Slow WIFI is perplexing me???

Question

Kerry Dawson Author

Level 1

36 points

Slow WIFI is perplexing me???

I'm trying to figure out why my devices run slowly from an extremely high speed broadband modem.

I have an iMac ethernet wired to my time capsule. My network runs at 150+ down and 10 megs/sec up.

The ethernet connection is incredible.

Then I have two airport expresses extended in an 1100 condo by no means huge. They connect through in a straight line.

My MacBook Air runs at about 25-35 down and 10 up.

The iPhone at about 50 down and 10 up

The iPad about 15 to 20 down and 10 up.

I've actually seen the MacBook Air run at 75 down.

I can't figure out wy this network runs so slowly as the signal strength is excellent. It's all current equipment bought in the last 6 months.

Does anyone have any idea if this is normal. It seems very abnormal to me.

Thanks

Kerry

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.4), Fusion, 16 gig, i7

Posted on Aug 10, 2013 7:06 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

John Galt

Level 10

140,942 points

Aug 10, 2013 11:38 PM in response to Kerry Dawson

It seems normal to me.

I assume that if your Mac reaches 150 Mbps you're paying for 150 Mbps from your ISP. The MacBook Air's wireless is capable of that and higher speed, but only under nearly ideal conditions. Make sure it is connected to the Extreme's 5 GHz 802.11n network. Using AirPort Utility to assign the 5 GHz network a unique name makes that easy to verify.

As you wrote 1100 sf is not huge and a single Time Capsule would blanket that area with ease - if you were surrounded by few or no competing wireless networks.

Three access points for an 1100 square foot area is a lot. Confirm that you really require two additional Expresses to serve your entire condo. If that is the case it is almost certain wireless interference is limiting your wireless connection speed.

By the way you mentioned the Expresses are connected "in a straight line". Bear in mind each Express should be very approximately equidistant to the Time Capsule - one Express cannot "extend" the signal from the other Express.

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Answer 2

Kerry Dawson Author

Level 1

36 points

Aug 11, 2013 12:40 PM in response to John Galt

Well problem solved. It was the Rogers modem, a Hitron, for their Ultimate service. I got it March 23rd as you needed it for these speeds and noticed there was something off. I kept calling Rogers and it would seem alright after some troubleshooting till this week. The network would constantly go down or underperform.

Roger's was going to send out a tech and I said I'll go and change this modem out as I was suspicious it was that. I'd never had trouble in 14 years and then all of sudden I'm having trouble. But I was changing other things around at the same time like making my cell what they call a Rogersonenumber phone but all that is is turning my phone into a VOIP system so I can talk through my iMac, iPad and Panasonic portable phones over my internet. It's a new tech to Rogers.

So I changed the Rogers Hitron modem out and the network is performing wonderfully. Stable and very fast. The wifi on all devices is running between 2 to 3 x's as fast.

I haven't got this set at the 5 gig hz I don't think so maybe I can squeeze more performance out of it.

I agree I have 1 too many base stations. I use one Airport Express to stream my music. The other the Apple guy said try and see if I've got a bad Airport Express. He just said if it's that exchange it and return the new one which sounded fine. I found it improved things when I added it as a third but not like now.

Even though I'm overloaded with wifi I'm going to keep it. The Airport that is servicing the stereo is at the farthest point from the Time Capsule. The other one is close to the Time Capsule which is in the master bedroom and is close to me as it is the middle bedroom and then I'm in the living room.

All this WIFI I've got running in here though I'm sure is going to zap my brain one of these days.

Not sure whether to switch it to 5 ghz or leave well enough alone.

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