Q: Wifi drops when streaming horizon
Hi guys,
Ever since I found out that I could watch tv on my laptop via horizon tv (a tv streaming service of my internet provider, Ziggo), I use it. I stream within safari via a webpage. Safari's up to date.
But, when streaming and simultaneously working on something else (another webpage, viewing photo's with preview, or working with adobe [illustrator or photoshop are the worst]) my WiFI keeps dropping. The wifi symbol in the right hand corner just 'empties out' (so no connection with the WiFi networks, no bars whatsoever). It takes a few seconds and then it reconnects again, only to fail again after half a minute or so.
As you can imagine, this is very, very, very frustrating.
I've swapped switches and WiFi access points, changed WiFi preferences (channel and such, checked with the wifi diagnostics to find best channel etc.) and tried other networks within my main network at home (we have a total of 2 WiFi access points on top of our main router since it can't reach the whole house). Nothing seems to work. The Wifi Access points are cisco, the switches are from netgear and the modem's from ubee. The main router is a (rather intimidating looking) Netgear.
My wifi access point is connected to a 100mbit switch which is directly connected to the main router which is directly connected to the modem.
But, since the rest of my appliances seem to working fine when I stream something, I'm afraid it's got something to do with my laptop.
Which is frustrating, because it's relatively new and a major upgrade since my last macbook.
I've got a new macbook pro retina 13" (bought last december) with the following specs:
2,9-GHz processor
512 GB harddisk
- 2,9-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
- Turbo Boost tot 3,3 GHz
- 16 GB 1866-MHz LPDDR3-geheugen
- 512 GB PCIe-flashopslag1
- Intel Iris Graphics 6100
On top of this I use an external monitor via the displayport & VGA.
So I really hope someone can help me, maybe it's some streaming-processing file on my mac which interferes with WiFi when I'm doing more than just browsing internet? Because the issue only seems to pop up when I'm streaming something AND working on something simultaneously (a webpage often reloaded, a 'heavy' program like one of the adobe suite)..
Thanks in advance.
MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4), 3,1 GHz i7; 16GB; Iris 6100 1536mb;
Posted on Apr 25, 2016 11:34 AM
And my streaming issues are thus caused by the network(settings) and not by my Mac itself?
Neither of those.
Your streaming issues are caused by having WAY too many other Routers hogging the 2.4GHz band. When all is idle, you it appears you can get anything through no problem, because your signal is a lot stronger than their idle polling. But the instant any of those others tries to send data as well, your data will get clobbered. Then your effective speed will drop way off, and your Mac will [rightly] disconnect. Your Hardware is working as designed, but you are asking it to do too much.
Your signal is very strong. Do you have your Router right next to your computer? Is it on an Ethernet cable? If both are true, you would be better served by getting an Ethernet adapter for your computer and plugging directly in to Ethernet.
If you have a Router being used as an extender without an Ethernet connection, that means it uses half its bandwidth talking to another Router, and likely has to talk through that crowded mess on 2.4 GHZ.
The Router on the 5GHz band is right on top of a neighbor's Router. The easiest thing to fix that up a little is to set it to "Automatic" channel selection. Then when it powers up, it will choose a channel that is less busy, rather than trying to yell over a neighbor'd Router on the 5GHz band.
Posted on Apr 26, 2016 6:13 PM








