jspell77

Q: have slow internet connection and amber blinking light on airport extreme

Trying to help my parents: 

they have a brand new iMac (21.5 inch)

they have a brand new Airport Extreme router

I set up wireless network via their existing comcast BLAST! internet service - they have an RCA modem (model DHG535-2 which is also for VoIP)

I successfully set up WiFi (have connection from iMac, printer and various iPhones,iPads) BUT painfully slow ...did a speedtest and got a download speed of about 35 and upload of 4. ????????????

Should be lighting fast, right?  Especially since router and modem are sitting on desk next to each other. 

Tried powering off everything (removed battery from modem and waited 30 minutes) ...still have amber blinking light on Airport Extreme base.

 

Seems like router and modem are not compatible in some way???

iMac, airport extreme

Posted on Jan 1, 2015 6:03 PM

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Q: have slow internet connection and amber blinking light on airport extreme

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  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 1, 2015 6:11 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 1, 2015 6:11 PM in response to jspell77

    Do an Option click on the WiFi icon - what kind of a connection is it giving between iMac and the Airport extreme? Does the Comcast modem Ethernet connection to the Extreme over 10BaseT or 100BaseTX (look at Speed parameter of Hardware tab option in Ethernet/Advanced)?

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 1, 2015 6:53 PM in response to dot.com
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2015 6:53 PM in response to dot.com

    I am no longer at the physical location of the iMac.   Trying to help my parents remotely.  They could not figure out how to see Wifi connection options to answer your questions. Ugh.  Thank you for trying to help - I will have to make a trip over there and look for myself.

  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 1, 2015 7:02 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 1, 2015 7:02 PM in response to jspell77

    Do you know what I'm talking about when you press the Option key when clicking on the WiFi icon in the menu bar?

     

    It shows you a lot of the connection information of how the router and the Mac set up the WiFi connection - like type of 802.11 and speed and channel and all that jazz. Very helpful in trying to determine whether the speed rating is limited by the internet connection speed or the speed between the mac and the router or ???

     

    good luck...

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 1, 2015 7:29 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 1, 2015 7:29 PM in response to jspell77

    This is my first experience with an Apple computer...and I am trying to resolve a network problem remotely. Not a good combination. I just now realized that you are referring to an actual Option key on the keyboard.  So many years of Windows...this is truly a humbling experience. Will call my parents tomorrow morning and get the Wifi connection info with Option key.   Feel like such a dope. 

  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 1, 2015 7:34 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 1, 2015 7:34 PM in response to jspell77

    No problem - I should have called it the "Alt" key and that would have probably helped more - sorry for my mistake. It's sometimes difficult/hard/awkward/impossible/easy to flip-flop back and forth between windows-land and mac-land.

     

    Hope you get things figured out...

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 2, 2015 7:33 AM in response to dot.com
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 2, 2015 7:33 AM in response to dot.com

    OK - here we go..  Phy mode is 802.11ac and the channel indicates 5GHz.

  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 3, 2015 6:03 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 3, 2015 6:03 PM in response to jspell77

    There should have been a connection speed parameter as well. For example this is what my MacBook shows when I do the Option-click on the WiFi icon:

     

    Wifi-connection-2.jpg

    The Tx parameter above shows the speed is 54Mbps (mega bits per second or about 5Mbytes per second) which is pretty typical for a good WiFi 802.11g connection (think 802.11g can run up to 108Mbps but only for newer routers - mine is about 10 years old). Your 802.11ac connection can theoretically run at up to 1Gbps or about 100 Mbytes per second - but that is theoretical. Actual speed varies constantly as the WiFi hardware is constantly adjusting to try and get the best connection it can for the current conditions.

     

    Also the Noise and RSSI parameters vary as the quality of the signal varies. The numbers above are a result of the MacBook being two feet away from the router - so it depends on how far the router and macbook are from each other as well as how many and what type of obstructions are between them. Brick walls are tougher than a curtain so try and locate the two to minimize distance and difficult obstructions (dense things are harder for signal to get thru), but sometimes you really cant do a lot because of where things are physically located unless you move the router and or computer.

     

    Do some Google searchs for the different 802.11 wifi standards (a, b, g, n, ac, ???)

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 4, 2015 8:47 AM in response to dot.com
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2015 8:47 AM in response to dot.com

    RSSI = -30

    Transmit Rate: 1300

     

    I am wondering if there may be situation of 2 firewalls - one provided by airport extreme and another by Comcast modem?

    I guess I will try calling comcast and see if I can gain any insight from their end...it will really depends on who answers the call whether this will be helpful or not.

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 4, 2015 9:15 AM in response to jspell77
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 4, 2015 9:15 AM in response to jspell77

    Update...just spoke to Comcast rep and they said definitely the modem is the problem...it is outdated and must be replaced in order to work with new set up. 

  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 4, 2015 12:17 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 4, 2015 12:17 PM in response to jspell77

    What is the units on 1300? What was the Noise number?

     

    You said the router and the Airport Extreme are right next to each other - is the wireless connection between them or between the iMac and the Airport? In other words how are things connected exactly?

     

    Any way to move things around to get a better wireless connection?

     

    Seems weird that Comcast didn't give you a new modem when your parents got the Blast connection. What's the point in paying whatever the Blast upgrade cost if the Comcast modem (is it theirs or did your parents buy their own previously?). I would think about asking Comcast for a credit for as long as they've had the Blast and not been able to use it like it should have been.

     

    Also here is a link explaining lights on Airport Extreme and Time Capsule too:

     

    AirPort base stations: About AirPort base station status lights (LED) - Apple Support

     

    Good luck...

  • by jspell77,

    jspell77 jspell77 Jan 10, 2015 7:23 PM in response to dot.com
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 10, 2015 7:23 PM in response to dot.com

    Wanted to give you a quick recap.  Made a trip to my parents to resolve all this nonsense.  Got everything working!!!  (after about 5-6 hours of phone conversations/waiting with Comcast and a 5 minute call to Apple Support).  The download speed of my parents set up (iMAC - Airport Extreme - Comcast gateway in bridge mode) is 154 mbps!!!!  Wow!  They have a great wireless range throughout the house and outside!! 

    Amber light on airport extreme was still blinking this morning, but Apple support rep gave me a very simple instruction that turned it to a green light...I had to remove check from box that "allows setup over WAN"  (he explained that this just meant I could only make network changes/configurations from inside the network (as opposed to via the internet)).   Such a great feeling when it all works!   Thank you for your help and support! 

  • by dot.com,

    dot.com dot.com Jan 10, 2015 7:50 PM in response to jspell77
    Level 2 (434 points)
    Jan 10, 2015 7:50 PM in response to jspell77

    Congratulations!!!!!

     

    I'm sure your parents are very happy you were able to help get all the speed improvement from their Blast internet connection.

     

    Tell them to take you out for a nice dinner for all your work ;-)

     

    Every time they watch a movie or download a 5GB OS X update, they will remember and thank their lucky stars for having such a wonderfully clever child!!