I've got a weird issue with my MacBook Pro 13" (2020) running Big Sur. It won't connect to my "slave" router, but everything else connects just fine, including my phone. Sometimes the laptop connects, but it keeps dropping the connection after a short while. I can move downstairs to connect to the "master" router without a problem, but as soon as I go back upstairs, the laptop loses the connection to the "slave" router again. I'm not sure what's causing this since nothing else seems to have a problem with the "slave" router. If I disconnect from Wi-Fi and reconnect, it might stay connected for a bit, but eventually, it drops. I even tried standing close to the "slave" router and it still doesn't stay connected. Honestly, it's frustrating to have only this one laptop acting up, and I'm worried it could get worse. Any insights or fixes would be awesome!
2 Answers
It sounds like your MacBook might have some network configuration issues or maybe it's just not handling the connection to the "slave" router very well. One thing you could try is to forget the "slave" network in your Wi-Fi settings and then reconnect. Sometimes that helps reset the connection. Also, check to see if your router's firmware is up to date. Updates can fix a lot of connectivity issues. If that doesn’t work, consider changing the Wi-Fi channel on the "slave" router if you can; interference could be the culprit here.
The term "slave router" can be a bit confusing. It typically refers to a secondary router that helps extend the coverage of your network. If your MacBook is consistently having trouble while other devices aren’t, it might be worth trying to reset your network settings on the laptop. Just a thought! Also, consider checking the signal strength—the laptop could be having trouble if it's on the edge of the range.
Thanks for clearing that up! I did reset my network settings and so far it seems better, but I’ll watch for any dropouts.
Totally agree with that! Also, could be worth checking to see if your laptop has any software updates available. Sometimes new updates can address issues like these.