Why, oh why hasn't El Capitan fixed Mac's most infamous WiFi issue after all these years!!!

[gwinndr]

After checking numerous forums I am amazed that so many people are having wifi problems which apple seems to be ignoring I have tried every tip and suggestion that I could find to fix this on my 5 month old 27" iMac, including a couple of Yosemite updates and installing El Capitan. It definitely is not a router problem as I have numerous other devices that never give this problem (iPad, android phone, wifi printer, Acer netbook running linux). As the problem only occurs after wake up from sleep, I finally got around to simply disabling "put hard disks to sleep when possible" and "wake for network access" in energy saver.
THIS HAS FIXED THE PROBLEM!

 

[dyn]

I suspect the above is why - Apple Airport network?

There have been many wifi setups where Apple Macs run fine and where non-Apple AP's are used. We're talking the major ones like Cisco, Meraki, HP, Aruba, Ubiquiti and so on. Yet there are also stories from people where Macs do have issues with networks with this hardware. It isn't just the brand, it's a range of things. It can be the model, it can be the firmware, it can be a setting, it can be a piece of software on your Mac, it can be interferences and the list goes on and on. The only thing you can do is start at the top of the list and check things off and even then you may end up not finding the cause or the solution.

Before you spend any money try some other things (upgrading firmware, some settings) first. If that doesn't help and you can afford it, why not buy an AP from Apple? They are good APs anyway and easy to set up.

 

[AtheistP3ace]

I have seen a lot of complaints about this but have never experienced it before. I did have lots of bluetooth mouse issues upon waking though in yosemite and a few in el cap but I think i figured out the order of steps to do things in so it never happens anymore. Always make sure I turn my magic mouse on and see green light come on before i open macbook.

 

[baby may]

Issue: WiFi does not auto-reconnect on wake.

I'm not sure whether it's a software or a hardware issue, but it has persisted on my 2014 and 2015 MBPs running Yosemite, and still does in El Capitan. Mind you, my mid-2011 MBA has no such issue. It auto-reconnects just fine. What gives?

I was really hoping that El Capitan would fix it, even though it's still in beta.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

Hi. yes i am STILL experiencing this and gutted the update didn't fix it. I have an old 2008 MBP which my daughter uses with no issues. Very disappointing for something that isn't cheap.

 

[throAU]

There have been many wifi setups where Apple Macs run fine and where non-Apple AP's are used. We're talking the major ones like Cisco, Meraki, HP, Aruba, Ubiquiti and so on. Yet there are also stories from people where Macs do have issues with networks with this hardware. It isn't just the brand, it's a range of things. It can be the model, it can be the firmware, it can be a setting, it can be a piece of software on your Mac, it can be interferences and the list goes on and on. The only thing you can do is start at the top of the list and check things off and even then you may end up not finding the cause or the solution.

Before you spend any money try some other things (upgrading firmware, some settings) first. If that doesn't help and you can afford it, why not buy an AP from Apple? They are good APs anyway and easy to set up.

I'm not saying non-apple AP will always fail, just that if it does, you get into the finger pointing game.

If you're connecting apple to apple, you call apple and it's their job to fix it - no hand-balling to someone else or telling you to upgrade your AP vendor for firmware update, etc.

 

[dyn]

If Apple is willing to go that far with support instead of giving up and simply replacing the product. Apple is consumer hardware, there is no such thing as a support contract of the level you speak of (sadly, would have been awesome if there were).

 

[throAU]

If Apple is willing to go that far with support instead of giving up and simply replacing the product. Apple is consumer hardware, there is no such thing as a support contract of the level you speak of (sadly, would have been awesome if there were).

Did i mention contract?

You get applecare. You get 30-90 day free tech support (either, i forget). You also get consumer warranty in some countries. If you are dealing with multiple vendors it is more difficult to pinpoint (or rather, prove to the support personnel) which company is at fault. If it is apple to apple that problem goes out the window.

 

[mattopotamus]

My problem is wifi speed issues. I get 500mbps on wifi with my phone sitting right next to my mac. The mac gets 30mbps and 50mbps if I turn my bluetooth off.

 

[RageDaddy]

I have a 27" iMac, MacBook Pro, 4 iPhones (wife, me and older kids), MacBook Air and Apple TV. No problems with wifi ever! Kids have also a ton of other wifi **** (PS4, 3 printers, wifi using TV's with netflix etc) in total of 13 apparatus that use my home network! Fairly new ZyXEL VMG3926-B10A router is working outstanding, my old telewell router did not, it just didn't have the power to run all these together!


