What is better wifi-to-ethernet adapter or external USB wifi antenna?

[klusmanp]

Hello I share wifi with my neighbors, and after several years of good operation the wifi connection lately drops out (2007 Macbook Pro, El Capitan). The wifi icon shows still connected with full signal strength but all web pages stop working for Chrome/Firefox and often display “no internet connection”. The only way I can get it back is a complete reboot. I have tried all sorts of remedies to improve the wifi with no luck. This is a known persistent problem with El Capitan for low signal strength and unfortunately no further OS upgrades exist for my machine. At this point I’m ready to just abandon the built-in wifi and go with an external solution. It is worth noting that the wifi is 100% stable if I connect to wifi hotspot on my phone sitting right next to the laptop.

Question: What is the better an external wifi-to-ethernet adapter or a simple USB (2.0) external wifi antenna? I’m not looking for blazing fast speed but more reliability. Thanks in advance.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

You don't want a WiFi to Ethernet, but rather a WiFi dongle that might or might not come with an antenna.

Search for "Mac WiFi dongle" in your favorite search engine and start exploring.

Here's one link to start you out with.

Best WiFi Adapters For MacBook Pro & Air in 2021

Since repairing MacBooks are quite costly. So the question is, what are the best wifi adapters for Macbook available out there?

macbrane.com

 

[pigoo3]

If you share WiFi with your neighbors...is the WiFi Router in your house/apartment/condo...or in your neighbors home?

If in your neighbors home...have they moved the router (possibly further from your place...or behind additional walls)...making WiFi reception harder/weaker for you?

Nick

p.s. Since you mentioned everything is stable with your MacBook when using your cellphone as a hotspot...this leads me to believe maybe something is up with the WiFi router.

 

[RadDave]

If you share WiFi with your neighbors...is the WiFi Router in your house/apartment/condo...or in your neighbors home?

If in your neighbors home...have they moved the router (possibly further from your place...or behind additional walls)...making WiFi reception harder/weaker for you?

Nick

p.s. Since you mentioned everything is stable with your MacBook when using your cellphone as a hotspot...this leads me to believe maybe something is up with the WiFi router.

Hello Klusmanp - I'd have to agree w/ Nick, since your 'obsolete' computer (sorry, but Apple's definition) attaches 'normally' to your phone's hotspot, the Wi-Fi radio in the laptop is likely still functional (of course easy to check by taking it to a Wi-Fi available business like a coffee shop etc.). Please provide more information on the router you have sharing with your neighbors, e.g. where is the router located, has it been moved, is it a different/new device, what GHz signals are being broadcast, i.e. 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz?

As an example, I've used an app for years called WiFi Explorer which analyzes my router's output and all of my near neighbors. Below is a fuzzy screen capture with my 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz outputs (I'm a room away and signal strength are 75% & 69% respectively - my computer is using the 5 GHz band because the maximum transmit rate is much higher). Now if you could obtain a similar app that would work with your old software, then the Wi-Fi reception of your laptop could be tested, plus you could carry it to different places in your locale and hopefully closer to your Wi-Fi source.

Bottom line is to first make sure your computer's Wi-Fi radio is working, then try to figure out whether the router may be the issue; also check during the day and night to see if the Wi-Fi signal 'goes out' at different times, e.g. when people return from work or kids from school - you are sharing the router's output and the more individuals/devices on the system may cause a bottleneck. Good luck - Dave
.

 

[klusmanp]

You don't want a WiFi to Ethernet, but rather a WiFi dongle that might or might not come with an antenna.

Search for "Mac WiFi dongle" in your favorite search engine and start exploring.

Here's one link to start you out with.

Best WiFi Adapters For MacBook Pro & Air in 2021

Since repairing MacBooks are quite costly. So the question is, what are the best wifi adapters for Macbook available out there?

macbrane.com

Thank you I'll check this out.
Cheers!

 

[klusmanp]

If you share WiFi with your neighbors...is the WiFi Router in your house/apartment/condo...or in your neighbors home?

If in your neighbors home...have they moved the router (possibly further from your place...or behind additional walls)...making WiFi reception harder/weaker for you?

Nick

p.s. Since you mentioned everything is stable with your MacBook when using your cellphone as a hotspot...this leads me to believe maybe something is up with the WiFi router.

I don't believe anything has changed with the neighbor's WiFi router location but I'll double check. My Android phone also connects to the neighbor's WiFi and I don't see any change in the behavior of the phone but perhaps the Andoid WiFi utility is just more robust than El Capitan on my Mac laptop.

 

[klusmanp]

Hello Klusmanp - I'd have to agree w/ Nick, since your 'obsolete' computer (sorry, but Apple's definition) attaches 'normally' to your phone's hotspot, the Wi-Fi radio in the laptop is likely still functional (of course easy to check by taking it to a Wi-Fi available business like a coffee shop etc.). Please provide more information on the router you have sharing with your neighbors, e.g. where is the router located, has it been moved, is it a different/new device, what GHz signals are being broadcast, i.e. 2.4 GHz and/or 5 GHz?

As an example, I've used an app for years called WiFi Explorer which analyzes my router's output and all of my near neighbors. Below is a fuzzy screen capture with my 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz outputs (I'm a room away and signal strength are 75% & 69% respectively - my computer is using the 5 GHz band because the maximum transmit rate is much higher). Now if you could obtain a similar app that would work with your old software, then the Wi-Fi reception of your laptop could be tested, plus you could carry it to different places in your locale and hopefully closer to your Wi-Fi source.

