HT202068: Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points

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dovesfly21
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: slow wi-fi with airport extreme

I've got a 200/20 mbps plan with time warner.  I've got a brand new motorola/arris router that supports up to 680mbps.  But I am only getting, at most, 70mbps.  I've called time warner and they ran several diagnostic tests and resets to make sure there weren't any problems.  They said that I need to "check the channel frequency" and "wireless settings" for my airport to fix the problem.  I've poured over dozens of sites to figure this out but can't.  I have the flat rectangle with rounded corners version of airport extreme.   

 

So far, I have updated the firmware of my airport with airport utility.  Then I went to the wireless tab and the 4 options I have are:

 

802.11n (802.11 b/g compatible)

802.11n only (2.4 GHz)

802.11n (802.11a compatible) - currently selected

802.11n only (5 GHz)

 

Then below that Radio Channel is set to "automatic".

 

Help!  We just cancelled cable and our Apple TV is now our tv.  We need a good connection to be able to stream and download stuff on it.

 

Thank you!

iPad 2

Posted on Apr 22, 2015 12:19 PM

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dovesfly21

Q: slow wi-fi with airport extreme

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  • by LaPastenague,Helpful

    LaPastenague LaPastenague Apr 22, 2015 2:31 PM in response to dovesfly21
    Level 9 (52,290 points)
    Wireless
    Apr 22, 2015 2:31 PM in response to dovesfly21
    I have the flat rectangle with rounded corners version of airport extreme.  

    What is the model number from the base.. A1xxx??

     

    If you have the gen1-3 I would say it is simply too old.. the early ones do not do simultaneous dual band.. and you need 5ghz for decent speed.. ie you will never get 200mbps actual speed through 2.4ghz.. apple set it to only 150mbps max link speed..

     

    If you do not get the speed you want by wireless.. please use ethernet.. for video streaming.. that is the only reliable way.

  • by dovesfly21,Helpful

    dovesfly21 dovesfly21 Apr 22, 2015 2:31 PM in response to LaPastenague
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 22, 2015 2:31 PM in response to LaPastenague

    I just checked my serial number.  I've got a 2nd generation.  But I guess I'm still confused bc the drop down menu I see does offer me a 5GHz option (the last one).  If I select that, will that improve my speed?

  • by Bob Timmons,

    Bob Timmons Bob Timmons Apr 22, 2015 3:28 PM in response to dovesfly21
    Level 10 (104,988 points)
    Wireless
    Apr 22, 2015 3:28 PM in response to dovesfly21

    A 2nd Generation AirPort Extreme is going to be anywhere from about 6-8 years old, depending on when it was purchased.......and on average, the useful life of a router designed for home use is about 5 years.......so that may very likely be real a factor here.

     

    The AirPort is likely not performing anywhere near as well as it did 4-5 years ago. This is normal and expected.

     

    But I guess I'm still confused bc the drop down menu I see does offer me a 5GHz option (the last one).  If I select that, will that improve my speed?

    Possibly, but as LaPastenague has already mentioned, your older AirPort is a single band router. While it can produce either a 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz signal, it cannot do both simultaneously as routers introduced in the last 5 years can do.

     

    If all of your devices are capable of connecting to 5 GHz, and you will keep them in close proximity to the AirPort, it could not hurt to try the 5 GHz setting to see if it offers any meaningful improvement.

     

    But, keep in mind that 5 GHz signals are very weak, so they do not penetrate walls, ceilings or other obstructions well at all. In that respect, you really need to think of 5 GHz as a "same room" connection or a "line-of-sight" type of connection.

     

    You may do better to try the 802.11n only 2.4 GHz setting, since that will produce a stronger signal than the 5 GHz setting.

  • by CrashingEchelon,

    CrashingEchelon CrashingEchelon Apr 23, 2015 12:25 PM in response to Bob Timmons
    Level 1 (30 points)
    Apr 23, 2015 12:25 PM in response to Bob Timmons

    I'm having a similar issue but I have the A1408 AirPort Extreme. It's allowing me to get the full 300mbps through ethernet but only 57mbps over Wifi. I posted a new thread in greater detail as to my exact setup.