Hello everyone!
Finally I accomplished something that is worth to make an Instructable about :-)
You are probably here because your good'ol iBook started acting weird after the update from Mac OS 10.4.8 to 10.4.9. In the manner that you allways get kernel panics (KPs) when you try to work with activated Airport-WIFI. For some people only when working on battery, for others all the Time.
In my case the notebook even sometimes refused to reboot after a KP and I had to leave it for about 15 minutes to cool down. But it definitively KP'd as soon as I switched Airport on.
I tried the widely distributed "paper-patch" where a folded piece of paper is put on top of the airport card, under its plastic holder to tighten its seating even more - with little effect. It only accomplished that I now could work for about half an hour before it KP'd again.
So hence the reason seemed to be a loose connection between the card and the mainboard (which the driver before the 10.4.9 handled flawless) and the connection between card and socket was tightened as it could be - more drastic measures had to be taken:
Once again I took the whole frickin' thing apart completely and this time removed also the mainboard to have total access to it from all sides. Since the socket is made of plastic, a hot-air reflow was out of question.
So - I manually resoldered all those tiny (ca. 0.3mm each) pins with the smallest tip in my soldering iron which i acuminated even more with sandpaper. And what can I say - after putting it back together, I started it up and loaded several ISO-images over the Airport-connection for hours and put it in standby once in a while.
It works perfectly now :-). No KP whatsoever since the repair. Not the tiniest hickup - the problem is completely gone!
Finally I accomplished something that is worth to make an Instructable about :-)
You are probably here because your good'ol iBook started acting weird after the update from Mac OS 10.4.8 to 10.4.9. In the manner that you allways get kernel panics (KPs) when you try to work with activated Airport-WIFI. For some people only when working on battery, for others all the Time.
In my case the notebook even sometimes refused to reboot after a KP and I had to leave it for about 15 minutes to cool down. But it definitively KP'd as soon as I switched Airport on.
I tried the widely distributed "paper-patch" where a folded piece of paper is put on top of the airport card, under its plastic holder to tighten its seating even more - with little effect. It only accomplished that I now could work for about half an hour before it KP'd again.
So hence the reason seemed to be a loose connection between the card and the mainboard (which the driver before the 10.4.9 handled flawless) and the connection between card and socket was tightened as it could be - more drastic measures had to be taken:
Once again I took the whole frickin' thing apart completely and this time removed also the mainboard to have total access to it from all sides. Since the socket is made of plastic, a hot-air reflow was out of question.
So - I manually resoldered all those tiny (ca. 0.3mm each) pins with the smallest tip in my soldering iron which i acuminated even more with sandpaper. And what can I say - after putting it back together, I started it up and loaded several ISO-images over the Airport-connection for hours and put it in standby once in a while.
It works perfectly now :-). No KP whatsoever since the repair. Not the tiniest hickup - the problem is completely gone!
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Signing UpStep 1: Preparation
Since this Instructable is aimed more at experienced people who are aware of what they are doing I'll not be listing every single micro step. This is not a cooking recipe! Before you start make a mental inventory if you know the following things:
- How to work inside computers and what has to be taken in account when doing so.
- What electrostatic charges are - and how to avoid the damage they can do.
- How to solder and if you have a steady enough hand for this.
- How much heat can be inflicted on circuit boards and small electronic components.
- And last but not least if you are able to take this thing apart and put it back together.
When you can answer all of those with a yes, go ahead :-) - If not - you should better retreat until you can - before you have a completely broken unit afterwards.
- How to work inside computers and what has to be taken in account when doing so.
- What electrostatic charges are - and how to avoid the damage they can do.
- How to solder and if you have a steady enough hand for this.
- How much heat can be inflicted on circuit boards and small electronic components.
- And last but not least if you are able to take this thing apart and put it back together.
When you can answer all of those with a yes, go ahead :-) - If not - you should better retreat until you can - before you have a completely broken unit afterwards.
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As it's always easier to be improving rather tahn inventing, I thought that, maybe, if a resoldering solved the pb, it might just be a contact problem.
....and....
deoxit!
removed the keyboard, remove the airport card, spray the slot AND the card contacts with my favorite deoxit (you can find it in any guitar center, radioshack, etc...), wipe the excess liquid, and voila!
make sure to reinsert the card tightly.
it worked for me, at least
What about Leopard?
Finally, what about removing the airport card all together and using a USB wifi card?
These things are a pain to get apart without using a spatchula.
Thanks again.
But even after hundreds of sightings of this problem Apple is not willing to take responsibility. Asus for example would admit a faulty manufacturing right away and replace everything - even after the warranty period ... but not Apple - they don't need to admit they fu**** up.
Thats why this instructable is here.