I live in Finland and suburb, so i guess this has something to do with ISP and networks also, but i would blame router first and apple after that...

 

[alexwmccabe]

Issue: WiFi does not auto-reconnect on wake.

I'm not sure whether it's a software or a hardware issue, but it has persisted on my 2014 and 2015 MBPs running Yosemite, and still does in El Capitan. Mind you, my mid-2011 MBA has no such issue. It auto-reconnects just fine. What gives?

I was really hoping that El Capitan would fix it, even though it's still in beta.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I never had this issue UNTIL I install El Capitan Now after waking from sleep I have to cycle Wi-Fi off and on again.

 

[JDMinDM]

Issue: WiFi does not auto-reconnect on wake.

I'm not sure whether it's a software or a hardware issue, but it has persisted on my 2014 and 2015 MBPs running Yosemite, and still does in El Capitan. Mind you, my mid-2011 MBA has no such issue. It auto-reconnects just fine. What gives?

I was really hoping that El Capitan would fix it, even though it's still in beta.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

 

[JDMinDM]

MBP Retina13 2015 - using iCloud, ElCap
Yes, my problem is with Mail not staying connected so it seems related. After a period of time Mail loses connection with the iCloud server and I get errors if try and move or delete mail. Mail won't get new email either. I change WiFi to a new SSID or restart WiFi and everything clears up and works fine for 10-20 minutes.

 

[JDMinDM]

Sounds like a router configuration issue or an incompatibility problem perhaps. My wifi reconnects perfectly on all my devices.

My old iMac is fine with ElCrap but the new MBP doesn't work well on WiFi (2.4 or 5). Mail loses connection with iCloud all the time. Web access still works.

 

[JDMinDM]

There have been many wifi setups where Apple Macs run fine and where non-Apple AP's are used. We're talking the major ones like Cisco, Meraki, HP, Aruba, Ubiquiti and so on. Yet there are also stories from people where Macs do have issues with networks with this hardware. It isn't just the brand, it's a range of things. It can be the model, it can be the firmware, it can be a setting, it can be a piece of software on your Mac, it can be interferences and the list goes on and on. The only thing you can do is start at the top of the list and check things off and even then you may end up not finding the cause or the solution.

Before you spend any money try some other things (upgrading firmware, some settings) first. If that doesn't help and you can afford it, why not buy an AP from Apple? They are good APs anyway and easy to set up.

I did that and the problem persists with a new Airport Extreme.

 

[Scottenstein]

I am getting the exact same problem.

Last week I upgraded both my late 2011 MBP as well as my mid 2015 Retina MBP to El Capitan.

As soon as I did, I started to lose internet access (while connected to the router) 3-4 times/hr. This only happened on the 2015 MBP. The only solution is to turn off/on wi-fi connection manually.

The 2011 MBP, my iPhones (4s & 6), iPad, and Note4 have had no problems.

 

[dyn]

Did i mention contract?

You get applecare. You get 30-90 day free tech support (either, i forget). You also get consumer warranty in some countries.

That's what I said: all they'll do is exchange the product for a new one. That works nice if the device is actually broken but it is completely useless when it is not. One of the most common issues with wifi is an overcrowded 2.4GHz range. People also place the devices somewhere where the device is actually isolated and thus the reception will be very bad. Apple won't fix these things and exchanging the product will neither. The actual support you need is not something Apple will provide. The local IT shop might and in that case it really doesn't matter if you are using Apple + Apple or something else.

 

[throAU]

That's what I said: all they'll do is exchange the product for a new one. That works nice if the device is actually broken but it is completely useless when it is not. One of the most common issues with wifi is an overcrowded 2.4GHz range. People also place the devices somewhere where the device is actually isolated and thus the reception will be very bad. Apple won't fix these things and exchanging the product will neither. The actual support you need is not something Apple will provide. The local IT shop might and in that case it really doesn't matter if you are using Apple + Apple or something else.

And I'm saying that in the past 9 years across many apple devices to 2 airports i've never had any wifi issues other than with the Mavericks developer previews.

Yes, probably OS X is broken with third party APs occasionally. At the end of the day I'm not seeing the problems, and if it means buying Apple APs to have a hassle free decade of wireless then maybe that's worth it.

 

[dyn]

Or in other words, you are just being narcissistic thinking that you are the world...

