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Why is my core i7's wifi so slow? Tried multiple fixes

Same issues for me, older Mac

mindquest -

I NEVER post, but I went and dug up my old password to contribute to your thread and validate your frustrations. I've had these same wifi issues on my 2006 C2D 24" iMac running Leopard (not Snow Leopard) forever. 12 Mbs...then less than 1. Customer service is clueless on the issue, but there is clearly a body of frustration out there on the web about this. I've changed DNS servers, I've changed routers, I've changed ISPs...I'm not an idiot and I'd consider myself in the top 1% of tech savvy for general public, and I'm quite certain that my Apple itself is flawed. Based on the forums I've read, I'd agree that there's some firmware/software issue at fault.

For the record, I have just been relegated to performing "advanced network diagnostics" or whatever the button is when you press "assist me" in network preferences. It will take about 5 seconds to run and then say my network is working properly. After that I get my 12 Mbs down again. Then, surely a few days later it's back to sub 1 Mbs speed and I have to do it again. Nothing has been able to fix the issue permanently so I repeat this annoying temporary fix every few days. All the while, multiple PC's keep the high speed wifi connection 100% of the time.

I don't know, maybe there's something about having PC's in the house interacting with the same wireless router? The only reason I mention that is because I have a Motorola Droid, and any time I connected my Droid to the wireless network, my iMac would COMPLETELY lose it's connection. The same temporary fix described above would reconnect my Mac, but as soon as I'd use my Droid again the iMac's connection would break. So I just quit using my Droid on wifi. Luckly Verizon's 3G is so strong here, the difference is speed isn't even noticeable. But still...perhaps it lends some creedance to the theory that having multiple devices interacting with your router can cause these issues on our macs. It might also suggest why a high percentage of users experience no issues...perhaps most of these users are in a mac only household.

Anyway, I hope my post has validated your concerns a little bit (as most people on here seemed very dismissive of them). I'd like to keep this discussion going and hopefully find a solution.
 
My i7 iMac also has slow speeds using WiFi. I had my ISP come to my house twice, was paying for 15mbit/sec and was only getting 1-2mbits/sec on speedtest. He busted out his windows laptop and got 16mbits. They changed out the modem, and did a whole bunch of other crap, and still was getting terrible speeds compared to his old windows laptop. Pretty upsetting.

I'm gonna try some of the suggested fixes in this thread. Hopefully I can figure out how to assign a Static IP.
 
troutspinner said:
I think you need to look past the OS as being a source. It may seem obvious to you but do realize that there are millions of people on here running the same OS without issue?
Click to expand...

This is also the same OS that randomly decided that its firewall should start filtering every wireless router's DHCP IP address assignment whenever my laptop would try to connect to a network and request said IP address. That was a pain to figure out. Some issues are very specific to the particular hardware, OS, and settings being used.
 
same issue for me, brand new i5 27in

Just adding to the list here, with some more details, trying not to explode.

I brought the monster home, set up, everything was good. Started downloading my favorite free apps and other things and streaming some tunes. After 3 hours or so the stream started to break for a few seconds at a time. I wasn't paying attention to transfer rate, but hard to ignore a dropped audio stream. Tried different browsers, same problem.

When I click on the wifi icon in the menu bar, i can see the break occur: it'll show I'm connected with full bars, then it will flicker to:"looking for networks" then connect, then "looking for networks", then connect, etc.

I set my macbook pro on the same desk, no connection issues at all. Arg.

Ran speed test on both machines, huge difference between the two, in fact, couldn't finish the speed test on the iMac until the 3rd run. VERY UPSET. There's really no way i can run an ethernet cord from the transmitter to the new iMac without going along the ceiling, or around a very long wall. The freaking transmitter is just on the opposite wall, can't be moved, and is just 4 meters away. The iMac and transmitter are even at the same goddam*ed height. For other reasons, i can't rearrange my desk and other furniture to fix this.

Now i read here and in this thread that this is a known issue, no fixes.

I have a non-expert feeling it's heat, radiating around the antenna, inferring with the signal. hate hate hate.
 
Does anyone know of any software to track internet bandwidth usage tracking it by the program on my iMac using it. Still not sure what the issue is but figured I could completely rule out an application or service running and eating away my bandwidth.
 
Has anybody tried reinstalling the OS? I know I had to reinstall Leopard before because some seemingly inconsequential file was corrupted on install and I couldn't find/fix it. The reinstall worked like a charm.
 
