Slow Download Speed on macbook pro

nyrendahl: With all the Macs you've got at your location, it seems you ought to be a fine candidate for some direct tech support from Apple. You won't get that here; these are user-to-user forums. Call AppleCare or whatever enterprise support number you've been given and explain the situation, including the fact that you've got all those Macs and all the new ones are problematic. Good luck!

I just got a new 13 inch MacBook a few days ago and I'm having the exact same problem. I don't think it has anything to do with my network, router, etc. My ancient 15 inch PowerBook G4 and my husband's crappy Dell are downloading things just fine. It came loaded with OS X 10.6.3. When I try to download the 10.6.4 update, it's so slow it will literally take days. Same thing whether I do it from software update or directly from Apple Support downloads. It's infuriating.

I would agree that it is infuriating. I've had it 1 day, the download speed of updates is terribly slow, it is curently telling me it will take 167 hours for 1.1GB of data. I truly hope this is not what to expect from an Apple product (my first) Everything else on the network here works fine, wired or wireless, except the macbook.

I am running into the exact same problem.. anyone have any ideas?
I have the new macbook pro 15 inch intel core i5 and downloading anything is so so so slow...
it also slows down my whole entire network down it seems like.

Hi Dave,

I have the same problem and a new MacBook Pro i5.

I checked my download speeds and it says 10 mb and 2mb upload with Comcast. Other Computer works fine (old Dell). I am using a linksys wireless router.

Please Help

go to speedtest.net and run a test on your broadband. Slow download speeds isn;t a MBP issue, it's a network issue. Also, do you have a Wireless-N router? make sure that your home router has a lot of bandwidth too. Hope this helps.

I have been having the same issue recently on my mid 2007 imac. This is not a network issue. I have a Windows 7 PC using the same wireless-N network running with no issues (It's a shame to see). With speedtest the PC gets 11.45Mbs down and 1.42Mbs up solid. My iMac gets between 3Mbs and 8Mbs down and 1.42Mbs up. That download speed by itself would not be an issue except that this is the average of the speedtest and the reason it comes down from 11.45Mbs is that there is much delay and some packet loss during the test. Sometimes the test doesn't even finish completely. This causes pauses during web browsing and is very frustrating. In Safari I see the progress bar shoot across to about .25 and pause, then quickly to .75 and pause, finally it completes.

Download has high response times and packet loss during network activity. Upload is solid at 1.42Mbs. The issue appears to be in the download direction.

I just replaced my airport extreme card and still see the issue. It seems whenever I make a change like remove the network and re-add it, it works good for a little while and then starts degrading again. The same is true after I replaced the wireless-N card. Worked great for a few hours and then started degrading again.

I'm not sure, but I think this started around the time I upgraded to 10.6.4.

I'm very unhappy with the last 12 Mac Computers i5's we have put into production. There Download performance is terrible it starts of fast and then stalls out. The Snow Leopard Mac's 10.6.3 and 10.6.4 have cost me many hours of support and network trouble shooting! Here's the Deal, We have a 20/20 mb fiber line coming into our office, Can watch the graph in and out! not maxed out by any means. Even tried it after hours no better. we have about 50 other mac's in the same office running 10.5.x..... No issue downloads and uploads are fast and steady. Windows XP and 7 pc's run at the same pace no issues great download and great up. The problem has happened in these new snowleopard macs 10.6.3. example Just got a MacBookPro 15inch in today took it out of the box hooked it up loaded the screen got it up and running.... FRESH From Apple! started downloads took off good. 4 hrs later i was at 261.1 mb completed this was at 1:58 pm it is now 4 p.m. 2 hrs late and im at 274.7 MB less than 14mb. nothing is wrong with the network all other computers MAC or PC are working fine but all the MAC's we have put into place in the last 4 months are having the same issue! I tested it out i have my PC, my G5 (10.5.x), my IMac i5, and my MAC Pro i7 all sitting at desk all on a gigibit network connection piped into my 20mb line nothing else going on this switch. 500mb file download from the internet from another remote location... Started the Imac and the Mac Pro first. then my g5 and my Pc (HP 8710p). G5 and the PC, took right around 15 min to download the other two "NEW" computers are still going 4 and a 1/2 hours later they say they have 20 min remaining if you have a Fix for this apple please let me know! Fyi in my trouble shooting... if you go bop around on the slow Mac's on the internet for a bit it seem's to speed up the process a bit !?!?!?!?

@ndyrendah have you found an anwser yet??

I am experiencing this problem for some time now, it seems to be 10.6
I didn't experience this in 10.5 as far as my knowledge goes...

I am using Macbook Core Duo 1,83, 2GB, 500GB from 2006.

Hi everyone!

I'm new to Apple products and just purchased a new MBP 13.3in 4gb/250HD/2.4Ghz laptop...I see people state the year(not sure why) but I'm not sure what mine is or how to find out.

I'm having the same problem where download speeds are really slow. LIke I can barely watch YouTube videos and some forums I go to pictures takes a while to DL. I tried to do the software update and that says it'll take like 8hrs. I'm currently running 10.6.3

I used my old Compaq which has MANY problems and is very slow but still can DL faster than my new Mac most of the time.

I spoke to tech support and all he could say was take my MBP to a hot spot and see if it was faster which i did and I was able to watch YouTube vids a little faster but DL speed for new software was still a little high. He also mention what my router set up was asking something about WEP or WAP2 which I'm on WAP2 but I don't know that could make it faster or how to change it since my roommate has it all set up.

I went to speedtest.net and I believe it was something like 2 megabits.

Now I really don't know anything about computers or what all these computer specs really mean so I hope someone can really help me out. I'm going to try and give Apple a call tomorrow and see if they can help.

Any tips?

I have exactly the same problem like that and I also have exactly the same scenario. I have tried connecting it with a Wirless N router, using wirless, using ethernet and nothing happens. Once i start to download the speeds is ridiculously slow and since 10.6.4 this issue has happened? Which puzzules me?

can anyone help?

I download at 1.45mpb/s solid on my HP windows 7 laptop...

@ lckychrmsbboy

I got similar speeds to you exactly. I don't understand what the problem is! Can APPLE SORT THIS OUT... ITS RIDIUCULOUS paying over £1,200 for a Mac, when PC which is half, if not, less in than that in price can do a simple thing - Like download QUICKER.. Its just ridiculous!! And here I am thinking its my netgear dg834g (v3) router the problem,,,

HELP!! APPLE!!! JUST DO SOMETHING!!!!