How do I fix slow internet speed issue on my MacBook Air M3?

My internet speed on 2024 M# MacBook Air has slowed to 30 Mbps. My iPhone 16 Pro is at 980 Mbps when connected to the same router. Router has been restarted and I have closed all open windows on the MacBok and restarted it. No better. All software is up to date. Any idea?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.5

Posted on May 21, 2025 3:11 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 21, 2025 3:31 PM

Let's start by checking the wireless quality and strength at the location MacBook Air. For this step, temporarily place your laptop near your wireless router/access point.


  1. Hold down Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the macOS menu bar.
  2. Note the values for: Security, Channel, Country Code, RSSI, Noise, Tx Rate, PHY Mode, MCS Index, and NSS.
  3. Now move your laptop to a location where you mainly use it. Again, note those values.
  4. Post back your findings.


One measurement for signal quality is the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). SNR = RSSI - Noise.


These values are in dB and are typically negative. For RSSI, the less negative the better; for Noise, the more negative the better.


For reference:

SNR Guidelines

  • 40+dB = Excellent signal
  • 25dB to 40dB = Very good signal
  • 30dB = Minimum range boundary (voice)
  • 5dB to 25dB = Low signal
  • 20dB = Minimum range boundary (data)
  • 10dB to 15dB = Very low signal
  • 5dB to 10dB = Little or no signal
3 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 21, 2025 3:31 PM in response to INKMAN0

Let's start by checking the wireless quality and strength at the location MacBook Air. For this step, temporarily place your laptop near your wireless router/access point.


  1. Hold down Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the macOS menu bar.
  2. Note the values for: Security, Channel, Country Code, RSSI, Noise, Tx Rate, PHY Mode, MCS Index, and NSS.
  3. Now move your laptop to a location where you mainly use it. Again, note those values.
  4. Post back your findings.


One measurement for signal quality is the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). SNR = RSSI - Noise.


These values are in dB and are typically negative. For RSSI, the less negative the better; for Noise, the more negative the better.


For reference:

SNR Guidelines

  • 40+dB = Excellent signal
  • 25dB to 40dB = Very good signal
  • 30dB = Minimum range boundary (voice)
  • 5dB to 25dB = Low signal
  • 20dB = Minimum range boundary (data)
  • 10dB to 15dB = Very low signal
  • 5dB to 10dB = Little or no signal

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How do I fix slow internet speed issue on my MacBook Air M3?

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