OS 10.5 - AirPort really weak since Leopard upgrade - Mac-Forums.com

toph314 · 11-06-2007, 04:42 PM

I've noticed a considerable drop off in my AirPort's signal strength since I upgraded to Leopard. Used to get full bars almost anywhere in the house. Now it's three bars at best even if I've sitting right next to router in office, and hardly connecting if I'm downstairs.

Is there something I can do to remedy this?

Del · 11-06-2007, 05:55 PM

I dont notice any drop off in signal, but ever since upgrading to leopard i cant download anything over a meg before the download stops.

C'mon Apple issue an update to fix this!

Kash · 11-06-2007, 06:14 PM

Did you guys do simple upgrades, Archive & Install, or Clean Install?

toph314 · 11-06-2007, 06:35 PM

I believe I did a Simple upgrade.

MACyMouse · 11-06-2007, 06:36 PM

Simple upgrade... no drop in signal at all.. using wireless Belkin Wireless router N... seems faster to me actually...

dtravis7 · 11-06-2007, 06:44 PM

I did a Simple Upgrade on my iMac G5 and iBook G4 just to see what would happen. Did an Archive and Install on Intel Mini. All work fine. On the Airport signal it actually seems better and stronger at a distance than with 10.4.10. It stays pegged all over the house now and even on the front porch. This is with the iBook G4 12" 1.33Ghz.

horkmaster · 11-08-2007, 09:59 PM

clean install:

network used to show 4 bars consistently. now shows 3 bars consistently. no change in routers and whatnot.

Wilcon · 11-08-2007, 10:04 PM

Weird. I have upgraded and am maxed out pretty much all the time. As someone else stated above I think it's actually faster.

Thundermoon1994 · 11-09-2007, 03:39 AM

I think the new AirPort software sucks. I did the archive and install, in case you're wondering. I want Internet Connect back!

karudzo · 11-09-2007, 07:24 AM

I highly doubt this is Leopard related, the wifi signal strength should have nothing to do with the changes made. Instead, it probably is a coincidence related to interference that started around the time that you upgraded.

MacHeadCase · 11-09-2007, 07:56 AM

*Moved thread to proper forum*

VTchemist · 11-10-2007, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by karudzo

I highly doubt this is Leopard related, the wifi signal strength should have nothing to do with the changes made. Instead, it probably is a coincidence related to interference that started around the time that you upgraded.

I have installed Leopard on several machines. Macs with Airport Extreme cards suffer no loss of signal. Macs with the older airport cards have a big loss of signal. Machines that had a 5 bars signal now have only 2 bars. (I've seen this on a MacBookG4 and an iMac).

But, the newer AirPort cards don't experience this (MacBookPro and iBook).

Leopard sure does look like the culprit.

Darcy Gaul · 11-11-2007, 12:23 PM

I too am having problems. I have updated three primarily wireless machines:

A year or so old MacBook, simple update, good signal strength, poor performance
A three year or so old iBook, simple update, good signal strength, poor performance
A 1 GHz TiBook (4/5 years old?), full clean install, very weak reception, lots of drops
All worked fine before the upgrade

Based on this, it seems that there is a clear correlation between Leopard on older machines and diminished wireless reception and between Leopard and reduced wireless performance.

I also found a maybe related issue by chance. In a web page for my ISP (Cox cable), they provide direct DNS addresses and suggest using these addresses to "Opt Out of Enhanced Error Results Page - Mac 10.5". After making this change (entering DNS addresses in Network Preferences Panel) I had no more problems with dropping/missing web sites. This did not affect wireless performance however.

nuttyfrancis · 03-13-2009, 02:58 AM

I recently upgraded my Powerbook TI G4 from 10.2 to leopard and my airport signal strength went from all five bars to a steady 2, 3 if I'm lucky. It has everything to do with the new operating system because I was sitting on the couch using my computer all morning with full strength, and then I upgraded and my signal strength went down. Super bummer.

dtravis7 · 03-13-2009, 03:53 AM

Your Old Ti Powerbook, I think that uses the older Airport card. I also on my old PowerMac G4 noticed a reduced amount of bars in the signal strength meter after 10.5. I used iStumbler though on both OS's and the actual signal seems just as strong, so what I figured was with the older Airport (Non Extreme) its just reporting it lower but the signal seems just as strong. My findings on 2 older Macs for what that is worth.