Archmagination said:
Has anybody tried reinstalling the OS? I know I had to reinstall Leopard before because some seemingly inconsequential file was corrupted on install and I couldn't find/fix it. The reinstall worked like a charm.
Click to expand...

For the heck of it I tried this and didn't change my situation. And I had ATT basically build me a new physical line from my home to the switching station with no success. Really at a loss why my Imac is doing this.
 
wireless imac fix

I'm no Techie, but I found this fix on the apple forum. Its solved my issues, my internet is now lightning fast.

i was having issues with safari and firefox taking forever to load pages. sometimes they wouldnt even load at all and id get a roadrunner "cannot find server" message.

i pinned this to be a dns translation issue.

here is how i fixed it.

go to network prefs>advanced>dns and add this in the dns server box: 208.67.222.222
in the search domain box add this: 208.67.220.220

these are open dns servers. this has fixed my issue and i am back to smoking fast internet. i hope to god this helps some people.

source: http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1440449

imac 27" i7 8GB
 
my airport wireless on c2d mbp keeps on dropping too. sometimes really slow....

tried multiple fixes. pulling in ethernet is the only way to eliminate completely...

no problems with any windows based pcs on same router

wish apple would sort out their wireless stuff so it's as rock solid as the rest of the machine

beginning to think it's not a coincidence that the iphone also has wireless issues
 
Same problem

You've all heard this before. Nice new imac, running Snow leopard. Swapped between an airport base station and a d-link router. Speeds up and down, connection drop-outs ... while the macbook sitting alongside is consistently fine. Turning airport off and on often works as a quick fix.

Am very frustrated with this issue. I would prefer not to rewire my house.
 
dexthageek said:
+1
Ethernet does have its share of problems, but nothing like working with wireless.
Click to expand...

Have to disagree on the ethernet not having a problem. WIth my iMac 27 i7 direct connect to a DSL modem still having internet slow down. My Macbook Pro i7 on an airport extreme does not have the same problem.
 
OP: you must give us some more technical information. ping times, internet download speeds, transfer rates between computers on your intranet (both wired and wireless), tests comparing 802.11n and 802.11g (with 5ghz and 2.4ghz as well for n) etc.

troubleshooting wireless transfer rates are extremely hard, maybe you just have too much interference.

i personally had a huge internet problem, but it was related to my DNS servers that the ISP was using - configuring it myself and using other DNS servers fixed it just fine.

for reference, expect 802.11n @5ghz to hit a max of 9MB/s, and 802.11g to hit about 3-4MB/s max in the real world.
 
Solved problem with 2Wire and iMac

FWIW, had same problem with new 27" iMac, MBPro, MB but not with IE7 running under Parallels 5. Started with latest MAC OS. Ended up disabling firewall in 2Wire modem/router while keeping firewall in Macs and PC. Worked like a charm. Of course, everything had worked fine with earlier Mac OS and firewall enabled in 2Wire modem/router.
 
DBD1146 said:
FWIW, had same problem with new 27" iMac, MBPro, MB but not with IE7 running under Parallels 5. Started with latest MAC OS. Ended up disabling firewall in 2Wire modem/router while keeping firewall in Macs and PC. Worked like a charm. Of course, everything had worked fine with earlier Mac OS and firewall enabled in 2Wire modem/router.
Click to expand...

are you aussie? im not aware of any other countries that utilise the 2wire modems ;)

i had massive slow downs but that was due to my ISP DNS servers - fixed now yey
 
DoFoT9 said:
OP: you must give us some more technical information. ping times, internet download speeds, transfer rates between computers on your intranet (both wired and wireless), tests comparing 802.11n and 802.11g (with 5ghz and 2.4ghz as well for n) etc.

troubleshooting wireless transfer rates are extremely hard, maybe you just have too much interference.

i personally had a huge internet problem, but it was related to my DNS servers that the ISP was using - configuring it myself and using other DNS servers fixed it just fine.

for reference, expect 802.11n @5ghz to hit a max of 9MB/s, and 802.11g to hit about 3-4MB/s max in the real world.
Click to expand...

Fixed my internet slowness on my iMac finally! It was a DNS issue, I have AT&T so I got the DNS server ip's from my modem and hard coded them into my airport extreme & my iMac. Rebooted the modem, router & iMac and the speed was much faster. Here is a good article that led me to this solution:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r24224523-ATT-DNS-Server-Issues

In the end my DSL speed tests were perfect but the websites I was browsing were not resolving fast enough.

I hope this helps some people out.
 
