Mac OS X 10.7.3. Wifi Issues

On February 1, I received the Apple 10.7.3 update for my iMac. This update seems to have brought with it a buggy wifi kernel module, although this is just conjecture on my part. That said, the nature of the problem, coupled with the fact that it is unaffected by resetting configuration (e.g., network configuration, PRAM), seems to lead a certain level of credence to this thought.

From a user's perspective, the bugs cause

1. Slow data transfer rates

2. Inability to rejoin a network when returning from sleep

3. Frequent, intermittent wifi connection drops.

When the wifi connection drops, the system log contains numerous, repeated error messages that state 'PM kernel: BSSID changed to <MAC address of your wirelesss router>'.

I decided to simply roll back to 10.7.2. This was a relatively easy procedure. Simply press Command-R at boot, and, when prompted, select to 'Reinstall Lion'. I didn't loose any data when rolling back, but it's a good idea to make a back up of your more important files before proceeding.

So far, so good. Perhaps when 10.7.4 comes along, I'll consider installing the combo update.