Macbook Air Wireless issue - Mavericks or LCD Repair issue?

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3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#136564 2-Dec-2013 09:41

2-3 weeks ago I upgraded to Mavericks on my 13" Macbook Air.
I've never had great wireless coverage down the far end of the house, and I'm fairly sure the performance of the Macbook Air wasn't a lot different after the upgrade.

Since then I had to send my Air away for an LCD replacement (done under insurance thank goodness - not a cheap exercise), and since it's come back, I've found that the wireless is terrible (=pretty much unusable) at the other end of the house.

It will connect to the wireless, but DNS resolution seems to take a long time.
I tried all the standard DNS cache clearing commands, but that didn't help.
When I do a ping to a site (eg stuff.co.nz), the times on the pings are ridiculously high (10-13000ms).

If I move close to the AP (a Fritzbox 7390 from Snap) the performance does seem better - although even last night I found the times on a ping to an NZ server would go all over the show (from 30ms up to 15000ms!).

I'm wondering if the WiFi antenna or system was disturbed during the LCD replacement?
Assuming for a minute that it's possible, then I have no idea how to chase this one (or to isolate/prove that the issue has been caused by the LCD replacement).

Thoughts?

trig42

5809 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#943927 2-Dec-2013 09:46

Usually the WiFi antenna is in the monitor section of a notebook, and there will be a flat cable connecting it back to the WiFi hardware in the base (I say usually, as this is how most PC notebooks are).

It is possible when they replaced/repaired your screen, they did not reconnect the WiFi antenna. Are you able to get hold of the repairer and tell them - they should be fine taking a look at it.

ahmad

1937 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#943952 2-Dec-2013 10:04

Who repaired it? Apple dealer?

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#943956 2-Dec-2013 10:13

ahmad: Who repaired it? Apple dealer?

ConnectNZ.

Just gave them a call (I'm in Chch, they are in Wellington) and they think it sounds like a WiFi cable issue (or similar).
They are going to send out a box to have another look at it as they agreed it didn't sound like it was working correctly.

NH

3g

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

#943957 2-Dec-2013 10:15

From the link below, it sounds like random WiFi issues are more likely to be hardware.

https://discussions.apple.com/message/22280195#22280195

Bit that makes me think it is hardware is the comment from the person having problems:
"Turns out that the cables on the wifi antenna need to be crossed in a specific way, and whoever had put my computer back together had done so incorrectly! This had made my wifi extremely sensitive to location. She said it was a common mistake to make. "