There are many examples of Apple equipment not working properly for some as well as there are many examples of non-Apple equipment working just fine. I've seen too many wifi networks with many different clients and the main thing was that they all have the exact same issues. The only thing that differs are the details so yes, the devil really is in the details.

The reason why I said that Apple APs are good is just because they are just like many other brands but that doesn't mean that they are problem free. It is wifi, it'll never be problem free due to its nature. People to need accept that. Wireless is more aimed at convenience, not at speed and stability. If you want the latter two, use a cable.

 

[throAU]

Or in other words, you are just being narcissistic thinking that you are the world...

No, just demonstrating that apple to apple gear tends to work, and that if it doesn't you know who to blame and at least have a chance of getting it resolved.

For what its worth, i've been in the IT game in various capacities for the past 20 years, and was setting up point to point wireless links back in the mid 90s, and am currently employed as a network engineer, so i do have a handle on wired vs. wireless.

 

[dyn]

Too bad none of that shows in your replies. You seem to be lacking actual experience in support with both enterprise and consumer hardware. I've seen way too many people come to colleagues or me to get their wireless (or something else) sorted just because Apple (or the store where they bought it) don't or can't help them out. When looking on the forums here and elsewhere you'll see similar stories so we are not "special", "unique", just plain common. If you've got any experience with Apple's own support engineers (both on the phone and in the store) you know why they come to you. They might know the basics but anything beyond that and you are on your own. Wifi is one piece of tech that can go beyond basics rather quickly.

Consumer laws also work differently. The EU for example, has one that simply says you are entitled to get a fully working product and it is the seller who has to provide it to you. If it doesn't work then it is their problem. Usually they do the same as Apple will do: exchange the product until even though deem it useless, then you get your money back. Did that solve the problem? No, your wifi still doesn't work. It is not an IT specialist you hire and pay per hour. That's where businesses and consumers differ greatly.

 

[Scottenstein]

It's Adobe Creative Cloud Desktop app - at least it was in my case.

1. Uninstall it via adobe's uninstaller (https://helpx.adobe.com/creative-cloud/help/uninstall-creative-cloud-desktop-app.html)

2. Restart in safe mode and use the activity monitor to make sure that nothing adobe related is running.

3. Restart normally. Before you do anything else, check the activity monitor again to make sure Adobe isn't doing anything.

Good Luck.

 

[sofian.h]

Issue: WiFi does not auto-reconnect on wake.

I'm not sure whether it's a software or a hardware issue, but it has persisted on my 2014 and 2015 MBPs running Yosemite, and still does in El Capitan. Mind you, my mid-2011 MBA has no such issue. It auto-reconnects just fine. What gives?

I was really hoping that El Capitan would fix it, even though it's still in beta.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I had the same issue on 2012 MBP, when upgrading from Yosemite to El Capitan. My wifi did not automatically reconnect after waking up from sleep, and when connecting manually, it always says

Keychain "System" cannot be found to store {SSID_NAME}

"Reset to defaults" option asked for admin password, but the login dialog box did not even let me enter it.

I got it fixed by doing the following:
1. From the Terminal:
cd /System/Library/Keychains/
2. Look for a folder that looks like a GUID, e.g. EAB60007-0888-5D0A-9F42-20292541BEEF
3. From the terminal:
mv EAB60007-0888-5D0A-9F42-20292541BEEF ~/Desktop
4. Restart the computer

 

[ABC5S]

1. Airport Extreme ( newest version )

2. Using 5 Ghz

3. Using fastest DNS server

4. Using My City for Location in System Preference > Network

5. Updated software

6. WiFi located near ceiling to cover enter Living/Family room

7. Haven't messed with the router one bit like some do.

Not one issue or hang up, not one for Yosemite or El Capitan

Why can't you get a good connection or such. Don't know, but if I have had a good reception and connection, so should you. Its user error or equipment, not the OS in my opinion.

 

[foobird]

Issue: WiFi does not auto-reconnect on wake.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

Yes! I have done all the recommended things I could find.
I turned off Bluetooth - it helped for a day
I removed all the wifi settings to the desktop and rebooted - helped for a day or so
Killed discoveryd (wasn't running)
Changed the wifi settings to custom MTU, changed DNS server to google
Upgraded to El Capitan - worked for a day or so, now the wifi problem is back worse than ever.

Seems like as soon as we lost Steve Jobs, Apple product quality went straight into the toilet.



Note that none of my windows machines in my house have any problem with wifi at all. So I know it's not the router, it's the mac. Happens with any wifi - at home or at work.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I cant even turn my wifi on. El Capitan wont let me.