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2013 MBA owners - How is wifi working for you?

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Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 28, 2008
1,281
867
I am recently in the very fortunate position of having $1100 that I need to spend in the next two months on an "education related expense" which basically means laptop for me and since I already have a 2012 MBA I love I thought it would be great to upgrade to the 2013 MBA which I expect to be exactly like my old computer except with wonderfully amazing battery-life.

However checking around Apple's support forums and a few reviews (mainly Gizmodo) I'm a little concerned about the Wifi performance. I know that Apple is using a new faster wifi standard (which I could care less about because the chances of me encountering a router using this new standard are next to zero). What I do care about is compatibility with older routers. My home router is fairly new (bought a little over a year ago brand new) so it should be fine. But I also want my MBA to work at coffee shops and at work where I can't rely on others to have upgraded their routers or change router settings. So my question for current 2013 MBA owners is this: How is the Wifi performance. Any issues, especially with using the MBA on wifi away from home. Should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance!
 
Jefe's MacAir

Jefe's MacAir

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2010
555
524
I've set up 2 2013 MBAs and both have connected quickly to my wifi. I am running a TimeCapsule though.:p
 
T

techn0lady

macrumors regular
Apr 10, 2010
105
0
With my new Airport Express AC and MBA '13 I'm showing a transmit rate of 867 - almost 3x the old rate
 
T

techn0lady

macrumors regular
Apr 10, 2010
105
0
2013 MBA 13" 8/512 - no issues whatsoever w/WiFi here.

BTW I'm getting 870 Mps rate using the new airport extreme and ac protocol
 
defomicron

defomicron

macrumors member
Jun 13, 2013
46
4
I don't understand why you'd worry about their being issues when none have been reported. The 2013 model supports all the same networking standards as your 2012, plus one newer. Backwards compatibility remains.
 
M

mattferg

macrumors 6502
May 27, 2013
380
22
Saturn1217 said:
I am recently in the very fortunate position of having $1100 that I need to spend in the next two months on an "education related expense" which basically means laptop for me and since I already have a 2012 MBA I love I thought it would be great to upgrade to the 2013 MBA which I expect to be exactly like my old computer except with wonderfully amazing battery-life.

However checking around Apple's support forums and a few reviews (mainly Gizmodo) I'm a little concerned about the Wifi performance. I know that Apple is using a new faster wifi standard (which I could care less about because the chances of me encountering a router using this new standard are next to zero). What I do care about is compatibility with older routers. My home router is fairly new (bought a little over a year ago brand new) so it should be fine. But I also want my MBA to work at coffee shops and at work where I can't rely on others to have upgraded their routers or change router settings. So my question for current 2013 MBA owners is this: How is the Wifi performance. Any issues, especially with using the MBA on wifi away from home. Should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Wifi performance is great, blows my Nexus 7 out of the water. About the same as my Windows Phone and desktop.

Though, as a side note, I'd recommend you spend the money on something else education-related, as I wouldn't really consider the new model to be worth that to upgrade.
 
Jefe's MacAir

Jefe's MacAir

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2010
555
524
defomicron said:
I don't understand why you'd worry about their being issues when none have been reported. The 2013 model supports all the same networking standards as your 2012, plus one newer. Backwards compatibility remains.
Click to expand...

I've had A LOT of issue w/ routers and Apple products. Specifically Century Link formally Qwest. Their supplied routers wouldn't play well with the newer products. I.E. iPad, 2010, 2011 MacAir, iPhones, etc.

I only use Airports when I get to decide what router to buy. WAY faster in my experience.
 
defomicron

defomicron

macrumors member
Jun 13, 2013
46
4
Jefe's MacAir said:
I've had A LOT of issue w/ routers and Apple products. Specifically Century Link formally Qwest. Their supplied routers wouldn't play well with the newer products. I.E. iPad, 2010, 2011 MacAir, iPhones, etc.

I only use Airports when I get to decide what router to buy. WAY faster in my experience.
Click to expand...

Strange. There's no reason why an Apple product should be less friendly with a router than any other.
 
B

BASTI51

macrumors member
Jan 31, 2010
79
0
Germany
Can somebody test the real transferrates between the new air and ac-TimeCapsule/Airport Extreme?

Because these 867mbps are just theoretical numbers..will it be over ~25MB/s? Can somebody please make a simple filetransfer and measure the time?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,156
15,644
California
BASTI51 said:
Can somebody test the real transferrates between the new air and ac-TimeCapsule/Airport Extreme?

Because these 867mbps are just theoretical numbers..will it be over ~25MB/s? Can somebody please make a simple filetransfer and measure the time?
Click to expand...

Okay... here you go. I have a 2013 13" MBA and the new AC Time Capsule. Below is signal strength from an option-click on the wifi menulet while in my office.

I tested with a 5GB DMG I have a bunch of old docs in. I just copied from Finder to another Finder window opened to a folder on the TC drive.
My TC is in a closet in the middle of the house. House is stick built with drywall interior walls and stucco outside walls.

Results measured using network tab of Activity Monitor.

