PowerBook G4s (Double-Layer SuperDrive) [#12]: AirPort connectivity issues, fixes

CNET staff

Sept. 2, 2009 8:25 a.m. PT

3 min read

We continue coverage of an issue where Apple's new Double-Layer SuperDrive may suffer repeated lapses in AirPort connectivity.

In some occurrences of the issue, afflicted PowerBooks (and iBooks in the former case) have more than 1 GB of RAM installed. Memory fault by manufacturer does not appear to be a cause, as users with various brands of memory -- including Apple's own -- are suffering from the problem. This version of the problem is most likely to occur, it seems, under heavy network traffic conditions or under unusually high processor loads -- both of which can sometimes be generated by the use of Java-based peer-to-peer applications like LimeWire and some BitTorrent clients.

However, there are some other causes and respective workarounds for this issue.

Try re-seating RAM As we've reported with previous instances of lapses in AirPort connectivity, simply re-seating your portable's RAM and making sure it is tightly inserted can eliminate wireless dropouts.

One reader writes:

"Reseated the RAM (2x1gb Crucial) after a good old wiggle up and down, shoved it in good and tight and... I've had six hours without an interrupted Airport connection."

Resetting PMU Users have also corroborated, in increasing numbers, resetting the PMU as a workaround for this issue.

MacFixIt reader Adam Karneboge writes:

"I wrote in over the weekend. I was able to fix my problem by resetting the Power Manager on my new 15-inch high-res PowerBook, which also resets the PRAM and NVRAM at the same time. I have been downloading fine over AirPort both on the internet and from servers on my LAN for two days now without constant background activity."

Additional observations about the issue Another reader reports several observations about his manifestation of AirPort issues:

"After ~4 hours of uptime, my airport connection will start slowing down, usually to around half a megabit of throughput, which slows not only the internet but also my local area network. Mounting a server over at around 70kb/sec downstream is unbearable!

After ~24 hours of uptime, my airport connection will begin to drop in and out

This happens on multiple AirPort Base Station networks, with graphite, snow, extreme, and express models of the base station

This happens on both 802.11b, b/g, and g-only networks

Turning AirPort on and off does not fix the problem, the only thing I have found that fixes it is a restart

It is not related to Bluetooth being on or off

The AirPort 2005-001 update does not help or hurt this issue