Airport Time Capsules and new Fiber network

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It seems if I switch my MacBook Air to my 5Ghz, it switches my Mac mini to it as well. Not sure if that would slow everything down as the Mac mini doesn't have a 'ac' wireless card in it.

These should be independent of each other. That is, if you specifically connect your MacBook Air (MBA) to the 5 GHz wireless network, it should have no affect to the Mac mini. You would have to manually switch network on the mini. Also, the 802.11ac model only operates on the 5 GHz band. By default, your Time Capsule (TC) broadcasts two wireless networks, one on the 2.4 GHz band and the other on the 5 GHz band, that use the same network name. Each wireless device then attempts to connect to the TC's wireless radio that it perceives has the best signal strength. Typically, if the device is within the same room, it will connect to the 5 GHz band, otherwise it would connect to the 2.4 GHz band.

For future reference, the following radio modes operate on the following bands:

• 802.11b/g/n - 2.4 GHz
• 802.11a/n/ac - 5 GHz band
• Note that "ac" can operate on either band.

Depending on the exact model of your mini, it would be capable of one of the following:

• 802.11b/g (the original up to the Mid 2007 models)
• 802.11a/b/g/n (Early 2009 - Late 2012 models)
• 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (Late 2004+ models)

I have two devices that can’t run on the 5GHz network. They should be connected to the 2.4 one. But because I have my Apple ID on them, one might be switching to the 5GHz network due to that “feature” of wireless network syncing with the Apple ID.

Not sure I understand what you are referring to by a "feature" of wireless network syncing with the Apple ID. If you are referring to syncing to iCloud, then it doesn't matter whether the wireless connection is on the 2.4 or 5 GHz band.

I suggest the following:

1. Power-down the extending AirPort Extreme base station (AEBS). Leave the "main" AEBS running.
2. Temporarily connect your Mac mini (or any desktop/notebook) to one of the available LAN ports on the main AEBS. If you have to move your mini to the main AEBS, I suggest that you do for these tests. Of course, this is where a notebook would come in handy.
3. Use Speedtest.net to run a baseline Internet speed test. You should be getting near the rated speed that your ISP is providing you as the AEBS is capable of achieving around 450-500 Mbps via an Ethernet port when operating as a router. Ref: Apple AirPort Extreme (802.11ac) Reviewed - SmallNetBuilder
4. Now disconnect your mini and reconnect it to the main AEBS by wireless. Run Speedtest.net again and note the speeds. Those speeds would be around 155 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 400 (limited to 300 by your ISP) Mbps on the 5 GHz band.

Please post back your findings.

While you are running the test Tesserax has requested, open activity monitor to ensure nothing else is happening on the MBA to reduce download speed. There is a small graph at the bottom of the network tab.. it will give you the total flow of data in and out of the computer at 1sec intervals.

The mini and whatever other equipment you have should be turned OFF or disconnected while you do the test. Otherwise the speeds measured are affected by other items on your network.

If you still get low speed, it might help to run some diagnostics. Wireless Diagnostics in the Mac is not of much use directly but the scan function can help.

Press the option key while you click the wireless fan in the top menu so you get the full details and the option to run diagnostics. See near the top the Open Wireless Diagnostics.. more below.

But there is a lot of info just in this shot. So my link speed is 867Mbps. And signal level is -52dBm.. this is good signal.

BTW this should be closed during speed tests as it will interfere as it checks stats during a test.

Now look at the Time Capsule which will show speed at the TC.

To do this just click the icon of the TC in airport utility.. and hover your mouse pointer over the computer name (or IP or MAC address of the MBA, it can be any of the three).

Notice the data rate at the Time Capsule is MUCH POORER than at the computer. 351Mbps. Wireless is a two way dance and it is not at all unusual to get fairly dramatic differences between speeds on each end of the link.. and hence high upload and slow download speed or visa versa.

To use the wireless diagnostics in the computer when you open it.. you will get the screen below. If you click continue it will run an automatic test and spit out a couple of suggestions with a massive file on your desktop you are presumably supposed to send to Apple. It seldom helps. There is no need to run it (First time I guess won't hurt).

Ignore continue..

Go to the top menu. Click on window and then scan.

Another popup will appear. Run scan on the bottom right corner of the box..

Scan will check all the wireless around you.

You can shut the first screen with continue now.

Pull the boarders to open up all the columns and rows and check particularly for wifi in the area that is on the same channel you are using at fairly high signal levels as that can cause issues.

Wireless off. Extender off.

Mac mini is plugged into network jack on Airport. I am getting 280 up and down.

• MacBook Air, on the 5Ghz network, I get 115 down and 260 up.

Ok, it looks like your are getting your ISP rated Internet speeds with the mini connected to the AEBS by Ethernet. For the MacBook Air, if it is near the AEBS when you ran the test, then only the download speed looks suspicious. I would expect it to be nearly the same as the upload speed. I suggest running this a few more times just for the MBA to see if the results improve or not. Again, please post back your results.

Ive run the speed test a number of times using only one access point and having the Mac Mini off. I keep getting 120Mpbs. Isn't the that top speed of an N network?

FYI ... 802.11n can operate on both the 2.4 & 5 GHz bands. The maximum potential data rate could be around 217 or 450 Mbps respectively, and will be based on the quality of the connection between the devices. One measure for that is the MCS Index value. The maximum you can expect this value to be for an 802.11n connection (regardless of the band) is: 23.

As per Tesserax's comment..

I keep getting 120Mpbs. Isn't the that top speed of an N network?

No.. that is top speed (well almost) for single stream wireless on 2.4ghz.. double stream it is 217. But the 2.4ghz band is overloaded.. and the more devices are used on the band the worse the result.

You need to use 5ghz. And you really need to use AC wireless to achieve throughput anywhere near 300Mbps.. You must have sync speed of at least 600Mbps to achieve it.