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alansmallen

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 25, 2007
859
3
Hey guys, I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my tv downstairs away from my router and I get 5 bars of internet, but it's slow as molasses in the wintertime. Websites take forever to load, videos take ages to download, yet I still have 5 bars. I often bring my MBP down there and see that it also has 5 bars but has perfectly fine internet speed. Any ideas?

Thanks
Alan
 
Hey guys, I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my tv downstairs away from my router and I get 5 bars of internet, but it's slow as molasses in the wintertime. Websites take forever to load, videos take ages to download, yet I still have 5 bars. I often bring my MBP down there and see that it also has 5 bars but has perfectly fine internet speed. Any ideas?

Thanks
Alan

Which generation Mini do you have? Older Minis use slower wireless technology.
 
Which generation Mini do you have? Older Minis use slower wireless technology.

It's the Mid-2007 Model.

I understand a speed bump in the new model, but I can't even watch a video on this thing. Nothing will download.

Is it because it's not Wireless-N? I'm not sure if it is.
 
Just checked, no Wireless-N. Is that the culprit? And what's the cheapest way of upgrading if so.
 
should not be i use a eeepc 900 that is a g card in it and the router is a dualband just with g and b and my steams are fine with it
 
...it couldn't hurt to get a USB "N" device as they are fairly cheap now and try it but your best bet would be an ethernet cable if you're modem/router isn't too far away from your HTPC...
 
Are you sure that the Mac mini is connecting to your own router upstairs and not to one of your neighbor's networks?
 
Applications > Utilities > Network Utility

Choose AirPort (en1) from the drop down list

What Link Speed are you getting between the Mini and the Router?
 
Are you sure that the Mac mini is connecting to your own router upstairs and not to one of your neighbor's networks?

Yep. My network.

Applications > Utilities > Network Utility

Choose AirPort (en1) from the drop down list

What Link Speed are you getting between the Mini and the Router?

I'll double check that tomorrow


Once again, thanks for the help so far guys. Really appreciate it.
 
My early 2009 Mac Mini put me through hell half the year too! It would show 5 bars, but I often couldn't even bring up a website.

I finally moved it about 8 feet over, which helped it quite a bit.

However, it really got better when I bumped my router to the Wireless N airport, since my mini was already setup for N.

I think it is indeed that your mac mini is on the "fringe," of the network. If there is anyway you could move the router a few feet closer to it, and the mini a few feet closer to router, it might help.
 
if he has a airport base network g and the mini a airport card also network g
and his MBP has also network g , and if his mpb gets good internet when placed where the mini sits then there is nothing wrong with the router and the range of the router, then maybe its simple the airport card thats not working like it should

just a simple question was your mini upgraded (ram , harddrive ) then maybe the aerial is lose now
 
if he has a airport base network g and the mini a airport card also network g
and his MBP has also network g , and if his mpb gets good internet when placed where the mini sits then there is nothing wrong with the router and the range of the router, then maybe its simple the airport card thats not working like it should

just a simple question was your mini upgraded (ram , harddrive ) then maybe the aerial is lose now

Mini is stock from the store. I can't really move it due to the location of the TV and of the router. It's a linksys n router that works fantastically with the other 10 computers or devices in the household.
 
it could be a flaky wireless if u have a spare moniter take the mini and set next to the router and see what it does with it hooked up to the spare moniter if it still does not work well then i say its the card and is all updates done and or it may be a bad update to the wireless card firmware/drivers maybe
 
Applications > Utilities > Network Utility

Choose AirPort (en1) from the drop down list

What Link Speed are you getting between the Mini and the Router?

54 Mbit/s

it could be a flaky wireless if u have a spare moniter take the mini and set next to the router and see what it does with it hooked up to the spare moniter if it still does not work well then i say its the card and is all updates done and or it may be a bad update to the wireless card firmware/drivers maybe

No luck with that.
 
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