pepe779
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Endless issues with 2011 Mac mini

Folks,

 

I'm becoming really desperate with my mid-2011 Mac mini that I have recently bought second hand. My primary aim was (and still is) to use it as my iTunes "server", as I have previously used my PC for that purpose and wanted something smaller and quieter (and realized there's hardly anything better than a Mac mini). Well, as it turns out, using a PC to host iTunes services was actually trouble free compared to an all-Apple solution.

 

So first a few facts and figures. This particular Mac mini has been reinstalled from scratch using Mavericks and is fully updated. The previous user has upgraded the RAM to 8 GB and that's pretty much the only HW change that's been done. Ever since I started using this machine I have noticed that it suffers from erratic wifi issues, every other (or every third) time I booted it up, it saw nearby wireless networks, but couldn't connect to any of them, I always had to turn wifi off and back on and only then it worked. Unfortunately it didn't stop there. I have loaded iTunes with all my content and started streaming it (over wifi) to my two Apple TVs, only to find out later on that it's pretty much unusable. The connectivity between the Mac mini and the Apple TVs kept dropping all the time, movies simply stopping randomly and sometimes my Apple TVs couldn't even connect to the iTunes library at all (restarting Apple TV or Mac mini or both has usually resolved that). Another issue that I had was with my Time Machine backup - works flawlessly (over wifi) on my Macbook Air, but extremely slow on my Mac mini and it actually never finishes - only crawls to like 30% and then it simply stops. So for the sake of eliminating the root cause here's what I have done/changed:

 

- replaced my Cisco Linksys E2000 wifi router with an AirPort Extreme

- replaced my external USB hard drive (that I used for Time Machine backups) with a different one (connected to the AirPort Extreme)

- gave up using wireless on my Mac mini and connected it directly to the AirPort Extreme via a LAN cable

 

Now guess what has changed - yep, nothing at all. I'll need some more time to see if the iTunes/Apple TV issues got resolved or at least improved, but the Time Machine backup simply doesn't go over those 30%. Also, for the sake of completeness - when I connect the external USB drive to that Mac mini, the TM backup goes through, but after a few backups the Mac mini simply doesn't recognize the external drive anymore and the backups start to fail and I have to reformat it and run the TM backup from scratch again.

 

I know that's a long list of issues that seemingly don't seem to have a common denominator, but does anybody have any idea at all what to look for next? I'm on the verge of dumping this Mac mini...

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

Mac mini, OS X Mavericks (10.9.1)

Posted on Dec 30, 2013 7:02 AM

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pepe779

Q: Endless issues with 2011 Mac mini

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  • by pepe779,

    pepe779 pepe779 Dec 30, 2013 11:03 AM in response to pepe779
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2013 11:03 AM in response to pepe779

    So I might have found a partial answer (to the TM backup part), although it needs further testing and verification. There's another external USB hard drive connected to my Mac mini (containing my video and music content) and after I have unplugged it now, the TM backup suddenly went through. What's the logic behind that, I have no idea, because this drive is automatically excluded from TM backup and I have previously also quit Finder to prevent it from messing with the TM backup, as that's something I have read in some other forum threads. So if having multiple external drives connected to an Apple device is preventing Time Machine from working properly, then that's in my opinion a pretty major issue in OS X. Will keep testing it to see how it behaves with and without the other external drive.

     

    Nevertheless, the wifi issues with my Mac mini (also mentioned in other forum threads by other users) simply don't seem to have a resolution. Not sure what's wrong with the Mac mini's wifi adapter (and if it's only a problem of the 2011 model), but it's becoming clear that it's safer to stay away from it and only use wired LAN, if possible.

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Dec 30, 2013 11:14 AM in response to pepe779
    Level 10 (123,825 points)
    Dec 30, 2013 11:14 AM in response to pepe779

    Hello, Pepe,

     

    On the USB drives... are they Bus Powered perhaps, instead of having there own AC Power Supply? Low USB power will also cause Wifi Problems.

     

    Make a New Location, Using network locations in Mac OS X ...

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2712

     

    10.5, 10.6, 10.7 & 10.8…

     

    System Preferences>Network, top of window>Locations>Edit Locations, little plus icon, give it a name.

     

     

    10.5.x/10.6.x/10.7.x/10.8.x instructions...

     

    System Preferences>Network, click on the little gear at the bottom next to the + & - icons, (unlock lock first if locked), choose Set Service Order.

     

    The interface that connects to the Internet should be dragged to the top of the list.

     

    If using Wifi/Airport...

     

    Instead of joining your Network from the list, click the WiFi icon at the top, and click join other network. Fill in everything as needed.

  • by pepe779,

    pepe779 pepe779 Dec 30, 2013 3:41 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 30, 2013 3:41 PM in response to BDAqua

    Hello BDAqua,

     

    thanks for your response - as for the network locations and the Set Service Order option, I have checked that and both my Mac mini and my Macbook Air have totally identical settings, yet the mini sometimes fails to connect and the MBA never fails. After I have switched from wireless to wired on the mini, the iTunes/Apple TV issues seem to have stabilized; however, I still don't quite understand the TM backup thing. Yes, all my external drives are bus powered and I'm not entirely sure why do you think that would affect the TM backup (when the external drives should be completely excluded from the equation here). What I do is back up the internal 500 GB drive (that's in my Mac mini) over the LAN to an external drive connected to the AirPoirt Extreme. Now the thing is - as I mentioned already - my MBA has absolutely no issues with this and it can do its TM backup even over the wifi. What's even more interesting, as you're questioning the external drives - I can connect this very same drive (that's connected to my mini and seems to have prevented the TM to do the backup) to my MBA and it will still do the entire backup over wifi just fine, even while running on battery. Nevertheless, as weird as these issues are, it looks like there are at least some workarounds, although far from ideal.

