2012 MacBook Air 11" Slow Internet Speeds

[Freakonomics101]

This is my first time posting in this section of MacRumors. Usually I just read around but this problem has been driving me nuts.

This is my third MacBook that I've owned, and the best. My first one was a late 2008 Pro. Worked great but was bulky. Sold that for a 2010 Air 13". Loved that one as well but MacOS Sierra slowed it down (only 2 GB of RAM). Sold that for my current 2012 Air 11" (4 GB of RAM). I love this one even more but there's one problem.... internet speeds!

I ruled out channel congestion. We pay for 24 Mbps speeds and I'm only seeing 1-5 on my MacBook. Prior to changing my router to a channel that works better, I couldn't even load a speed test half the time. When I could, I could barely get 0.5 Mbps. Web pages loaded really slowly. Now, webpages seem to load faster but not as fast as I'm used to. With both channels, other devices did very well with internet speeds.

Both iPhones and the Apple TV connected to my router all pull 20+ download speeds.

I talked to Apple Care but they want me to send it in for repair... they didn't seem to be of much help anyway.

I am not all that experienced with diagnostics when it comes to MacOS, so I'm not sure what exactly to do.

Any suggestions?

 

[hyelton]

This is my first time posting in this section of MacRumors. Usually I just read around but this problem has been driving me nuts.

This is my third MacBook that I've owned, and the best. My first one was a late 2008 Pro. Worked great but was bulky. Sold that for a 2010 Air 13". Loved that one as well but MacOS Sierra slowed it down (only 2 GB of RAM). Sold that for my current 2012 Air 11" (4 GB of RAM). I love this one even more but there's one problem.... internet speeds!

I ruled out channel congestion. We pay for 24 Mbps speeds and I'm only seeing 1-5 on my MacBook. Prior to changing my router to a channel that works better, I couldn't even load a speed test half the time. When I could, I could barely get 0.5 Mbps. Web pages loaded really slowly. Now, webpages seem to load faster but not as fast as I'm used to. With both channels, other devices did very well with internet speeds.

Both iPhones and the Apple TV connected to my router all pull 20+ download speeds.

I talked to Apple Care but they want me to send it in for repair... they didn't seem to be of much help anyway.

I am not all that experienced with diagnostics when it comes to MacOS, so I'm not sure what exactly to do.

Any suggestions?

What is your router? And is it dual band? If so are you connecting to its 5GHz network and testing?

 

[Freakonomics101]

What is your router? And is it dual band? If so are you connecting to its 5GHz network and testing?

It's the AT&T Model 5268ACFXN. Originally had both 2.5 and 5 turned on but caused interference with other devices. Printer can't find the 5, only the 2.5 so decided to turn off the 5.

 

[hyelton]

It's the AT&T Model 5268ACFXN. Originally had both 2.5 and 5 turned on but caused interference with other devices. Printer can't find the 5, only the 2.5 so decided to turn off the 5.

If anything the 2.4GHz network will have more interference than the 5GHz network. Re-enable the 5GHz network and see what speeds you get

 

[Freakonomics101]

If anything the 2.4GHz network will have more interference than the 5GHz network. Re-enable the 5GHz network and see what speeds you get

Speeds on the 5 are 12 Mbps vs 1.5 on the 2.5. Not 24 like the other devices be but definitely better.

 

[stooovie]

Sorry to not contribute - I just wanted to say I LOVE this machine. Even 5 years old, it rocks.

 

[Freakonomics101]

Sorry to not contribute - I just wanted to say I LOVE this machine. Even 5 years old, it rocks.

I agree! Like I said, I love everything about the one I have now. It's just the internet issue that I'm starting to think is a hardware issue.

 

[stooovie]

Maybe the most effective course of action would be to test another device on your network. Just borrow a friend's laptop (I'm sure someone has the exact same model) and try that. I think a hardware error in your MBA that would cause a slowdown like this is very unlikely. Also, placement of the router is VERY critical. Sounds silly but after I lifted mine from the floor and put it onto a table, my coverage and speeds increased dramatically.