AIR drop-outs - Mac OS X

[Eddye]

Ah - interesting - I've now installed an Edimax EW-7811UN 150 Mbps 802.11b/g/n USB adapter, costing about £7.50. With the MacBook Pro's internal AirPort wi-fi adapter disabled, I can run AIR over the USB wi-fi adapter (in my configuration this is just the link between the MBP and router; the Devialet has a wired connection). This has run without drop-outs for over 11 hours and counting. By contrast, I've never seen more than about three hours with the internal adapter.

So it looks as though my drop-out problem is specific to the MBP's internal AirPort adapter.

Anyway, it's nice to have a usable work-around.

That's really interesting. Did or can you test with another type of mac (a mini or a different macbook)? Perhaps it's just one type of card, or perhaps the entire range of cards Apple uses in their PC's/Laptops

[thumb5]

Hello Eddye - at the moment all my testing has been done with the same machine (an early 2008 MacBook Pro), and I don't have access to another Mac at the moment.

Just to confirm what was probably obvious anyway, nothing else in the set-up was changed, I just switched between the built-in and USB wireless adapters.

Since AIR seems to be quite tolerant to packet drops, as evidenced by the "five-second disconnection" tests on both wired and wireless interfaces, I don't think it's something as simple as the new adapter having better signal quality/strength. I suspect this means there is either an unwanted interaction between AIR and the AirPort driver, or possibly a hardware problem with my AirPort card. Either way, it's a strange one...

[Eddye]

I suspect this means there is either an unwanted interaction between AIR and the AirPort driver, or possibly a hardware problem with my AirPort card. Either way, it's a strange one...

That's what I was thinking. If there is a problem with the driver/OS it should be on more types of Mac's, I don't think the different hardware types of Wifi cards are at fault. Since you tested with a different USB wifi card with a totaly different driver it doesn't completely rule out either.

[thumb5]

That's what I was thinking. If there is a problem with the driver/OS it should be on more types of Mac's, I don't think the different hardware types of Wifi cards are at fault. Since you tested with a different USB wifi card with a totaly different driver it doesn't completely rule out either.

Yes, agreed.