Q: max wifi speed mid-2014 MBP

To get an idea of what your MacBook Pro is capable of please check out the following Pure Speed review. Note: In this review the Mac is a 2013 MacBook Air. You will see that they achieved maximum bandwidth of 547 Mbps with the MBA in the same room as the 802.11ac AirPort Extreme base station.

I have the same MBP you do, but am not certain about the numbers.  I checked to see which wi-fi card my computer has and got the numbers from "about this mac."

This shows me it is a Broadcom BCM43XX 1.0 (7.5.166.24.3).  I called Broadcom and found the maximum speed for this card is . . . 1.5 Mbps (yes one and a half mega bits per second, or 187,000 characters per second).  It doesn't go faster because it cannot.

I am getting a new MBP and this time insisting that I am given the Wi-Fi manufacturer and model number in advance.  FYI.  Broadcom tells me they are no longer going to make the chip for Apple.  They will be able to provide a replacement, 10X faster chip for about $50.

This shows me it is a Broadcom BCM43XX 1.0 (7.5.166.24.3).  I called Broadcom and found the maximum speed for this card is . . . 1.5 Mbps (yes one and a half mega bits per second, or 187,000 characters per second).  It doesn't go faster because it cannot.

This is not correct. I don't know who you got in broadcom but since the earliest wifi .. ie b standard is 11Mbps and every standard since then has gone up in leaps and bounds the speed of the card in a 2014 MBP is at least dual stream AC.. which is 866Mbps that is link speed not actual throughput.

My ancient now (2011 MBP and Mini have identical wireless chips)

You have confused wireless chip with wireless firmware revision.

en1:

  Card Type: AirPort Extreme  (0x14E4, 0xE4)

  Firmware Version: Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.106.98.100.17)

  MAC Address: 28:37:37:15:4d:6f

  Locale: APAC

  Country Code: AU

  Supported PHY Modes: 802.11 a/b/g/n

  Supported Channels: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 100, 104, 108, 112, 116, 132, 136, 140, 149, 153, 157, 161, 165

  Wake On Wireless: Supported

  AirDrop: Supported

  Status: Connected

Any driver will likely show BCM43xx because it is the driver name.. simple as that.

They will be able to provide a replacement, 10X faster chip for about $50.

Apple use unique wireless cards.. so you cannot update to a new card or chipset.

Find the current link speed by holding down the option key and clicking the wireless icon in the top menu area.

This is using a later Mac with a standard broadcom AC card. All of later Macs are fitted with AC wireless cards.

Check the specs on all the 2014 Macs and I think you will be hard pressed to find a single one without AC wireless.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/by_year/macs-released-in-2014.html

Certainly every single MBP has AC wireless.

I am so thankful for all of your corrections and advice.

Not unusual that I would read all of the product numbers to Broadcom and they replied back to me.  I wonder why Broadcom put in print that they would no longer be manufacturing cards for Apple?

If my wi-fi card is capable of greater speed then how to do you suggest I proceed with fixing it, not testing it, fixing it?

If you use El Capo did you upgrade install?? If so there are heaps of wireless issues associated with update.

There is a very useful post I kept by Linc Davis who is one of the gurus around that area.

Re: My Macbook pro won't stay connected to the WiFi!

What model wireless router do you have?

If you have issues with speed please post full details with screenshots.. same one I did.. hold option key and click the wireless fan.. I need to see that info.

Also do the Apple wireless diagnostics and screenshots of the performance scan.