Bottom line is to first make sure your computer's Wi-Fi radio is working, then try to figure out whether the router may be the issue; also check during the day and night to see if the Wi-Fi signal 'goes out' at different times, e.g. when people return from work or kids from school - you are sharing the router's output and the more individuals/devices on the system may cause a bottleneck. Good luck - Dave
.

View attachment 39029

That's an excellent utility I'll see if I can find one for my older machine. Something I think I'll do in the meantime is just carry my laptop over to my neighbor's house and see how it behaves so much closer to the WiFi router. We hang out regularly so I should have more info to report in the following days. Thanks so much for your help.

 

[pigoo3]

...in the meantime is just carry my laptop over to my neighbor's house and see how it behaves so much closer to the WiFi router.

Excellent idea. This should provide some helpful info!

Nick

 

[RadDave]

That's an excellent utility I'll see if I can find one for my older machine. Something I think I'll do in the meantime is just carry my laptop over to my neighbor's house and see how it behaves so much closer to the WiFi router. We hang out regularly so I should have more info to report in the following days. Thanks so much for your help.

Just wanted to add some potential additional steps that might be of use? If others are having connection issues, you might want to reboot the router (and the modem if a separate device) - more info HERE - don't know how many 'family units' attach to the router but there are likely hundreds of devices/services/etc. being assigned internal private IP addresses and occasionally mis-assignment can occur which is sorted out with a reboot (NOT a reset - see link).

Of course, another option is to add a Wi-Fi extender or booster between your place and the router - check HERE for just one of many hits in a google search. Finally, if there are more individuals now using the router, a new one may be a consideration (even mesh routing) - sorry if the person 'controlling' the router already reboots on a schedule and has a new router - don't know what the equipment may be? Good luck and keep us posted. Dave

 

[klusmanp]

...don't know how many 'family units' attach to the router but there are likely hundreds of devices/services/etc. being assigned internal private IP addresses and occasionally mis-assignment can occur which is sorted out with a reboot (NOT a reset - see link).

Between me and the neighbors only three individuals so I’m guessing 9-10 devices total are on the WiFi. I will ask neighbors if they ever reboot their system. Otherwise a google search brings up lots of discussion about WiFi issues with El Capitan including folks who have their machine located much closer to their own router. I feel like it’s just an issue with my laptop and unfortunately yes, it’s an ancient machine as far as Apple is concerned.

Here is one other thought: seems like the disconnect got worse right about the time one of the hinges on my laptop screen broke. The hinge is still partially intact and I can open/close the screen but I need to carefully “maneuver” the screen about the pivot point of the broken hinge and support it with some clamping pressure with my fingers. This is probably a long shot but I wonder if I’ve lost some grounding to the WiFi antenna in the screen. I hesitate to split open the screen for a repair as the screen itself works fine and I just leave the screen open all the time now sitting on my desk. I’ve opened up the body quite a few times to swap an SSD and repair a fan but splitting the screen just feels like more potential for damage.

Thank you everyone for your excellent input much appreciated.

 

[pigoo3]

Otherwise a google search brings up lots of discussion about WiFi issues with El Capitan...

Problem with Google searches is...with probably billions of humans using the internet...you can find a "lot of discussions" on just about every topic out there. Can probably look up "WiFi problems with macOS xyz"...and find "lots of discussions" on probably every macOS released since WiFi "became a thing". Lol

The key to "teasing out" differences in all of these discussions...do any of those discussions contain solutions? If not...possibly none of the discussions apply to your situation.

I've used many older Mac's with El Capitan installed for years...and never had WiFi problems.

Here is one other thought: seems like the disconnect got worse right about the time one of the hinges on my laptop screen broke. The hinge is still partially intact and I can open/close the screen but I need to carefully “maneuver” the screen about the pivot point of the broken hinge and support it with some clamping pressure with my fingers. This is probably a long shot but I wonder if I’ve lost some grounding to the WiFi antenna in the screen.

Mentioning this info in post #1 might have been critical. Possible that your successful WiFi experience when using your cellphone as a hot spot is due to the fact that your cellphone is very near the computer.

But when accessing WiFi signal from a router in your neighbor's home (farther away & multiple walls/floors in between)...WiFi signal is certainly weaker...and this possible damage issue could be impacting things.

I resisted the urge to mention this earlier...but now that display hinge damage has been mentioned (and possibly WiFi issues related to this damage)...I think it's probably time for a new computer. A 2007 MacBook Pro with damage...is probably worth less than $50 (certainly more valuable to someone as a parts computer).

A 2007 MacBook Pro is seriously outdated in all measures possible. A new "el cheapo" 250GB SSD goes for around $50 bucks (for relative value measurement).

Trust me...I'm a big fan of purchasing used equipment...and using it well after anyone else would.

On a daily basis I use the following:

* 2011 MacBook Air
* 2012 Mac-Mini
* 2012 Mac Pro
* 2013 Mac Pro
* 2017 MacBook Pro

Don't know what your budget is like or where you are located exactly...but in the States an Apple portable computer from 2011 could be found for $100-$125...2015 model for around $250.

Right now on my local Craig's List there's a 15" 2015 MacBook Pro for $230...that I was very tempted to snap up.

I vote for a "new to you" computer...and put this 2007 MacBook Pro "out to pasture".

Nick

 

[RadDave]

Well, I had the below composed and wondered from the start why not a 'newer' computer (even one 10 years old as Nick suggested) - but a lot of options, those suggested already and the ones below.

Hi again Klusmanp - well, not sure what your budget may be but have you considered a newer computer (even a used one that may be 5 or so years old)? If a possibility and on a 'tight' budget, Apple has refurbished machines that come with a warranty (check HERE); also OWC (Other World Computing) have 'used' Macs with warranty options. Dave
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