Airport Acting Up.

Hey guys,

My mbp just turned 4 years old this summer. It's a 15" with a 2.0ghz processor. Not sure what generation that is.. Anyways this past semester I started having problems in my dorm room with the airport express. Internet would stay connected with the express but I couldn't load a page, even if I was directly over the top of the express. Roommates macbook worked perfect.

Anyways.. since then I've installed a new hard drive and reformatted it because the os took a poop. After I reformatted my mbp started acting up again. I'm at home for the summer and we have a Linksys router here, currently not using the AE. But now instead of being connected with the wireless network, it won't connect. I can be right next to the router and my mbp won't connect. I've had other people over with different kinds of macs.. they can connect fine. Obviously the problem is with my mbp.

Wireless card shot? Any other ideas? Kinda clueless here. Thanks much in advance.

Josh

It does sound like the wireless card may be faulty. When you open your System Profiler does the wireless card show up at all? (Click on Network, then on Airport) You can also use your install DVD to run the Apple Hardware Test to see if the card is OK or not. LINK

If you would like to purchase a new card, they're not expensive. Go to this web site, look up the part, and order from them: iFixit: The free repair manual and while you're there, download the instructions for changing it out.

Regards.

Alrighty. I did the hardware test and no problems were found, along with the extended hardware test also.. again nothing. The wireless card also shows up in System Profiler. My mbp did also connect to the network but once I move out of the room with the router, it drops the connection.

If I have snow leopard on my mac do I need to use the hardware test from that disc.. don't think so, but maybe?

Any other suggestions?

By the way.. great site.

The hardware test from Disk is best to use because the system is booted from it which means no interference from OS X or applications.

Anyway, the Apple hardware test is not perfect. If the airport card is intermittent or just plain flaky, the AHT will not spot a problem that comes and goes. It's up to you to decided what to do at this point. Swapping out the airport card for a new one may or may not resolve the problem and it's not exactly an easy swap to do.

Regards.

Well it doesn't seem to be a hard install.. it's right next to the hd. I just don't really wanna spend 90 dollars if it's not going to fix the problem.

Anyone else have any insight?

Alright.. found it for a lot cheaper than the 90 dollars ifixit.com wanted for it.

This looks to be the same thing, correct?

MacBook 802.11n Airport Extreme Card - iFixit

Original Apple MacBook A1181 Wireless Card BCM94321MC Tested(Refurbished)

Little help here?