1. While in my office about 15 feet from the TC and one wall away I get a rock solid sustained 20MB/s. It does not waver up or down at all.

2. I opened the closet door where the TC is and stood right in front of it. About three feet from the TC. 21.4MB/s sustained. I guess this one is your real life peak speed.

3. Walked out the back slider into the backyard, so now about 50 feet away and three walls between me and the TC. Steady 14MB/s.

4. Far edge of my backyard now about 100 feet from the TC. Steady 10MB/s.

EhwYG83.png
 
luisito

luisito

macrumors regular
Nov 15, 2012
215
0
No problems whatsoever.

Its hooked up to my wifi at home, the device its at least 1 year old.

Also hooked at my university's wifi.

No drop on the signal. And amazingly, I sleep it at home and when it wakes up at my university, the signal gets connected instantly so you would never notice it changed routers.
 
S

Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 28, 2008
1,281
867
Thanks for the replies. As you see from front page article that is why I was asking. Because people (not myself) have complained about wifi problems specifically with the airs before so I got worried. But hopefully it isn't a big issue. Certainly doesn't seem so from this thread.
 
B

bbbobbb

macrumors member
Sep 4, 2006
75
43
techn0lady said:
With my new Airport Express AC and MBA '13 I'm showing a transmit rate of 867 - almost 3x the old rate
Click to expand...

Same for me. I have seen it drop to the 7xx's, either way I am not seeing the issues that others are describing. Might be because I too am using a new TC...:confused:
 
D

Dlanod

macrumors 65816
Jul 11, 2008
1,000
96
UK
I'm using a non ac router and mine is connecting just fine. And like another poster, I find it jumps wifi connections much better than my older Windows 8 Laptop
 
G

Gator Bob

macrumors regular
Aug 3, 2011
148
3
Jefe's MacAir said:
There was a specific issue w/ the Century link/Qwest routers.
Click to expand...

WOW! That is good to know. I totally failed and finally gave up trying to get my Airport Extreme to link up as an extender with my Qwest Q1000 DSL router. (It's actually a rebranded Actiontec Q1000.) Instead, I bought and successfully use an Amped SR10000.

Exactly what is the "specific issue" between the Airport Exrtreme and the Qwest Q1000?
 
scaredpoet

scaredpoet

macrumors 604
Apr 6, 2007
6,627
342
I don't have 802.11ac yet, but my 13 inch MBA 2013 is connecting fine at home on a Motorola SBG6580 Gateway on 2.4GHz (stuck there because the gf has an iPhone 4S), and at work on multiple Cisco Aironet routers on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. No issues, connection is stable even after hours of use.

Though admittedly, since yesterday I've also been connecting when I'm at my desk at work through ethernet, using a Thunderbolt Express Dock. Even 802.11ac can't beat gigabit ethernet!
 
Jefe's MacAir

Jefe's MacAir

macrumors 6502a
Nov 21, 2010
555
524
Gator Bob said:
WOW! That is good to know. I totally failed and finally gave up trying to get my Airport Extreme to link up as an extender with my Qwest Q1000 DSL router. (It's actually a rebranded Actiontec Q1000.) Instead, I bought and successfully use an Amped SR10000.

Exactly what is the "specific issue" between the Airport Exrtreme and the Qwest Q1000?
Click to expand...

Can't recall exactly. Dropped Century Link and moved to Comcast. No router issues, much faster internet, cheaper.
 
G

Gator Bob

macrumors regular
Aug 3, 2011
148
3
Jefe's MacAir said:
Can't recall exactly. Dropped Century Link and moved to Comcast. No router issues, much faster internet, cheaper.
Click to expand...

Many thanks. I'll check whatever high speed service Comcast can offer me.

I am in Santa Fe NM. With the Amped_SR 10000 expanding the signal from my Qwest Q1000 DSL router (aka Actiontec Q1000) to my 2012 Retina MacBook Pro, my phone with internet bundle from Qwest provides reliable service but only 10 Mbps downloads. (I have DirecTV and Verizon cell.)
 
A

Appledreamer

macrumors member
Jun 16, 2011
90
0
Belfast
Saturn1217 said:
I am recently in the very fortunate position of having $1100 that I need to spend in the next two months on an "education related expense" which basically means laptop for me and since I already have a 2012 MBA I love I thought it would be great to upgrade to the 2013 MBA which I expect to be exactly like my old computer except with wonderfully amazing battery-life.

However checking around Apple's support forums and a few reviews (mainly Gizmodo) I'm a little concerned about the Wifi performance. I know that Apple is using a new faster wifi standard (which I could care less about because the chances of me encountering a router using this new standard are next to zero). What I do care about is compatibility with older routers. My home router is fairly new (bought a little over a year ago brand new) so it should be fine. But I also want my MBA to work at coffee shops and at work where I can't rely on others to have upgraded their routers or change router settings. So my question for current 2013 MBA owners is this: How is the Wifi performance. Any issues, especially with using the MBA on wifi away from home. Should I be concerned?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

totally fine running wifi non stop has not discounted once, on MIFI
 
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