MBP wifi drops; all other devices ok

2012 MBP Retina, OS 10.9.5

How can I tell if my wifi card is having problems? My MBP seems to be the only device in the household suffering from wifi problems. I run a Terminal prompt and ping the router continuously. Sometimes I will be in the middle of working and the connection to the router will just drop for no reason. My girlfriend's PC and my mobile phone will be working just fine. The MBP will be fine again after restarting, but it's pretty brutal to have to restart every time this goes down.

Things I have done:
Factory restarted the router
Installed all Mac software updates
Moved the router physically as close as I can to the MacBook.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Have you tried going through and using the Wireless Diagnostics???

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202663
https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18565?locale=en_US

After trying what member pm-r suggested, why don't you take your MBP somewhere that has free WiFi access (maybe a Starbucks or Panera, etc) and see how it behaves from there. That should give you some idea if it's your home equipment (router, modem) or the MBP itself that has the problem.

Just how old is this MBP and in what condition. Has it had any repairs lately? The reason I ask is because the WiFi receiver in in the lid and mechanical damage to that area, repairs carried out for other reasons can damage the connection.

Also any chance you have a phone, in particular a hands free model, on your desk or nearby which can cause interference? If your router is by chance 2.4GHz, set up on the 5GHz channel if possible.

Hi all, thank you for the responses:

Yes, I have gone through wifi diagnostics many times. It tells me about possible crowded wifi channel but there's not much I can do since I am in a high-density high-rise apartment.

My router is unfortunately incapable of 5 GHz channel. I might buy a new one.

The machine is 3 years old but the case has never been opened for any reason. It is possible the wifi card is damaged, but I wouldn't know how.

Taking the machine to a public wifi is probably not practical because it doesn't drop all the time, maybe every 5-6 hours or so, just enough to be annoying when I am on a call.

Thanks!

Yes, I have gone through wifi diagnostics many times. It tells me about possible crowded wifi channel but there's not much I can do since I am in a high-density high-rise apartment.

My router is unfortunately incapable of 5 GHz channel. I might buy a new one.

Click to expand...

You answered your own question above. Living in a high rise apt building, you need a new router, one that has 5 GHz capability and a wider selection of channels to choose from. Keep in mind that the 5 GHz channel is pretty much line of sight which means your Mac will have to be in close proximity to the router.

There is also the simpler option of changing the channel on your router. Look up the directions on how to do this online, because the answer varies depending on your router model.