Airport Extreme Poor WiFi Performance

I've been doing periodic bandwidth tests with speedtest.net for several years now. I have an account, so my results are saved. I do them from a Mac Mini and also from my iPad.

The MacMini is hardwired to an Airport Extreme. The iPad is, of course, using WiFi. Usually it is on the 5GHz network, but sometimes (I have no idea why) it selects the 2.4GHz network. The 5GHz network is "n only", the 2.4GHz network is b/g/n. Security is WPA/WPA Personal. The Airport Extreme is on firmware 7.6.1. (I rolled back in December, a couple of months after I noticed the degraded WiFi performance.)

Until mid-October of last year, the results on the iPad were similar to those on the MacMini.

For example:

On October 4 : iPad - 10.27 Mbps; Mini - 11.25 Mbps

On July 21 : iPad - 10.13 Mbps; Mini - 11.39 Mbps

However, beginning with tests done in late October, the results for the iPad are markedly inferior to those of the Mini:

On January 17: iPad - 00.49 Mbps; Mini - 06.14 Mbps

Today : iPad - 00.87 Mbps; Mini - 08.69 Mbps

Oddly, when I switch the iPad to the 2.4GHz network, it does much better: 2.40 Mbps (today) But, still, much worse than before October and much worse than the Mac Mini. All the iPhones in the house are on the 2.4GHz network and get results similar to the iPad. However, none of them have as much test history saved.

I don't think it's a question of interference. None of my neighbors have 5GHz capable routers. On 2.4 GHz, I'm using channel 1. Both of my neighbors with routers are on channel 6. No cordless phones or other cordless devices in this house.

I have recently reset the network settings on both the iPad and iPhone.

So, what did I do to mess up the WiFi on my Airport Extreme?

Posted on Jan 19, 2014 11:37 PM

20 replies

Buadhai Author

Level 1

90 points

Jan 21, 2014 9:10 PM in response to LaPastenague

Exactly what I thought. None of the changes I made should have had any effect.

Yes, I am using PPPoE on the AE.

Thanks for sticking with me. It was your suggestions and gentle goading that kept me at it. I have to admit, though, that I did do a little online window shopping for a new router....

rankincd

Level 1

0 points

Feb 8, 2015 9:56 AM in response to Buadhai

Where do you change the WAN port speed? I don't see that setting anywhere.

Bob Timmons

Level 10

185,492 points

Feb 8, 2015 9:59 AM in response to rankincd

You have to use a 5.x version of AirPort Utility on a Mac running Leopard, Snow Leopard or a PC with AirPort Utility installed on the device.

Apple removed the WAN port settings when they introduced the 6.x version of AirPort Utility about 3 years ago.

coreai

Level 1

17 points

Jul 6, 2015 3:41 AM in response to Buadhai

I am having this issue with the latest AE (802.11ac) .. I have a 100mbps connection and at 1Ft from the router I get ~40Mbps on iPhone6 on 2.4 GHz and ~18Mbps on 5GHz ... YEAH!! NO KIDDING!!! ... I have a 100mbps PPPoE connection and the performance of this thing is garbage ... it keeps giving me poor performance ... streaming videos is a headache ... I have an old ASUS RT N12 C1 which gives me 72mbps on dd-wrt wired and about 25mbps on wifi on iPhone6 and streams videos like a boss in 4K on my MBP retina ... I have started to think Apple is doing a ****** job with wifi routers ... I had previously bought a 2TB TC 802.11ac ... back then I had a 2mbps connection so I couldn't really test it out ... I sold it cause I never thought I would need a fast router cause of my such slow network ... so I bought this ... 100mbps on this thing is a dream that will never come true ... i do get those speeds wired directly to the modem ... I have tried every setting on this router and also tried setting it up using a windows airport utility which offers more options ... nothing works ... I am stuck at 7.7.3 firmware and can't go back to any firmware cause thats the only option I can see in the firmwares ... currently I have given it for testing to the Apple service centre here in India ... it would be really helpful if I get a replacement ... but I doubt they will cause testing it using a FTP server via LAN will definitely transfer files fast ... its the Internet that ***** on these things ... I hope apple issues a firmware update to fix such issues ... their processors in these things are already faster than any routers out there ...

Will265

Level 1

4 points

Jan 20, 2017 3:04 PM in response to LaPastenague

Thank you..... Doubled my speed from 50Mbps to 100Mbps by changing channels to your recommendation.

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Airport Extreme Poor WiFi Performance