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Resolving Stubborn Wi-Fi Connection Problems in Mac OS X

Fixing Wi-Fi problems in Mac OS X

A fair amount of Mac users have encountered long lasting Wi-Fi connection issues, whether it's a dropping connection, a refusal to reconnect after waking from sleep, or any other number of oddities pertaining to wireless networking. Often these connection problems can be resolved with renewing a DHCP lease and changing the MTU size, but sometimes things are more stubborn and a wireless connection will continue to drop or throw unusual connection errors when waking from sleep. If you find yourself struggling with persistent wifi problems, try deleting all preference plist files associated with wireless settings in OS X:

Fix Stubborn Wi-Fi Problems by Deleting Preference Files

Before beginning, be sure to have the wi-fi password of your primary network handy. You will need it to rejoin the network.

  • Pull down the Wi-Fi menu and turn Wi-FI OFF
  • Turn Wi-F off in OS X

  • From any Finder window, hit Command+Shift+G to bring up Go To Folder, and enter the following path:
  • /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/
    Going to the Wi-Fi preferences folder

  • Locate the following files, copy them to the desktop for a backup, then delete them from the /SystemConfiguration/ folder:
  • com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
    com.apple.network.identification.plist
    NetworkInterfaces.plist
    preferences.plist

    Remove Wi-Fi preference files in Mac OS X to resolve connection problems

  • Empty the Trash and reboot the Mac
  • Turn Wi-Fi back ON from the Wi-Fi menu, join your preferred network as usual

This process forces OS X to create all new preference files for wireless networking, which can be an effective troubleshooting strategy if the wi-fi problems began after upgrading versions of Mac OS X and even installing incremental system updates.

The wi-fi connection should now work as expected unless there's a deeper problem, whether it's a compatibility issue with the router (often resolved by this DHCP and MTU fix), a problem the router itself, or something as simple as network interference (here's how to check connection strength and interference issues), which can often be resolved by reconfiguring a routers physical arrangement or changing it's broadcast channel.

Let us know if this worked for you, or if you have any other helpful wifi problem.



Shipping Estimates for New 27-Inch iMac Already Slip to 3-4 Weeks [Mac Blog]

Just hours after Apple began taking orders for the new iMac, shipping estimates in the company's online store for the stock 27-inch models have slipped from the original 2-3 weeks to 3-4 weeks. Estimates for the stock 21.5-inch models remain at 1-3 days.


Supplies of the new iMac are expected to be constrained into 2013 as Apple's suppliers deal with the challenges of producing thinner displays laminated directly to the cover glass, with the larger 27-inch panels being particularly difficult to produce.




Roundup of Changes in iTunes 11: 'Expanded View', No Cover Flow, 'Up Next' and More

NewituneslogoiTunes 11 has finally arrived, nearly a month after it was originally promised because of the need to "get it right" according to Apple. The app promises a redesigned store, simplified layout, and more.

Aside from the tentpole changes, there are a number of other things -- both promising and confusing -- that have changed in iTunes 11. Here's a selection:

- The default iTunes 11 view removes the sidebar that has been a staple of iTunes since it was first released. The Mac Observer tells us how to get it back. Head to the View menu and select Show Sidebar.

- iPods have come in a wide variety of capacities in their time, but one notable capacity has never graced the device. There has never been a 128GB iPod, though as Sonny Dickson points out, iTunes appears to be ready for such an eventuality. A 128GB iOS device has been consistently rumored over the years, but has yet to make an appearance.

- Users can now redeem store-purchased iTunes Gift Cards by using the camera built into most recent Macs (or Windows machines) to scan the redemption code. This should make redeeming cards quicker and reduce user frustration.

- It has a new icon, as seen above.

- The red/yellow/green buttons at the top left of the window again perform in the standard OS X manner. Previously, the green button would send the iTunes into its special MiniPlayer window. Now, a special icon in the top right corner, next to the full screen button, toggles minimization.

expandedview
- John Gruber at Daring Fireball notes the new 'Expanded View' mode:
I think my favorite new design element is what Apple is calling "Expanded View". In a graphical list of albums or movies or shows, you click one and it opens in a subview right there under the album/movie/show. Instead of going to a new view, you stay where you are. No way to get confused about where you are, more of a sense of direct manipulation. I think this is a brilliant design for everyone, particularly typical users. And there's a neat trick: the colors for the song listing are chosen algorithmically based on the album or poster art. (Examples: here and here.) Very clever, very fun. It's a digital approximation of going through real-world albums or DVD jewel boxes and opening them in place — with the custom color palettes, the listings feel like the "inside" of the albums.
- Gruber also noticed that the 'Up Next' menu displays differently on retina and standard displays. "On regular displays, the Up Next icon is a bullet list. But on retina displays, it's a numbered list with minuscule numerals."

- iTunes DJ, formerly called Party Shuffle, is gone. It's been replaced by the clever 'Up Next'.

- Cover Flow, a major feature when it was introduced, is gone. It's been replaced by the 'Expanded View' mentioned above.

- There seems to be a bug with the AirPlay button. The button, which has been moved from the bottom right to the top left of the main window is missing for some users. Some have reported restoring the button by going to the MiniWindow and activating AirPlay there and it will then appear in the main window. Not all users are affected by the issue, however.

- Many users are reporting label issues within the iTunes and App Stores. As the stores are basically glorified web pages, these issues will likely be fixed server side while Apple gets the bugs shaken out.

New iMac Unboxing Video and Teardown Photos

The new iMac is going on sale around the world on Friday, November 30th. In Australia, Ben Pasternak was able to walk into his local Apple Store and buy one and has posted the first unboxing video of the new machine.Meanwhile, Japanese site Kodawarisan has posted teardown photos showing the innards of the thin new machine. 


The new iMac tapers to a 5mm thin edge along the sides, requiring the use of a special welding technique to achieve the design.

The 21.5" iMac will go on sale today in the U.S. both in retail stores and in the online Apple store with immediate availability. The 27-inch model will be available for pre-order but won't ship until December. Stock is expected to be tight throughout 2012.