I have an Apple Airport Express Base Station

I opened the "Airport Utility" app tonight and it told me that a firmware update for the base station was available, so I downloaded it and installed it. I ran speedtest before the update, I was getting 4.73MBit/sec download. After the update I am getting 24.57MBit/sec download! Wow! and no drops in my connection so far. My firmware was really out of date, and maybe this was the wireless n update which could be why I am getting faster speeds. I really don't know but it made a world of difference. Also, I am using a 2.4GHz MacBook Pro here, not an iMac. I have a 20" iMac downstairs.
 
mindquest said:
Fixed my internet slowness on my iMac finally! It was a DNS issue, I have AT&T so I got the DNS server ip's from my modem and hard coded them into my airport extreme & my iMac. Rebooted the modem, router & iMac and the speed was much faster. Here is a good article that led me to this solution:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r24224523-ATT-DNS-Server-Issues

In the end my DSL speed tests were perfect but the websites I was browsing were not resolving fast enough.

I hope this helps some people out.
Click to expand...

Great to know you got it sorted! My problem was exactly the same :)
 
the deal is that Apple does not support properly their timecapsule and network equipment. it is utter trash.
we have all been hoodwinked into thinking that apple provides actual good and properly working products ... they dont.

I know for a fact that the problem is on the apple wifi/router/timecapsule side of the house.
I take the timecapsule/airport/wifi out of the equation and boom the upload speeds are fine(by replacing it with a linksys wifi router). put the timecapsule back in the equation instead of a supposedly crappy linksys router and we are back to severally slow uploads.

it is amusing when you first try and upload a file it bursts... then within the first 10 seconds it starts choking ... and then over the next minute it goes to 0kb upload.

the fact that apple has done nothing ought ot show you what you the customer are worth... you are worth the big payoff up front by buying their over priced crap ... then they toss you aside, cause they cant admit fault.

they need to come out and admit they built crap and fix it. its like their wifi has some throttler limitation that says whooooaaa there doggy we are only for surfing the web and nothing more ... we dont upload anything more than a few kb over wifi...


my setup...
this doesnt work:
Macbook Pro 15"i5
timecapsule 2TB
fios modem
fios internet(this is a fiber optic line made for businesses... 15mb up 30mb down so no it is not my connection)

this does work:
macbook pro 15"i5 (yes the same one)
linksys router
fios modem
fios internet

this also works:
macbook 15" i5
clear 4g clear spot

i have called apple support and they tell me time and time again that it is my isp... they refuse to listen that it is not and that without their crappy product in the way everything is fine...

pretty much the only thing that might be worth buying is their laptops ... and i think that is a stretch also at the moment... what if i have a problem iwth it? i guess i get crapped on also...

F APPLE. I will be going back to a cheaper solution and running linux os's.
 
bigstack said:
F APPLE. I will be going back to a cheaper solution and running linux os's.
Click to expand...
i know you are angry, but you are being completely irrational about the whole situation.

first of all, we need more details about the issues you are having. when you say its slow and not working what is slow? is the whole network slow? or is JUST internet access slow? give us speedtest.net results, AND local network data throughput results copying to another computer.

the Time Capsule is not very slow at all - its slower then quite a few new router, you should expect ~10MB/s data throughput on 802.11n on a clear channel.

so please, give us more information to investigate for you. dont jump to conclusions.
 
Just got an i7 2.93 imac the other day, my first mac and the first thing i noticed regarding it's wireless is how crummy and slow it is on the iMac. I had to move my router all around to get something decent. I have a 30Mb/sec internet connection and my 5 yr old laptop with wireless card has no problem from further away reaching max speed on a speedtest but my brand new imac which sits 20 feet closer to my router sees 20Mb/sec at best!! Usually 7-10MB/sec is the average. What a disgrace! Getting a mac has also made me realize how many things are better on a PC.

The airport is garbage, plain and simple. It is weak and not very consistant.

Another thing is why can I spend $230 on a 23" LG monitor with perfect whites, color saturation and minimal bleeding and the first thing I noticed on my brand new $2200 imac when I booted it up is some slight yellow tinge on the very bottom and right corner. And a (larger than speck) of dust under the glass.

Its a nice machine and I like it so far. However the hype is greater than it's value. That is my initial impression after spending a weekend with it so far.
 
Whatever

I have a core I7 iMac with airport express. Guess what.

It works as fast as my Internet connection and more.

I work in the industry and it performs to spec.

You guys are obviously doing something wrong.
 
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