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Mac Os X Internet Disconnecting and reconnecting multiple times

4K views 9 replies 2 participants last post by  TheCyberMan 
#1 ·
Hi, I am having trouble with my internet, and it's a very bizarre situation and it's also hard to describe but I will try to do so as best as I can.

btw- I don't know all the correct technical terms, so I will try to describe them as best as I can.

My internet at home keeps disconnecting. It disconnects when I go upstairs (we have a small house), it disconnects when I'm more than 5 meters away. Sometimes when I'm right next to the modem it disconnects. But not only does it disconnect, it also ask me once again for my internet password (as it is protected with one).

Things I've noticed:
-This has been going on for some while (about a year ... I'm a really patient person). It does it with my and my brother's macbook Pro (Mac Os X 10.5.8) but it doesn't with my father's Toshiba
-We switched to bell's fibre optic, so the modem should be working fine
-my internet works beautifully when I'm at my grandmothers house (who also has the new Fibre optic) and works well at my school's university
-Once a few months ago I decided to do some searching and found out that my computer kept changing some kind of IP name or whatever (not sure exactly what) but it kept saying: "BELL_account_name_0 has disconnected so it reconnected to BELL_account_name_1", and then _2, _3 once I found it was up to _150 !!

I hope this helped, I am pretty handy with computers but I'm not used to Mac's settings. Everytime I try to do the Network Diagnostics sometimes it works first shot, sometimes I have to re run the same Diagnostics and it will work 20 tries later (like I said I am patient). But I know that Network Diagnostics is NOT THE ANSWER. It's just a temporary patch, I want to solve this problem completely so I won't have to deal with it in the future.

Please help me set up this network so that it works where I roam this house and I won't have to keep reusing network diagnostics.

Thanks
MAtt
 
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#2 ·
Hi and welcome to TSF,

Is this a wired or wireless connection?

I am not a mac user so unfamiliar with commands but i will try to help you with your issue you will have to bear with meas i try to unravel the commands and interpret data is that ok?

First i need you to open terminal i believe you can access it thru Applications>Utilities>Terminal and type:
ifconfig press enter and copy and paste results into your next reply.

Second can you download a program called kismac and install and run it and click on start scan when finished post a screenshot into your next reply.(if you have a wired connection you do not need to use kismac and can ignore this step).
 
#3 ·
Hey CyberMan thanks for replying to my message,



So this is what I get when I type ifconfig in the terminal:


Last login: Sun Mar 4 11:23:38 on ttys000
new-host-11:~ Mattszo$ ifconfig
lo0: flags=8049<UP,LOOPBACK,RUNNING,MULTICAST> mtu 16384
inet6 fe80::1%lo0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x1
inet 127.0.0.1 netmask 0xff000000
inet6 ::1 prefixlen 128
gif0: flags=8010<POINTOPOINT,MULTICAST> mtu 1280
stf0: flags=0<> mtu 1280
en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
inet6 fe80::226:4aff:fe12:3c9a%en0 prefixlen 64 scopeid 0x4
inet 192.168.2.30 netmask 0xffffff00 broadcast 192.168.2.255
ether 00:26:4a:12:3c:9a
media: autoselect (1000baseT <full-duplex,flow-control>) status: active
supported media: none autoselect 10baseT/UTP <half-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,flow-control> 10baseT/UTP <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 100baseTX <half-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex> 100baseTX <full-duplex,flow-control> 100baseTX <full-duplex,hw-loopback> 1000baseT <full-duplex> 1000baseT <full-duplex,flow-control> 1000baseT <full-duplex,hw-loopback>
fw0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 4078
lladdr 00:26:4a:ff:fe:12:3c:9a
media: autoselect <full-duplex> status: inactive
supported media: autoselect <full-duplex>
en1: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULTICAST> mtu 1500
ether 00:26:bb:03:91:a9
media: autoselect (<unknown type>) status: inactive
supported media: autoselect
new-host-11:~ Mattszo$






And for the KisMAC I tried to run the latest version (which apparently has fewer bugs) which is 0.3, but it's not compatible with Mac OS X 10.5, only for 10.6 and over, so I downloaded KisMAC 0.2.99 which apparently has a few bugs,
I took two shots, one which has three networks, mine is BELL484 (by the way you asked earlier if it's wireless, it is)
 

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#4 ·
Hi from terminal can you type:

netstat -nr | grep '^default'
Please post the output in your next reply.

