Level 2

164 points

What max Mbps can I expect with iPhone 6s

when I look at Airport Utility /Wireless clients and pick the iPhone SE, the connection says excellent, Data Rate says 150 Mb/s, RSSI -53 dBm, Mode 802.11a/n. This changes with distance from the AEBS, but this is what I get sitting right next to it with the iPhone SE. I get approximately 100 Mb/s but nowhere near what I get on my iPad Air 2 (150-200 Mb/s). I don’t understand why the speeds are so much lower on the iPhone.

My wife’s iPhone 6 gets about the same speed and Airport Utility shows the connection under wireless clients to be similar to the SE.

i read in the AEBS User Guide that iPhones connect to 2.4 GHz and newer iPads and Macs connect to 5 GHz. I wouldn’t think the band would limit the throughput to as low as 100 Mbps.

iPhone SE, iOS 11.2.2, 32 GB

Posted on Jan 27, 2018 6:25 AM

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22 replies

pgoodwin Author

Level 2

164 points

Jan 27, 2018 8:54 AM in response to pgoodwin

“to” should be “too”.

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Jan 27, 2018 8:54 AM in response to pgoodwin

That sounds like a reasonable explanation to me. 🙂

pgoodwin Author

Level 2

164 points

Jan 27, 2018 8:57 AM in response to Csound1

Yeah. Thanks. My gear is performing much in the same way as Bob’s on our 200 Mbps ISP plan.

Csound1

Level 9

60,063 points

Jan 27, 2018 9:00 AM in response to pgoodwin

Much as I like a fast connection, in practice it is rather irrelevant for a phone, its always fast enough.

pgoodwin Author

Level 2

164 points

Jan 27, 2018 9:03 AM in response to Bob Timmons

One last question. How can you tell if a device is connected at 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz ?

Jan 27, 2018 11:46 AM in response to Bob Timmons

I am going to disagree with Bob.. unusual and I am hoping the sky does not fall.

His first iPad is mode 802.11a/n

That means it is actually connected on the 5ghz.. using the old "a" class wireless which is 5ghz.

I know because this is my old iPad.. (everything here tends to be old.. along with the owner).

You will notice this is connected to 2.4ghz.. because it is b/g/n

I also know this is iPad because I can get MAC address info out of the old airport utility

Jan 27, 2018 12:07 PM in response to Bob Timmons

No doubt about the voodoo.. but I am pretty sure you are connected to 5ghz..

Note in the screenshot below how the radio mode is a/n - b/g/n

N wireless is actually covering both bands.. which is only slightly less confusing that the stupid decision from IEEE to call new standard AC .. perhaps there are too many electrical engineers on the board??

Apple did up the spec of the early iPad (v2) so that it would connect to either band.. so original spec could be changed on that one.

In my case I am running 5ghz on a different wifi name..

In the end.. if people want to be sure which band they are connected to.. make it absolutely certain.. use different names for the different bands.. but of course that can lead to other issues.

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What max Mbps can I expect with iPhone 6s