MacBook WiFi fast, iPhone WiFi slow using AirPort Extreme

I have a Verizon Fios modem/router combo, as well as an AirPort extreme. The modem/router has the wireless broadcast turned off (however it is still working as an ethernet switch), and the AirPort Extreme is plugged into that and set to "Bridge Mode."

In this configuration, your Verizon gateway device not just performing as an Ethernet switch. Instead it is still performing as an Internet router with a built-in Ethernet switch. The gateways is still providing both NAT & DHCP services for the entire network and these services are being "passed through" the Extreme.

Your Extreme, on the other hand, is performing as a combination Wireless Access Point and Ethernet switch.

Since, it appears that all of your wireless clients support 802.11n, I would suggest that you try setting the AirPort's Radio Mode to: "802.11n only (5 GHz) - 802.11n only (2.4 GHz)". By default, it was set to "Automatic" to see if this helps. You can do this via the AirPort Utility, as follows:

• AirPort Utility > Select the Extreme > Edit
• Wireless tab > Wireless Options ... > Radio Mode
• Click Update to write the new settings to the Extreme and allow the base station to restart.

I am getting this same issue. 50+Mbps down on my wired connection. 50+Mbps down on on my Macbook Air, and i'm getting ping of like over 200 and like 2-4Mbps down on my iPhone 5. Even if i connect to my FIOS routers wifi i'm getting the same issue, so its most likely the iPhone. I've reset network settings and renewed lease multiple times. No change.

Any ideas?

First off, hats off to Google search. I put "wifi speed iphone vs macbook" in as my search term, and this page was the second hit.

I'm basically having the same problem as the OP, except I'm not bridging a second router. It's just a solo Actiontec modem/router with wifi.

I've officially got 15/5 FIOS service, but the wired connection at the iMac often delivers 20/5 to 25/5. Macbook Pro and the PS3 Slim get a comfortable 9-12 Mb down consistently.

The iPod 5 and iPhone 5? Can barely get them about 5 Mb down. Not sure what the issue is. The Actiontec only does G, but that's not bothering the Macbook Pro, which is N.

Is it possible that the iOS device, for whatever reason, can't properly process a G wifi signal? Any help is appreciated.

UPDATE: I've set the Actiontec to broadcast G only. No good; the iOS devices barely get 2.5 MB down.

Bizzare.

So I set my wifi to G only. The iPhone 5 is now getting 12 Mpbs down. Per Sunnylunny's comment at the bottom of this page, on the iPod 5 I set Safari to private browising in the Settings.

Now I'm getting 7 Mpbs down on the iPod. Really beginning to think there's something screwy going on in iOS 6's wifi handling.

EDIT: Turned off Private Browsing. Now getting 11 Mbps down. Whatever.

I'm just gonna chip in here to say that I have EXACTLY the same problem -- and EXACTLY the same setup -- as 10132009. I don't have a solution at the moment, just wanted to say that (s)he's not crazy -- which I'm sure (s)he already knows.

Only thing I'd add is that it only became this way very recently -- was routinely getting 30 down on my iPhone in my house. Also, the issue seems specific to downloads speeds, my upload speed is still good.

Have not tried Tesserax's suggestion, as my version of Airport Utility (6.3.1) does not seem to off that option in radio mode.

Any other updates?

Thanks!

Having a very similar issue:

- CenturyLink 40M down/5M up.

- iMac wired/wireless gets over 40 down.

- HP laptop, Windows 7, gets 40 down wireless.

- 3 iPads, 2 iPhones get 2-3M down.

Activated the wireless radio on my CenturyLink provided dsl router and connected iPads and iPhones and all get 30M plus down.

Airport Extreme running 7.6.3.

Airport Extreme is behind CenturyLink DSL router, only doing WiFi to Ethernet bridging. DHCP, NAT, security coming from CenturyLink DSL router (Zyxell or whatever it is).

I think I just figured it out. Because I had the wifi settings for the Radio Mode set to "802.11n only (5Ghz) - 802.11b/g/n, I think the IOS devices were conecting to the 2.5 Ghz radio, and only at B or G (not sure which). Anyways, by default the Airport Extreme only uses a single SSID for the 5Ghz and 2.5Ghz radios. However, there is a check box at the top of the "wireless options" to have a separate SSID for the 5Ghz network name (my old Netgear had this as well). So I checked the box which added a 5Ghz to the end of my current SSID, applied settings, connected my iPhone to the 5Ghz SSID and BAM 40M down.

Here is the step by step:

- Launch Airport Utility

- Click on your Airport Extreme

- Click on "Edit" button to open the settings.

- Click on "Wireless" button at the top.

- Click on "Wireless Options..." button at the bottom.

- Click on the "5GHz network name:" check box.

- Either leave the current SSID with "5GHz" at the end or name it whatever tickles your fancy.

- Click Save.

- Click Update.

- On iPhone and/or iPads connect to new 5Ghz SSID.

Good luck!

Thanks jesseandjodi!

I had the same problem and your solution fixed it!

KJ

I was having the same problem. This fixed it. Thanks!

I found some information indicating a difference in the ethernet frame between Apple wifi adapters and the FiOS wireless access point. Apple has an application in their support section called Broadband Tuner, which updates your ethernet specs to match FiOS. It took my download speed from 50Mbps to 80Mbps immediately.

@miles120:

Make you read this: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4841305

Short story: Broadband Tuner only works with PPC Macs.

Well, I can't speak to whether the sysctl.conf changes are effective (other than my speed tests), but the program does write them on Intel Macs.

FWIW to anyone else reading this, jessandjodi's solution fixed my problem as well. Mini/MPB speeds fine, iPhone/iPad speeds terrible.

NOTE to anyone else about to try it:

I read elsewhere that the 5Ghz band doesn't have the range of the 2.5Ghz, so you can't get as far away from the router (an Airport Extreme in my case) as you could when on the 2.5Ghz signal. This has been demonstrably true in my case - at the far end of our apartment the 5Ghz signal drops completely from my iPhone, where the 2.5Ghz signal would still fluctuate between one and two bars.

That being said, the speeds I was getting on that 2.5Ghz band were so terrible that it didn't really matter that I could use it at the far end of our apartment. So, I added a dedicated 5Ghz signal per jessandjodi's instructions and have logged onto that signal with my iPhone and iPad. Speeds are what they should be now. And if I really need to reach the far end of our apartment, I'll just get an Airport Express or something and put it in that room.

I'm no network expert, but I assume there was just too much interference on the 2.5Ghz band. I live in an apartment building, and a scan of available wifi signals turns up about 40, and all but about 5 or 6 of them on 2.5Ghz.