SR MBP - 802.11n observed speeds? Post your results!

[chem]

The Apple Support forums have a few threads similar to this one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=991256&tstart=30

...where people complain that the new MBPs have poor 802.11n performance. ie, 130Mb connections that should be 300Mb. Poor signal range. Worse performance than older 802.11n devices on the same network. Poor performance across a range of wireless routers. etc.

I'm wondering, for people who own a SR MBP, have you been able to benchmark its speed on an 802.11n network? Post your results/screenshots here! Please...

Hopefully, at least a few people will be getting full "n" speed. It's entirely possible that the case design is interfering with the antenna. I know the Thinkpad T61 redesigned their case lid to help out 802.11n. The MBPs still look better though

 

[chem]

Dang. 60 views, no replies. Is anyone with a SR MBP even using it on a "N" network?

 

[kellah]

Dang. 60 views, no replies. Is anyone with a SR MBP even using it on a "N" network?

Nope. Wish I was though!

 

[twynne]

The Apple Support forums have a few threads similar to this one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=991256&tstart=30

...where people complain that the new MBPs have poor 802.11n performance. ie, 130Mb connections that should be 300Mb. Poor signal range. Worse performance than older 802.11n devices on the same network. Poor performance across a range of wireless routers. etc.

I'm wondering, for people who own a SR MBP, have you been able to benchmark its speed on an 802.11n network? Post your results/screenshots here! Please...

Hopefully, at least a few people will be getting full "n" speed. It's entirely possible that the case design is interfering with the antenna. I know the Thinkpad T61 redesigned their case lid to help out 802.11n. The MBPs still look better though

Haha - that's my post! Sadly things haven't improved much here. I want to run it by Applecare before I set about reconfiguring anything on my network. I'm also expecting another MBP tomorrow or Wednesday so I want to check that one first.

 

[kwood]

I have C2D Black MacBook with N enabled on an N only network. I am using the D-Link DIR-655 and using Mac OS X I am getting 144Mbps, and on Windows I am getting 300Mbps. I know it does not match the exact requirement of the original post, but if I am not mistaken both the MacBook, and the MacBook Pro use the same wireless card.

 

[aristobrat]

Hopefully, at least a few people will be getting full "n" speed. It's entirely possible that the case design is interfering with the antenna. I know the Thinkpad T61 redesigned their case lid to help out 802.11n. The MBPs still look better though

Two quick thoughts:

The case of the new SR MBP isn't any different than the previous 802.11n model, so I don't think that's it.

When I had my 802.11n Extreme access point set for a mixed-mode network (like the guy in the thread), the maximum connection rate I ever got from my MBP was exactly what the guy in the thread got -- 130. When I set the Extreme to 802.11n-only, it got a connection rate of 300.

 

[twynne]

Two quick thoughts:

The case of the new SR MBP isn't any different than the previous 802.11n model, so I don't think that's it.

When I had my 802.11n Extreme access point set for a mixed-mode network (like the guy in the thread), the maximum connection rate I ever got from my MBP was exactly what the guy in the thread got -- 130. When I set the Extreme to 802.11n-only, it got a connection rate of 300.

I'll give this a try tomorrow - it's just such a chore reconfiguring all the other wireless devices to hit a different router... especially if it doesn't improve!

 

[aristobrat]

I'll give this a try tomorrow - it's just such a chore reconfiguring all the other wireless devices to hit a different router... especially if it doesn't improve!

I'd reconfigure the Extreme to 802.11n-only mode and see how that works. I'm lazy, so I wouldn't touch the other devices to hit a different router unless that solved the MBP problem. But FWIW, I do run separate 802.11n and 802.11b/g networks in my house to get around the issue of the 802.11n being slow when in mixed-mode.

I'm also not sure how fast the Extreme can go in the UK. Isn't that one of the countries that doesn't allow it to go 5x faster? If so, I'm not sure what the maximum connect rate would be.

 

[Alloye]

I'm wondering, for people who own a SR MBP, have you been able to benchmark its speed on an 802.11n network? Post your results/screenshots here! Please...

My 15.4" SR MBP is getting a consistent 130Mbps connection to my Airport Extreme base station running in b/g-compatible mode. Signal strength via Internet Connect is between one and three bars below full at 25' distance. Can't say I've noticed any dropouts. The base station is running firmware v7.1.1.

 

[chem]

I have C2D Black MacBook with N enabled on an N only network. I am using the D-Link DIR-655 and using Mac OS X I am getting 144Mbps, and on Windows I am getting 300Mbps. I know it does not match the exact requirement of the original post, but if I am not mistaken both the MacBook, and the MacBook Pro use the same wireless card.

I'd say that's a significant finding. I mean, the only difference is which OS is booted, hence the only difference is the driver. Yet, a bit after kwood's post, there is one report of getting full speed when using a "n only" configuration for the router. It does not mention whether Windows or Mac OS X was used, or the options used for the driver.

 

[noway]

Well I'm getting my new SR MBP on wednesday and I have my D-Link DIR-655 all setup and ready to connect with the MBP. I'll let you know what are my results for mixed and n only config.

 

[cdd543]

I have a dlink 655 and the 2.2 sr mbp and it is very bad in n only or n mixed mode. Generally slow surfing and disconnections are the norm. Only way it is really usable for me is in g or g/b mode. I have tweaked many settings and this is all that really works and even then it won't reconnect after sleeping.

 

[the-digitalman]

Yes it is true

I have the latest macBook Pro running OSX 10.5 (Leopard). I have it configured with VMWare, Parallels and Boot Camp. I've tried them all... All pointing to a Vista Partition. When booted in Vista my Mac registers to a 802.11n network and get 300mb. Same machine, same location booted into Leopard I get 130mb. 130mb is still better than the 54 you get with 802.11g but something is wrong with the driver... NO DOUBT.

Here is a screen capture.

l8r
the Original Digitalman
EST 1979

 

[the-digitalman]

Two quick thoughts:

The case of the new SR MBP isn't any different than the previous 802.11n model, so I don't think that's it.

When I had my 802.11n Extreme access point set for a mixed-mode network (like the guy in the thread), the maximum connection rate I ever got from my MBP was exactly what the guy in the thread got -- 130. When I set the Extreme to 802.11n-only, it got a connection rate of 300.

BS

I'm less than 25' feet from my WAP... Set it to N-Only and you still get 130mb. Its 802.11n Apple Draft Driver issue... Key word here is DRAFT!

l8r

 

[aristobrat]

BS

I'm less than 25' feet from my WAP... Set it to N-Only and you still get 130mb. Its 802.11n Apple Draft Driver issue... Key word here is DRAFT!

l8r

Driver issue? Maybe for you and your Linksys.

I've had no problems getting connection speeds of 300mpbs between any 802.11n devices in my house and my Airport Extreme set in 802.11n-only mode. My Macs do it, my AppleTV does it, my work ThinkPad does it, my roommates Dell laptop does it.

Are you in a country where wireless devices can use wide-channels? I know the Extreme won't do them in many European countries. Linksys might be the same.