Wi-Fi Quality on new MBPs

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
To anyone with a Penryn (or even older) MBP, I was wondering how is the quality of signal over a wireless network? I am looking to get a new MBP for home and work and have heard mixed things about the MBP's ability to pick up an "n" and sometimes ever "g" signal. Anyone here that can provide insight, good or bad? Much appreciated. Also, please state how your wireless signal is set up (ie a OTC Linksys, AEBS, APE, Time Capsule, etc.).



Thanks!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    ozzieboyozzieboy Posts: 22member
    Check Apple's support forums. http://www.apple.com/support I believe is the right link. You will see plenty there; just keep in mind that you don't hear as much about the "good stuff" as the bad stuff...iow, people report problems, not achievements. I'm also in the market for a new MBP or MB (still deciding). My research tells me that the MBs get slightly better wireless reception due to their casing. I can attest to this as my iBook 900 sees more networks than my PB 1.67. This isn't necessarily a bad thing: it could mean less interference for you on a MBP. It's only a pain for me if I"m on public wifi and I'm not close enough to the router....which is super rare anyway.



    I can tell you from reading those support threads that several users seem to be having trouble with 10.4.10 - 10.5.2 and wireless reception WITH CERTAIN ROUTERS. 10.4.9 and earlier work fine with everything. I don't know which routers (read the threads as people often mention them), but Apple routers (AirPort Extreme, etc.) do not seem to be a problem.



    My PB is on the g spectrum, but I've read that applying Apple's N updater (which costs like a dollar or something) and setting your reception to N only is a fix if you're having wireless issues. I am not worried about any issues, put it that way. I've also seen several MB and MBP owners say they don't have any wireless issues and they're on 10.5.2. Either way, Apple will come out with a patch soon enough, and if need be, I'll downgrade to 10.4.9 if I absolutely have to.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    backtomacbacktomac Posts: 4,579member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Achiever View Post


    To anyone with a Penryn (or even older) MBP, I was wondering how is the quality of signal over a wireless network? I am looking to get a new MBP for home and work and have heard mixed things about the MBP's ability to pick up an "n" and sometimes ever "g" signal. Anyone here that can provide insight, good or bad? Much appreciated. Also, please state how your wireless signal is set up (ie a OTC Linksys, AEBS, APE, Time Capsule, etc.).



    Thanks!



    I've a rev b MBP that has the 2.16 ghz C2D cpu.



    My wireless card is the 'g' variety that can be upgraded to 'n' with a software upgrade. I've never bothered. I have a netgear wireless 'g' access point in my house and it works fine. I also use it at my offices which have linksys wireless access points ('g'). Never any problems at hotels either.



    Can't speak the 'n' but my MBP has never had a problem with 'g' wireless networks.
  • Reply 3 of 5
    mzaslovemzaslove Posts: 519member
    Have an August 07 MBP 2.2 ghz -- and with the Airport Extreme at 5 Ghz I can go outside the house and across the street and still get throughput without a hiccup. It's kinda fun, much better than my "g" router could give me. At 5 Ghz I don't get any hiccups like I used to when using the 2.4 Ghz band (I had a PC in the mix, and I could only find N adapters that used 2.4 Ghz until just a couple weeks ago when everyone released the dual-band versions -- another time Apple was ahead of the curve).
  • Reply 4 of 5
    londorlondor Posts: 258member
    I have an April 07 MBP 2.33 with the n card. Never had a problem with wireless.
  • Reply 5 of 5
    I have a 2.2Ghz 15" MBP that I got in July '07. It has the Wireless N card, but I use it with a D-Link Wireless G router.



    No problems, and I use the MBP fairly far away from the router, with multiple floors/ceilings/walls between me and the router. Consistently get a full-strength signal on the MBP Airport indicator.
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