Why does my Macbook keep dropping wifi?

[brickwall]

I'm in a hotel, using their wifi. My work laptop is working fine, but for some reason the internet on my Macbook is altogether slower, and much more intermittent. It drops the connection, has trouble getting an IP address, then will work fine for half an hour.

A quick restart always cures it, until it drops again an hour later.

Any ideas from the PH collective?

[SystemParanoia]

Have you got your firewall up and VPN open?

Hotel wifi is notoriously insecure *shudder*

[rottie102]

Try switching Bluetooth off...

[brickwall]

SystemParanoia said:

Have you got your firewall up and VPN open?

Hotel wifi is notoriously insecure *shudder*

Firewall up, but no VPN on the Macbook. VPN on the work laptop. Have tried turning Bluetooth off - let's see.

[TonyToniTone]

I have same issue and it's really frustrating going to flatten my laptop to see if sierra fixes it.

I either delete wifi from network preferences or try http://osxdaily.com/2015/10/16/fix-wi-fi-problems-...

[DuckAvenger]

Because it's amazing or you are holding it wrong

[jmorgan]

Just wondering aloud. I have to stop several processes when on the work windows machine on vpn using hotel networks. Apple will have a load of processes running in the background, these tripping the system up? Work machines are more locked down in what they chatter back to servers about etc?

[Bikerjon]

Assuming the Macbook works OK on other Wi-Fi networks then it could just be a compatibility issue with the make/model of access point that the hotel uses or even the firmware revision that it's running.

[Vaud]

Bikerjon said:

Assuming the Macbook works OK on other Wi-Fi networks then it could just be a compatibility issue with the make/model of access point that the hotel uses or even the firmware revision that it's running.

Probably this. Hotel wifi and networks are notorious, in my experience, for being badly configured and on cheap hardware that probably isn't updated as needed...

[brickwall]

Vaud said:

Bikerjon said:

Assuming the Macbook works OK on other Wi-Fi networks then it could just be a compatibility issue with the make/model of access point that the hotel uses or even the firmware revision that it's running.

Probably this. Hotel wifi and networks are notorious, in my experience, for being badly configured and on cheap hardware that probably isn't updated as needed...

I think it is this. Though running a VPN does seem to help a bit, but that could well be random.

[Vaud]

brickwall said:

I think it is this. Though running a VPN does seem to help a bit, but that could well be random.

You can try picking up a USB wifi dongle if it is a recurrent issue. I normally carry a short LAN cable as well; I've found that some hotels still have the connections (though often hidden under the desk or as part of an IP phone, etc) and the speeds are better (and more stable)