Please type the following for your dns servers in terminal and post into next reply: cat /etc/resolv.conf

can you please uninstall kismac and install AirRadar link below: and post output into next reply it may be more accurate than kismac on signal strength.
 
#5 ·
Hi Cyberman,

my apologies for the late reply, I've been away from my Parents house, but now I'm here and will be available without delay to solve this problem (or as best as can)

Here is your first request:


Last login: Thu Mar 22 20:19:05 on ttys000
new-host-11:~ Mattszo$ netstat -nr | grep '^default'
default 192.168.2.1 UGSc 35 10 en0
new-host-11:~ Mattszo$

Here is your second:

new-host-11:~ Mattszo$ cat /etc/resolv.conf
domain home
nameserver 192.168.2.1
new-host-11:~ Mattszo$

And for your Third, I have downloaded the AirRadar 2.2.3 (I couldn't find the link you were talking about)

I have posted a picture of the Scan option On the top right
 

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#6 ·
Hi Matt No channel interference there the signal looks good is that when you are within 5 metres of the router?

Try re-running air radar when you are 5 metres or more away from router and post results please.

Since you are on fibre optic what is the router connected to is it an ONT box via a ethernet cable?

Can you also connect the problem computer to the router via an ethernet cable after doing the air radar test and see if internet connectivity is stable no disconnections.

Also are there any cordless phones, mobiless, microwaves, remote controls for model cars or baby monitors that are close to the router as these can interfere with the wireless signal?
 
#7 ·
The previous pictures were when I was within a meter of the router. I was also connected to the Ethernet cable.

My router is not connected to an ONT box. Bell installed it, and they connected the router directly to the phone line.

There is a wireless phone, about 2m away from the router, and a PS3 about 3-4m away from the router. But sometimes when I'm right next to the router, my Airport won't catch the signal immediately, or when I'm connected, it will disconnect for a short while.

Here are the pictures:

File5 is when I'm about 4.5m away, at the desk, it usually connects there but I have to put my laptop at the edge of the desk closest in direction to the router to stay connected

File6 is when I'm upstairs in my room (distance>5m) where is rarely stays connected. However, interesting to note that my Ipod touch has full signal there. If my mac is connected it won't keep that connection for long.

File7 was unusual. It happened when I was taking picture File6 in my room, I tried connecting to the internet, and that window popped up asking for the password. As you can see the connection timed out (after about 5 to 6 seconds). I say unusual because it doesn't ask me for the WPA password, usually I have to open my network settings and as it to connect me.
As a side note; remember when I said my internet kept changing IP or somekind of user name, it kept going up my increments of 1s, well it was in the same format of a window as this one.

File9 File10 File 11 were all taken within 5 second intervals of eachohter. This is when I'm right next to the router, connected via Ethernet, not via wireless. I noticed the signal strength went from 72%, to 40%, to 68%, and had I been able to upload another picture you would of seen it went back down to 33%, all within 30 seconds, and right next to the router.

I'm finding this connection more and more odd. Especially since I bought my Ipod last week, the Ipod touch connects to the router wherever I go, but not my laptop.

What do you make of it so far?
 

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#10 ·
1. Try deleting all your wireless profiles on the macbook and then try and connect to your router ssid again you will have to input your wireless network key again and save the profile when prompted.

Try moving either the coedless phone or router further away from each other to avoid interference.

Update the wireless card drivers for the macbook from the manufacutrer's website to the latest.

The router you are using is it a dual band router that means it operates on the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz spectrum?
 
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