Airport wireless question (MBP)

I'm noticing that when I'm on battery, the wireless keeps getting dropped and I have to click on the wireless icon in my menu bar and choose the network again.

My in-house network is the only network my machine is trying to join, and this connect/disconnect problem seems to happen whether I use "use Interference Robustness" or not...

I've been through all the wireless network settings I can find and am wondering if there's some way I can fix this. It really reminds me of when I was using my other Windows machine - I got stuck with this issue once when the default "use authentication" setting for my wireless NIC was accidentally checked.

It basically loses connection after every second or third page - like once a minute or so. I'm finding this aggravating and wonder is there anything I can change to fix it? I'm even having to reconnect before clicking submit on this post!

Thanks!

 

Just get a mouse.

As for the wireless problem, that makes no sense, so when you just unplug your computer the wireless gets disconnected?

 

That was a little snarky.... If you'd seen any of my other posts you'd know I'm trying to wean myself because I don't use a mouse with my laptop unless I'm at a desk messing with spreadsheets.

Anyhow, it doesn't disconnect as soon as I unplug. It's like it just goes on and off. I can navigate to a page, then read it, then when I go to a new one it sits there and I notice the wireless symbol is greyed out. I have to click on it and reconnect.

I know on my windows machine that it was an authentication setting. I'm wondering if there are settings on my NIC or router that I need to check into. Setting my network printer up was a matter of figuring out that my printer's IP needed to be static (it was dynamic before). I'm wondering if there is something else going on that I don't know about, that is only an issue when on battery (i.e. to conserve power the machine drops the connection when it's not actively sending/receiving packets, but it not reconnecting automatically when I need it).

Just a guess though. I was looking for someone who has gone through this to tell me that it's a simple setting change or something, since I am new to my MBP (3 days now).

Thanks for responding, though.

 

OS X 10.4.7 update brings 2 finger right clicks to the 15,4" MBP, so you're lucky. As for the wireless, take a look at the Apple support forums. It may be some setting that is wrong, but there seem to be some MB/MBPs with faulty wifi modules as well.

 

Hmm. I'm using 10.4.7 but my two finger click settings seem to only be a double click, not a right click.

I will check the Apple support forums for the wifi issue, but it seems weird that the issue ONLY occurs when on battery power. Hopefully it's just a SW fix.

 

Well - I am not sure EXACTLY what the problem is, but on the Apple Support forums, it's an issue for a few folks... one person posted a link to a network detector that seems to help with the issue. The thought is that when on battery, to conserve power the connection is dropped with not active - SO, when you have a network detector active, your connection stays active.

I downloaded this one and installed it, and even if my connection briefly goes down, it appears to reconnect by itself now.

Here you go, in case this is an issue for you and you want to try my solution:

http://coconut-flavour.com/coconutwifi/index.html

 

First, for the right click, go into the system preferences and choose keyboard and mouse and you should have the option there now under touchpad. If you do not have 10.4.7, you will need to download it.

Now for the wireless. Of course, as always with Apple, make sure you have the latest updates for your system. In Windows it is the same idea, update drivers, with Apple they make all the drivers, so they update them for you, just be sure you have gotten them. If you are up to date, do you by chance you WEP or WPA? I had somewhat of a similar problem that was fixed by using a different WPA password. You may want to try that.

 

Hmm. I spoke too soon. It didn't fix my problem and it added an extra click to the solution, so I shut the program off and went back on a/c power for now.

I *am* using 10.4.7. As far as right click, it doesn't show as an option. It shows a "Tap touchpad using two fingers for secondary click" as an option under Trackpad->Clicking in the system prefs. I understand "secondary click" to be the double click function as I tested it. Perhaps I am incorrect.

Any other insight on the wireless issue? Assume I am updated on all my SW. I will call Apple tomorrow too, and discuss with them.

TIA!

 

secondary click, means right click. Enable it and you will have right click! They don't want to call it right click, because that would be giving in to the masses!