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slow internet on ethernet and wifi - but replug solves the problem. help!

Hi,


I got a new airport time capsule. using a 2013 rMBP. using a thunderbolt 2 dock to link up the mac + airport.


my issue is, my ethernet speed on average is about 180mbps (on 200mbps plan). wifi...usually above 100mbps. periodically, my speed drops to like 5-10mbps on ethernet. worst on wifi..like 3mbps? if I unplug+replug the socket for airport time capsule, it went back to normal. note: I tried to "restart" the ATC on airport utility, but the speed remains at 5-10mbps. only "replug" the socket helps..


it happened a few times and I could not find any solution online, except to factory reset the ATC. but, it's quite new like 3 days old. if I reset it, I still keep my backups?

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.2)

Posted on Feb 28, 2015 6:50 AM

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3 replies

Feb 28, 2015 12:09 PM in response to Benny Ng

The airport and TC both have wan port issues..


I want you to test your LAN speed to another device.. so if you have another computer you can plug in by ethernet would be ideal but even just using another device on wireless, copy files to and from it.. and get a speed.. If that is still fast and the WAN speed is slow.. tell us more about your whole network.


What modem do you have? How is the TC connected to it and in what mode?


A few screenshots from the airport utility might also be a help so we can see your setup.


Yosemite is problematic at all times.


So I have done a basic list of issues that might still need a fix.


Factory reset universal

Power off the TC.. ie pull the power cord or power off at the wall.. wait 10sec.. hold in the reset button.. be gentle.. power on again still holding in reset.. and keep holding it in for another 10sec. You may need some help as it is hard to both hold in reset and apply power. It will show success by rapidly blinking the front led. Release the reset.. and wait a couple of min for the TC to reset and come back with factory settings. If the front LED doesn’t blink rapidly you missed it and simply try again. The reset is fairly fragile in these.. press it so you feel it just click and no more.. I have seen people bend the lever or even break it. I use a toothpick as tool.

N.B. None of your files on the hard disk of the TC are deleted.. this simply clears out the router settings of the TC.


Setup the TC again.


ie Start from a factory reset. No files are lost on the hard disk doing this.


Then redo the setup from the computer with Yosemite.

1. Use very short names.. NOT APPLE RECOMMENDED names. No spaces and pure alphanumerics.

eg TCgen5 and TCwifi for basestation and wireless respectively.


Even better if the issue is more wireless use TC24ghz and TC5ghz with fixed channels as this also seems to help stop the nonsense. But this can be tried in the second round.


2. Use all passwords that also comply but can be a bit longer. ie 8-20 characters mixed case and numbers.. no non-alphanumerics.


3. Ensure the TC always takes the same IP address.. you will need to do this on the main router using dhcp reservation.. or a bit more complex setup using static IP in the TC. But this is important.. having IP drift all over the place when Yosemite cannot remember its own name for 5 min after a reboot makes for poor networking. If the TC is main router it will not be an issue.


4. Check your share name on the computer is not changing.. make sure it also complies with the above.. short no spaces and pure alphanumeric.. but this change will mess up your TM backup.. so be prepared to do a new full backup. Sorry.. keep this one for second round if you want to avoid a new backup.


5. Mount the TC disk in the computer manually.


In Finder, Go, Connect to server from the top menu,

Type in SMB://192.168.0.254 (or whatever the TC ip is which you have now made static. As a router by default it is 10.0.1.1 and I encourage people to stick with that unless you know what you are doing).


You can use name.. SMB://TCgen5.local where you replace TCgen5 with your TC name.. local is the default domain of the TC and doesn't change.

However names are not so easy as IP address.. nor as reliable. At least not in Yosemite they aren't. The domain can also be an issue if you are not plugged or wireless directly to the TC.


6. Make sure IPv6 is set to link-local only in the computer. For example wireless open the network preferences, wireless and advanced / TCP/IP.. and fix the IPv6. to link-local only.




There is a lot more jiggery pokery you can try but the above is a good start.. if you find it still unreliable.. don't be surprised.

You might need to do some more work on the laptop itself. eg Reset the PRAM.. has helped some people. Clean install of the OS is also helpful if you upgrade installed.


Tell us how you go.



Someone posted a solution.. See this thread.


Macbook can't find Time Capsule anymore


Start from the bottom and work up.. I have a list of good network practice changes but I have avoided Yosemites bug heaven.


This user has had success and a few others as well.


RáNdÓm GéÉzÁ


Yosemite has serious DNS bug in the networking application.. here is the lets say more arcane method of fixing it by doing a network transplant from mavericks.


http://arstechnica.com/apple/2015/01/why-dns-in-os-x-10-10-is-broken-and-what-yo u-can-do-to-fix-it/

Feb 28, 2015 7:11 PM in response to LaPastenague

hi LaPastenague


thanks for the detailed advice. that's more complicated that i thought it will be. 😟 following your points:-


  • i tested with my wife's MBA with an usb-ethernet port. the results is still the same. 11mbps.
  • i am using a huawei HG8240 echolife router. my homeplugs are sineoji 1800mbps. setup is

router - homeplug A - homeplug B - TC - startech thunderbolt dock 2 - rMBP

i will go through your methods with the factory reset first. usually, the drop in connection happens the next morning. (it's morning now and i am on slow connection again.) it may take a couple of days before i solve my problem, hopefully. i will update again.

thanks again.

slow internet on ethernet and wifi - but replug solves the problem. help!

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