MPB + Wireless 108M == Kernel Panic

[dsavage]

OK, It seems the Macbook Pro has a problem dealing with wireless running
at 108Mhz.

Background:
Recently, my wife began experiencing Kernel Panics on her MBP. Suspecting
hardware issues, we took it to the Apple Store for repair. 3 Trips and
multiple parts replaced, Apple replaced the entire unit.

When we got home... Boom .... kernel panic.

At that point, I figured it could not be hardware!! I had now seen the kernel
panic issues with 4 different MacBooks:

1) Original MBP with 2.0G CPU
2) Original 2.0G with "fixed" (latest rev) motherboard
3) New 2.16G MBP
4) Sons 2.16G MBP​

All 4 units experienced random Kernel Panics all listing the same basic
traceback related to:

com.apple.driver.AirPortAtheros5424
com.apple.iokit.IONetworkingFamily
com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily
com.apple.iokit.IO80211Family
​

Figuring wireless was at fault, I went though the process of elimination:

Downgrading from 2.0 to 1.0 software on the router : no change
Trying WPA and not WPA2 : no change
Trying WEP : no change
Disabling the extend range mode : no change
Setting the router to b/g mode only : helped​

After that the MBP went from crashing ever hour to so, to crashing once or
twice a day. Thinking the 108 had something to do with it, I shut off my my
second wireless access point (used for the work access). Both my wife's and
son's MBP has now been running with no fault for days.

Conclusion:
If the MPB is associated to a device running 108 - it crashes very
frequently (time is random from 15 mins, to 2 hours). However, what's real
interesting to me is the MBP does not actually have to be associated, just
doing wireless in the presents of a wireless router operating at the 108
speed for it to crash the MBP.

Also, note I have *NOT* seen these issues with the Powerbook Pro at all.

Other comments, both Wireless Routers in operation are Netgear WPN802. This weekend I will likely change back to WPA2 and upgrade the firmware to 2.x to be sure those are not related...

 

[benthewraith]

<snipped>

Well, if you suspect that it's the pre-N stuff that's causing the crashes, why don't you set your router on 54Mbps only.

 

[dsavage]

Well, if you suspect that it's the pre-N stuff that's causing the crashes, why don't you set your router on 54Mbps only.

I did....

Setting the router to b/g mode only : helped​

But the remaining concern is:

However, what's real
interesting to me is the MBP does not actually have to be associated, just
doing wireless in the presents of a wireless router operating at the 108
speed for it to crash the MBP.​

So if i am in at a hot spot running 108 - i cant control that....

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I will just comment that I ran my MacBook Pro (week 8, from the first batch,) on a client's Pre-N Netgear router just fine for over two hours with no problems.

 

[benthewraith]

I did....

Setting the router to b/g mode only : helped​

But the remaining concern is:

However, what's real
interesting to me is the MBP does not actually have to be associated, just
doing wireless in the presents of a wireless router operating at the 108
speed for it to crash the MBP.​

So if i am in at a hot spot running 108 - i cant control that....

I don't think you'll have to worry about 108Mbps hotspots anytime soon, at least until the standard is released.

Routers are funky things, I would see if it acts like that on other 108Mbps routers from Netgear, of course, it's Netgear so...

Also, N hasn't been finalized, and there are several competing technologies, so it may just be a conflict with that.