Samsung n Apple have being suing each other yet u try 2 connect them together . Think both devices auto unpair when they r trying to connect if not kena new charges again . 

Anyway , there's a few users here 2 that connect using macbook but i recall its not Android File Transfer , some WiFi transfer . Uncle Benny is 1 of them , maybe u can try pm him

I think uncle Benny, andrewtho and kevintth have macs.

That app not recommended
Best is use WiFi file explorer or airdroid

Android File Transfer cannot directly drag and drop files one..need to copy and paste. Hell troublesome, rather use my Windows to do the transfer. Like Uncle Benny said, use airdroid.

Wifi File Explorer is a paid app, but cheap at $1 or $2 I don't remember. Airdroid is free and quite popular as well.

My recommendations is WiFi file explorer as it  transfer faster than airdroid
Worth every sen I paid for it
Samsung recommendations is not always the best. Test yourself to assess how BAD is android transfer

Android File Transfer can do offline transfer 

I am on Mac and a noob at Androids.
My wife currently using SII and I just bought for her Note2 as an upgrade.

Questions:
1. How do I backup all info - contacts, sms, apps, phone logs , pictures?
2. How do I transfer that to Note2 from SII?
3. What program do u use?

Thanks in advance

Bad signal kut. 

I may not be entirely correct, but you can have full bar for your GSM signal, but a failed consistent connection for your H/H+ signal, so the phone keeps retrying to transmit to connect to the higher speed signal.

I'm just thinking aloud, that the bars you see relate to GSM/Voice/2G signal. It's the G/E/3G/H/H+ that's the data network and there is no bar display for that.