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Dec 30, 2013 4:24 PM in response to pepe779
    Level 10 (123,825 points)
    Dec 30, 2013 4:24 PM in response to pepe779

    Actually, Bus powered drives are the worst invention ever, USB2 only supplies 500 mA per device, most drives need more than that, some Macs, not sure which ones, can supply more than that due to Apple releasing a bus powered optical drive, but it only works on Macs...

     

    http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD564ZM/A/apple-usb-superdrive

     

    Add more USB powered things & it really gets complicated.

     

    Wifi also uses USB power, so if USB powered drives are used then Wifi can drop out or flake out, (Windoes PCs seem to have less problems with bus powered drives, but still do).

     

    There are many varied files affecting Wifi, so making a New Location & using the same settings may cure many Wifi problems... or not.

  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Dec 31, 2013 2:31 AM in response to pepe779
    Level 5 (5,637 points)
    Mac OS X
    Dec 31, 2013 2:31 AM in response to pepe779

    pepe779 wrote:

    .......What I do is back up the internal 500 GB drive (that's in my Mac mini) over the LAN to an external drive connected to the AirPoirt Extreme. ....

    Backing up with Time Machine in this way is not supported and

    can have very erratic results.  Sometimes it works just fine,

    some cases it is erratic, and some cases just doesn't work at all.

     

    The only network supported Time Machine backup is with

    an Apple Time Capsule.

  • by pepe779,

    pepe779 pepe779 Dec 31, 2013 4:13 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 31, 2013 4:13 AM in response to woodmeister50

    That's actually not true anymore woodmeister50 - Apple has made this officially possible and supported in their latest AirPort Extreme firmware upgrade:

     

    https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1708

     

    ...and that's exactly why I have finally decided to buy the AirPort Extreme last week

     

    Thanks,

     

    Peter

  • by pepe779,

    pepe779 pepe779 Dec 31, 2013 4:23 AM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 31, 2013 4:23 AM in response to BDAqua

    That's some very interesting information indeed BDAqua and it makes sense, BUT - wouldn't it be safe to assume that things like this have been tested a long time ago, are well known and taken care of in these devices? I mean, it's 2013, USB 2.0 has been around for quite a few years and even the Apple stores sell bus powered external USB drives, right? So no matter how you look at it, if all this is really true (and everything points to it being true), then this is really a pretty major bug in the Mac minis (the 2011 model at least).

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Dec 31, 2013 1:12 PM in response to pepe779
    Level 10 (123,825 points)
    Dec 31, 2013 1:12 PM in response to pepe779

    Well, I can't honestly say if it's a bug, gross commercialism somewhere, or how "standards" can be interpreted differently.

     

    If you look up a few Bus powered drives that have AC power adapter options, you'll likely see the AC adapters supply at least 1,500 mA, instead of the USB2's limit of 500 mA.

     

    I think the best solution is a really good USB2 AC powered Hub... or two.

     

    You might be able to glean particulars with this, though HDDs starting up require far more amperage, also the new Green Drive spin down & up on their own...

     

    At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac, then click on More Info, then click on Hardware>Usb...

     

    I bolded the USB Bus powered devices to show the difference to the ones that use their own AC power.

     

    USB Bus:

     

      Host Controller Location:    Built In USB

      Host Controller Driver:    AppleUSBOHCI

      PCI Device ID:    0x0035

      PCI Revision ID:    0x0043

      PCI Vendor ID:    0x1033

      Bus Number:    0x0b

     

    Bluetooth USB Host Controller:

     

      Product ID:    0x8207

      Vendor ID:    0x05ac  (Apple Inc.)

      Version:    19.65

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    Apple Inc.

      Location ID:    0x0b300000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    0

     

    General Purpose USB Hub:

     

      Product ID:    0x2077

      Vendor ID:    0x0451  (Texas Instruments)

      Version:    1.00

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Location ID:    0x0b200000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    0

     

    HL-4070CDW:

     

      Product ID:    0x0030

      Vendor ID:    0x04f9  (Brother Industries, Ltd.)

      Version:    1.00

      Serial Number:    000F8J260707

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    Brother

      Location ID:    0x0b210000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    2

     

    DPCM-USB:

     

      Product ID:    0x0006

      Vendor ID:    0x07af

      Version:    1.00

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    Microtech International, Inc

      Location ID:    0x0b270000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    100

     

    USB Keyboard Hub:

     

      Product ID:    0x9836

      Vendor ID:    0x05a4

      Version:    1.10

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    ORTEK

      Location ID:    0x0b250000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    100

     

    USB-PS/2 Optical Mouse:

     

      Product ID:    0xc045

      Vendor ID:    0x046d  (Logitech Inc.)

      Version:    27.30

      Speed:    Up to 1.5 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    Logitech

      Location ID:    0x0b252000

      Current Available (mA):    100

      Current Required (mA):    98

     

    USB Keyboard Hub:

     

      Product ID:    0x9861

      Vendor ID:    0x05a4

      Version:    1.10

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    ORTEK

      Location ID:    0x0b253000

      Current Available (mA):    100

      Current Required (mA):    48

     

    HP LaserJet 1200:

     

      Product ID:    0x0317

      Vendor ID:    0x03f0  (Hewlett Packard)

      Version:    1.00

      Serial Number:    00XXXXXXXXXX

      Speed:    Up to 12 Mb/sec

      Manufacturer:    HewLett Packard

      Location ID:    0x0b100000

      Current Available (mA):    500

      Current Required (mA):    2