WIFI randomly disconnects

[Mannheim62]

I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro (Retina 13 inch) running Big Sur 11.2.1. Yesterday I noticed that my wifi connection was disconnected and I know I didn't disconnect it. I opened System Preferences -> Network and reconnected to my home wifi. While in the Network preferences I noticed that the wifi disconnected again. Has anyone else had this problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[MacInWin]

@Mannheim62, Mike, when things change normally something changed to make the change. WiFi operates in a frequency band shared with a lot of devices and protocols--bluetooth, wireless landline phones, remote controls (garage door openers, for example), home automation, etc. All of those devices can set up interference patterns where signals cancel out, leading to dropouts. Moving around, we pass through those dead spots so fast that we don't notice them, but with our computers, we tend not to move them and if a dead spot develops because of a new device, the wifi drops out and won't stay connected. So, have you added or removed anything lately? Have you tried a slightly different location with the Mac to see if it stays connected? How far is it to the Wifi and how many walls/surfaces does the signal have to traverse? Each wall will attenuate the signal and shorten the range, so even moving furniture can cause a signal to loose strength. I remember moving an entertainment center from one wall to another and my wife's wifi signal crashed because of just the piece of furniture being added to the path. Had to find a way to get the signal to improve in her office to make her happy again.

 

[Mannheim62]

Jake, thanks for replying. To answer your questions promptly, I'll list them.
1. No, I have not added or removed anything lately.
2. Yes, I have tried multiple locations all with a direct line of sight to the router (no obstructions, walls etc.)
3.The furthest away is approximately 25 feet.
All other wifi devices work fine. It just seems to be this laptop. That being said, I've been using it most of the day and it's only disconnected one time and that was this morning. As I stated in my OP, it's random.
Mike

 

[MacInWin]

Ok, once could be a problem from a neighbor, or some intermittent signal that caused it. If it gets more regular, let us know and we can see what else to suggest.

 

[Mannheim62]

Thank you Jake, much appreciated.

Mike

 

[krs]

I would suggest to take a look at Wireless Diagnostics>Window>Performance
and take a look at the S/N ratio-Apple calls it "Quality"
That should tell you if the problem is caused by interference - it will also tell you the signal strength at the Mac
And another parameter in Wireless Diagnostics will show other devices and their frequeny band, channel and signal level.

 

[Mannheim62]

Thank you for the recommendation; I'll check it out.

 

[davefor]

Ensure that all updates etc are complete on the machine. However, definitely ensure that the firmware on your home router is up to date! Had a similar issue at the in-laws house few years back. iPhones kept disconnecting.

Turns out there was a firmware bug 'more than four apple devices causes disconnects'. Sometimes it can be something like that. See if you can update the FW.

You may also wish to consider changing the router channel if using 2.4GHz. 1/6/11 are the non-overlapping channels. From experience mainstream ISP routers tend to use 1/6 most often. Try 11.

 

[Mannheim62]

Thanks for replying. I did in fact have a firmware update which fixed the issue. I had to access my router to manually check for the update. I don't know why I wasn't notified of an update as I have been in the past. But the issue has been resolved. Thanks again.

 

[davefor]

Thanks for replying. I did in fact have a firmware update which fixed the issue. I had to access my router to manually check for the update. I don't know why I wasn't notified of an update as I have been in the past. But the issue has been resolved. Thanks again.

That's great news. Happy to help!