Speednet test previously read 450mps but now only 150mps

If you are checking using WiFi connections, it would be better to first check using a wired Ethernet connection from your computer to one of the LAN <--> ports on the AirPort Extreme to get the wired connection up to speed first. Reason.....if Ethernet is not up to speed on the AIrPort, then WiFi never will be either.

If you cannot check using a wired Ethernet connection from your computer direct to the AirPort, then check to see if the computer is connecting at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The reason for this would be that the top speed for 2.4 GHz is about 150 Mbps.

The computer will need to be connecting at 5 GHz for speeds higher than 130-150 Mbps.

The 6th Gen AirPort was introduced in June 2013, so given the fact that it takes a year or more to bring a new product to market, the 6th Gen really represents 6+ year old technology.

Apple never made any changes or improvements to the hardware on the 6th Gen during the 5 years that they sold the product up until April 2018 when they announced that they were discontinuing the AirPort line of products.

I'm using a 6th Gen AirPort that is a little over 2 years old and it performs well with a 300 Mbps Internet connection. That being said, I'll probably replace the product in the next year or two since it will be 7-8 years behind the curve, technology wise at that time.

If you are thinking about the 6th Gen, you would want to have a clear understanding of the return policy before you buy, in case things don't work out as well as expected.

If you were getting 450+ Mbps with the Spectrum router, you might want to take another look at that product, since you already know that the product is optimized for use with the Spectrum service.

If you changed modems, then you need to reset the AirPort back to factory default settings and then set it up again so that it will pick up optimized settings from the new modem.

If you did not reset the AirPort, then it is still using the settings that are optimized to work with your "old" modem.

Soft Reset is holding the reset button for 1 second and then releasing the button. Normally, you would do this if you have forgotten the password for the AirPort and need to get into the settings using AirPort Utility.

Hard Reset is holding the reset button for 5+ seconds or more and then releasing. This erases all the current network settings and resets them to factory defaults so the device can be set up again.

Factory Reset is basically the same thing as a Hard Reset. It won't hurt to do this, but it won't help either unless you just want to try something different. This reset is difficult for most users, because you almost have to have 3 hands to do it.

If you want to try this, power off the AirPort and leave it off a few minutes. Hold in the reset button first, and keep holding it in while you plug the power cord back into the AirPort. Keep holding the reset button for another 5+ seconds after you have plugged the power cord back in. Release the reset button to let the AirPort restart.

Ran out of edit time.

The 5th Gen AirPort Extreme was discontinued in June 2013, so the AirPort is at least 5+ years old and as much as 7+ depending on when it was first placed into service.

5 years is about it as far as the average useful life of a router designed for home use, so unless the AirPort has been sitting for a long time unused, it has already been working for 5+ years.

Can you clarify on that please?

Unfortunately, there is no way that I know of to improve the performance of a product that is well past its time.

We can go through some more settings checks, etc., but I would be very surprised if anything changes for the better.

Good luck!

shouldn’t the Airport Express output the same via WiFi as before?

Sorry, confused.

The first part of your post asks about an AirPort Extreme. Now you are asking about an AirPort Express. The AirPort Express has only 100 Mbps Ethernet ports, so it will never approach the speed capability of an AirPort Extreme.

iPhone is not a good device to use to test WiFi speeds, since it has only one tiny WiFi antenna buried inside the device.

I have a 300 Mbps Spectrum connection here and the AirPort Extreme delivers that speed over both Ethernet and WiFi when I check using a Mac. I just ran a few checks using my iPhone and they came in at 120 Mbps, 150 Mbps and 220 Mbps. The Mac checks out at 310 Mbps, 318 Mbps and 315 Mbps measuring from the same location as the iPhone.

Please run a few checks if you have a Mac.

We asked if the device was connecting at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Could you provide that information please, since 2.4 GHz will never be any higher than about 150 Mbps.