MacBook Pro: More on kernel panics caused by AirPort activity

We previously reported on repeated kernel panics from MacBook Pros, apparently caused by a problematic driver for the units' AirPort hardware.

The kernel panics only occur when AirPort is turned on and the network is active. Users report that kernel panics disappear when an Ethernet cable or other network connection method is used.

We've now received reports indicating that, for some users, the kernel panics only occur when there is an unusually high amount of network activity.

MacFixIt reader Eric Singsaas writes:

"I get kernel panics while using airport on a MacBook Pro (2 GHz), when connected to an AirPort Extreme base station at home. These do not seem to happen when I am on wired ethernet at work. I've called Apple support about it and they had me disable some airport-related dashboard applets, but that hasn't improved things noticeably. It seems the crashes most often occur under heavy network load -- streaming video or iChat AV. In fact, I was using iChat AV to talk with my wife while she was out of town last week, I got kernel panics frequently. One time, the system lasted only one minute from connect to crash."

If you are experiencing similar issues, please let us know.

For further coverage, see our MacBook Pro special report.

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