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dzp111 · Jan 11, 2009, 08:55 PM

Finally! I'm able to blame something on my so very random wireless drop signals, after several weeks of troubleshooting.

Heat!

It seems that whenever my MacBook reaches 80 degrees F. or more (85 tops), I loose Airport signal over and over again during the day. In my case, my Mac reaches that temp while using Toast to convert/burn Quicktime movies to DVD.

Make sense?

amazing · Jan 11, 2009, 11:31 PM

download smcfancontrol and use it to control the fan speed, thereby bringing the temps down.

Also, figure out using the Activity Monitor what it is that's causing the CPU to spike, thereby raising the temps. For example, importing into iTunes does it quite reliably, so I ramp up the fans when I'm importing.

Another thing you can get is a laptop cooler. Be sure to get one that blows air at the bottom of the MB, rather than sucking air away from the bottom of the laptop (which doesn't work as well.) Then, when you know you're going to be doing something that heats up the MB, you use the laptop cooler. The rest of the time, it's not necessary.

dzp111 · Jan 11, 2009, 11:37 PM

So you're saying that temp does affect airport?

amazing · Jan 11, 2009, 11:50 PM

Well, I don't know if high temps affect airport, but I did have my 12" AlPB shut down on a hot day when I was importing into iTunes. That's primarily what I'm talking about.

Intermittent stuff is exceptionally hard to track down.

OTOH, if you try the laptop cooler and smcfancontrol while you're importing Quicktime, and everything airport is golden, then don't worry, be happy!

ghporter · Jan 12, 2009, 08:18 AM

Are you sure you're talking about 85 Fahrenheit? That's a warm afternoon. A laptop that can't stay connected when ambient temperatures are at that very low level has to have something else wrong with it. Likewise, if your laptop is getting up to 85 Celsius and that's causing the wireless dropouts, then there's something wrong that's letting the laptop get way too hot.

So what specific temperature are you talking about, where are you measuring it, and how are you measuring it? Those three things will help us all figure out whether you have something wrong with your MacBook, or whether you've stumbled onto some Great Truth about AirPort cards.

amazing · Jan 12, 2009, 12:51 PM

Yep, missed that--was sure that dzp111 was talking Celsius.

dzp111 · Jan 12, 2009, 12:52 PM

Yep, I meant Fahrenheit. My laptop usually runs in the low 60's and I have no problem with it. Converting or extracting large files gets it hot (80's) and that's the only time my connection drops.

I use MainMenu and it tells me my CPU A's temp (in Fahrenheit) on my menu bar.

amazing · Jan 12, 2009, 01:06 PM

My MBP is now idling at 117 F (doesn't get much below that,) and gets up to 176 F + when I'm converting tunes, whereupon the fans start ramping up.

Just saying that it might be time to try another temp app.

Dakar V · Jan 12, 2009, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Likewise, if your laptop is getting up to 85 Celsius and that's causing the wireless dropouts, then there's something wrong that's letting the laptop get way too hot.

My laptop regularly passes this temperature when using handbrake (i.e., maxing out the processor for more than 5 - 10 minutes).

My current record is 198º F.

dzp111 · Jan 12, 2009, 01:45 PM

You're right guys, it is 85 Celsius (185 Fahrenheit). Sorry about that. And I use iStats.

So back to the drawing board; I lose my connection whenever my CPU reached 185 Fahrenheit.

amazing · Jan 12, 2009, 02:07 PM

Entirely understandable, and we'll put it down to that Canadian cold-front thing. Edit: got carried away to the ON thing.

ghporter · Jan 12, 2009, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by dzp111

You're right guys, it is 85 Celsius (185 Fahrenheit). Sorry about that. And I use iStats.

So back to the drawing board; I lose my connection whenever my CPU reached 185 Fahrenheit.

So what are you doing when you get these high temps, and what steps have you taken to ensure your laptop gets adequate cooling? There's a possibility that a heavy CPU load could interfere with some management function of the AirPort card and allow your link to be discarded or ignored. Or the high temperature could have a negative effect on the card itself.

dzp111 · Jan 12, 2009, 08:43 PM

So what are you doing when you get these high temps, and what steps have you taken to ensure your laptop gets adequate cooling?

Well, nothing really. It's just a recent observation that when the CPU reaches 185 F. that I loose signal.

There's a possibility that a heavy CPU load could interfere with some management function of the AirPort card and allow your link to be discarded or ignored. Or the high temperature could have a negative effect on the card itself.

And that's basically my question. Is it possible? BTW, it's the same with 2 different wireless routers; an old D-Link and a new Linksys.

Maybe it's Toast for all I know. Next time I use it I'll run a fan in front of my MacBook and see if that a makes a difference.

amazing · Jan 13, 2009, 12:10 AM

I do use a small desk fan to cool my laptop--I put it off to the side so that it blows across the laptop. Works just fine.

dzp111 · Jan 13, 2009, 12:27 AM

Sounds kinky...

: )

dowNNshift · Jan 13, 2009, 01:11 AM

Couple things... Which OS version are you running? Tiger or Leopard? Secondly, is the connection stable when booted to a known good OS, like a Leopard install disc?

From your initial report, if the software checks out -- hardware-wise you could have a logic board voltage issue if your intermittently loosing power to on-board devices. If your machine is still within warranty, it'd be worth getting looked into. At least at a minimum it'd be worth paying a Service Provider or the 'Bar to run Apple Service Diagnostic on it to ensure your logic board isn't going on the fritz.

Tsar Bomba · Jan 19, 2009, 03:18 AM

Sometimes I just pull out the battery while it's connected to the wall. Cools down pretty quick.

Cold Warrior · Jan 19, 2009, 11:11 AM

Originally Posted by Tsar Bomba

Sometimes I just pull out the battery while it's connected to the wall. Cools down pretty quick.

Running a Mac notebook on AC without the battery reduces the machine's performance, which is why it cools down.

Simon · Jan 19, 2009, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tsar Bomba

Sometimes I just pull out the battery while it's connected to the wall. Cools down pretty quick.

Bad idea. Removing the battery drops the frequency and shuts off one core. That's why it becomes cooler.

If you want to lower the temp of your Mac w/o sacrificing performance you should (temporarily) increase the fan RPMs. smcFanControl is a free tool to do that.

Tsar Bomba · Jan 20, 2009, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by Simon

Bad idea. Removing the battery drops the frequency and shuts off one core. That's why it becomes cooler.

If you want to lower the temp of your Mac w/o sacrificing performance you should (temporarily) increase the fan RPMs. smcFanControl is a free tool to do that.

Did not know that. I'm going to give that a try then.