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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Slow Airport Connection

Stargate - Feb 6, 2008 - 7:16 am

I have an iMac (Intel 2.4 duo), an iMac G5 and 2 Macbooks + Airport Extreme. All Macs connect to Airport, can talk to each other and can access the internet.

However...... the connection and data transfer between the Mac's and Airport is very slow.
If the Macs are plugged into Airport via network cable I get normal transfer rates (ping = 0.250ms approx) and connection speeds. When connected wirelessly connection and transfer rates are slow (x10 slower or more).

All firmware is up to date on the Airport Extreme. I have tried turning the robust interference on and off. I have tried setting different channels. I have also done a hard reset of the Airport Extreme. I have tried a few different settings of the IPv6 but I do not understand this aspect so I am not sure what they do.

Not sure where to go next. When I first got the airport several months ago everything was working well with great speed. The problem only seems to have happened over the last month or so.
Not sure where to turn next. Any help gratefully received.

Thanks
Stargate (Phil).

Natobasso - Feb 6, 2008 - 12:35 pm

Hello!

1. Do you have password security and firewall turned on at the airport?

2. Do you have LOCATION set on each machine to point to your network? Don't use Automatic as you lose control of how your computers connect and what the connect to. It's possible to connect to someone else's network in this case if it's stronger than yours. Setting a location controls this.

Let me know if these ideas help.

Stargate - Feb 7, 2008 - 6:32 am

Hello
Thank you for trying to help.
1. I am using WPA/WPA2 Personal security on the Airport. I have not used MAC address security, this is currently turned off. IPv6 Mode is set to Link-local only. Other settings: IPv4 configured using DHCP / Airport running in bridge mode

2. LOCATION was set to automatic but all computers where connected to my Airport. Have changed this setting one of the Macbooks. I have my network name added to the preferred networks.

No change in the speed. If I plug any of the Macs into the Airport via ethernet cable the speed is good. Via wireless it is slow.

Thanks for your help. Any other ideas?

Thanks again.

Phil.

Natobasso - Feb 7, 2008 - 12:05 pm

Do you have interference robustness turned on? Are you using computers in different rooms? Many times any interference, walls, electrical, etc. can affect the speed of your network.

Wireless networks aren't the best under any circumstances for large file transfers. Ethernet is tops in this regard.

Stargate - Feb 8, 2008 - 5:33 am

Hello
Thanks again for taking the time to help.
No I don't have interference robustness turned on. My understanding was that this could cause slower wireless speeds.
As for location of the Macs ..... The slowest Mac is a Macbook (and also the newest .. only 4 weeks old). This machine is in room next to the Airport and with in 4 metres of the Airport. The Intel iMac is one room further away with and with a lot quicker speed. The iMac G5 is at the other end of the house but still with a faster speed than the new Macbook.
Is it possible the new Macbook could have a problem with the Airport card seeing as this machine is remarkably slower than the other Macs?

I will turn on the interference robustness and give this a try.

Natobasso - Feb 8, 2008 - 10:47 am

Does your macbook have an airport card or an airport extreme card? (Extreme has a higher speed, either g or n).

Stargate - Feb 10, 2008 - 7:45 am

Hi
Yes the Macbook has and Airport Extreme.
I ran a download speed test and transfer speed test yesterday and the wireless network seems to be running almost at the original speed I was experiencing 2 -3 months ago. A part from checking setting while you have been trying to help me I haven't changed anything.
Is it possible that the Airport can download an update (if there has been one) automatically. I am not sure how to check this.
All the Macs seem to running at a reasonable speed now but the newest Macbook has a slower speed sometimes when you wake it up. I need to turn the airport card off and then on again to get a good speed out of it.
Can the previous problem (which seems to have corrected it self) and this be related?
Thanks again for your help.
Phil.

Natobasso - Feb 11, 2008 - 11:22 am

Have you checked the Airport Extreme to make sure it's broadcasting in g and not just b wifi?

Maybe you just need to repair permissions on the troublesome machine? Apps/utilities/disk utility/repair permissions.