can also cause the issue you are experiencing.

Let us know if that helps,

C

 

[honestone]

Regarding the OS 10.10.4 update, it would be best if you get the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater. You can get it from here:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1820?locale=en_US

 

[honestone]

I would like to mention something that was stated in the link you provided. One of the things it said that seemed to alleviate the issues discussed in that link, along with the OS 10.10.4 update installing mDNSResponder, was to do a clean installation of Yosemite (OS 10.10). When Yosemite first arrived, I just updated from Mavericks (OS 10.9.5) to Yosemite, and have been updating Yosemite ever since (now on OS 10.10.4). Somewhat recently, I got a virus attack, having to do with Bit Coin (never used that "service"), along with memory usage issues. I tried a few "fixes", one of them being Erasing, Formatting, and Partitioning my SSD, and then doing a recovery from the most recent SuperDuper! backup I had. Unfortunately, that was only a temporary fix, as the problem came back again. (One other thing I want to mention that there is a possibility the issue had to do with the version of Google Chrome I was using at the time, but that is only conjecture).

So, what I did after doing a SuperDuper! backup was to use Disk Utility from that backup and Erase, Format, and Partition the 256 gig SSD inside each of my machines. Next, I did a fresh installation of Yosemite, OS 10.10, and then applied the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater I referenced above. Finally, I used Migration Assistant to "migrate" (copy) all the non-system files, folders, etc. from that SuperDuper! backup to the SSD. Even since I did that, I have not had any virus- or memory-related issues. And, I did this on both of my Macs.

While I never had the network issues others have had, I am still thinking that going forward (and specifically when OS 10.11, El Capitan, arrives soon), that I will follow that same procedure. That is, 1) take a SuperDuper! backup, 2) use Disk Utility to Erase, Format, and Partition my internal SSD, 3) do a fresh installation of OS 10.11, and 4) use Migration Assistant to recover everything else. I of course cannot guarantee that it will resolve your issue, but it might be worth a try. (Also, OS 10.10.5 is slated to arrive soon).

So, hopefully you are making backups of your "stuff". If you are using Time Machine to do that, to follow a similar procedure as mine, you would need to start from the (invisible) Recovery Partition, launch Disk Utility from there, and then proceed doing the same steps I went through. When you finally use Migration Assistant, of course, you will be retrieving all the non-system stuff from the Time Machine backup(s). But, that's fine. Myself, I just prefer to boot from the SuperDuper! backup.

 

[kochofski]

Hello and welcome.

Those are good steps to take. Apple actually patched Yosemite in the 10.10.4 update to replace discoveryd with the older and more stable mDNSResponder for networking to correct this issue. Make sure you are updated to 10.10.4.

Arrange the preferred networks to have your home Wi-Fi network on top in the list, and try setting IPv6 to Link-local only mode to see if that helps the situation. Also, use the Set Service Order to put Wi-Fi on top. For some reason, Apple puts Bluetooth DUN as the first network service, which can also cause the issue you are experiencing.

Let us know if that helps,

C

Thanks for your reply.
I've updated from 10.10.3 to 10.10.4 and thought that would do the trick, but it didn't. I then put WiFi on top of SSO, but it didn't help either. My network already is on top of the list, but I didn't know how to do that IPv6 thing.

 

[Cory Cooper]

To change the IPv6 setting:

1, Network preference pane
2. Click on Wi-Fi
3. Click Advanced...
4. Click TCP/IP
5. In Configure IPv6 click on Automatic and select Link-local only in drop-down menu
6. Click OK
7. Click Apply

If that doesn't help, there are basically two more options - change the Wi-Fi channel on your router or perform a reinstall of Yosemite over the top of your current installation. You may be getting interference, which would cause connection issues, and changing the channel would help that.

C

 

[kochofski]

None of all this has worked. Might as well git dis friggin' bastard to the fruit shop.
Thanks a lot for trying to help anyways!

 

[honestone]

Did you try the OS 10.10.4 Combo Updater, mentioned above? You can apply it, even though you are on 10.10.4. Also, what about backups, and trying the fresh Yosemite Installation approach? Seems like you are giving up too soon.