Wi Fi Connection drops continually

[motherbarbara]

This imac connects to our in-home network and establishes its TCP/IP info. The connection holds for not quite 1 minute and then drops. (The AirPort Status in the menu bar drops from full bars to one, and Safari stops dead.) If I turn AirPort off and then on, the connection re-establishes and the cycle is repeated.

Some additional info:
1)I recently updated this imac from Tiger to Leopard version 10.5.8. Although I didn't use AirPort exclusively after the upgrade, it was working until very recently.

2) Having purchased a new imac that is using the ethernet port, I am trying to run this one using its AirPort Card connecting to an in home wireless network via a Linskey router. My new imac (which sits next to this one) has no problem joining the wireless network (WPA2 Personal) which uses DHCP. The router assigns an IP address automatically.

3)I compared the TCP/IP settings on both the new imac and this one and the Subnet Mask and Router info is the same. The IPv4 Address is different only in the last three digits.

4) I regularly run YASU on this imac. I also repaired Disc Permissions to see if that was the problem.

 

[ArizonaLoco]

What you are describing can be caused by a number of various reasons. Unfortunately most people do not either have the patience or knowledge to perform multiple tests to rule out the issue. That being said, I can offer a few suggestions without running the full gamut. One, try to create a separate user account on your local machine. Reboot your computer and login using that new user. If you still experience the same issue(s) with internet connectivity then you know the problem is most likely not a user profile issue. If the problem does not exist, then you do know that it may very well be an issue with your user profile. Two, if the first test I described still yields a the same results as your original user profile then try this. Open your system preferences and click on the network icon. This should show your network connections available on the left side. You may need to authenticate/unlock the settings to continue. Select the airport listed on the left and at the bottom you should see a + sign a - sign and a gear sign/symbol drop down. Select the - sign and delete your airport connection. If prompted to authenticate and/or confirm, do so. At this point you should no longer see the airport on the left. If the apply button is not grayed out, then click on apply and then return to the main system preferences/show all and close system preferences. Now shutdown your computer. BE very thorough with this next command. Locate the P, the R, the command/Apple key and the option key. You will need to hold these keys down continuously for the next step. Now, reboot your computer. AS SOON as you press the power button and before the startup chime, hold down the command+option+p+r keys. Continually hold them until the computer cycles through a minimum of three consecutive startup chimes. On the fourth chime you may discontinue holding those keys down. The computer volume may likely change during this procedure as you are reseting, this is normal. Now login and/or get to your desktop. Now go back to the system preferences and to the network icon. You may be prompted that a new network connection has been found. Proceed to authenticate if necessary and accept the defaults. Configure your airport settings and apply. If not, the unlock the lock in the lower left and authenticate. Click on the + sign and add a new connection choosing airport, authenticate if needed and configure the airport if required. If the apply button is grayed out then return/go back to the main system preferences screen and then close system preferences. If not click apply, accept any confirmations/authentications and close system preferences. If either of these two methods do not yield a successful remedy then your problem may be hardware related such as a bad airport card, a faulty internal airport card connection such as a loose or damaged wire, the airport card may be loose or partially ejected, your source of wireless internet, such as a router may be incorrectly set or may be experiencing problems, or you may be in a wifi dead zone and/or experiencing intermittent signal drop or interference. That being said, is why I did not document the whole gamut of possibilities, tests and troubleshooting. This is not a full documentation and may otherwise be better explained and/or referenced by other Mac savvy technicians. It is meant to be a rough draft and is open to comments and constructive criticism. I hope it helps you.

 

[Mi_Mini]

Thisi imac connects to our in-home network and establishes its TCP/IP info. The connection holds for not quite 1 minute and then drops. (The AirPort Status in the menu bar drops from full bars to one, and Safari stops dead.) If I turn AirPort off and then on, the connection re-establishes and the cycle is repeated.

Some additional info:
1)I recently updated this imac from Tiger to Leopard version 10.5.8. Although I didn't use AirPort exclusively after the upgrade, it was working until very recently.

2) Having purchased a new imac that is using the ethernet port, I am trying to run this one using its AirPort Card connecting to an in home wireless network via a Linskey router. My new imac (which sits next to this one) has no problem joining the wireless network (WPA2 Personal) which uses DHCP. The router assigns an IP address automatically.

3)I compared the TCP/IP settings on both the new imac and this one and the Subnet Mask and Router info is the same. The IPv4 Address is different only in the last three digits.

4) I regularly run YASU on this imac. I also repaired Disc Permissions to see if that was the problem.

I would try assigning the ip address manually and see if the problem continues

 

[motherbarbara]

Thanks for your responses. I did all of the troubleshooting suggested. The problem is not with my user account. I have read how to install an AirPort card. Would it be ok for me to open the imac myself and see if the card or wiring is not in place?