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10.6.5: Improved WIFI?

M

mark28

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Jan 29, 2010
1,632
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I can't say for sure, but it looks like the 10.6.5 update has improved WIFI. Anyone has similar experiences with the update?

I have also noticed that WIFI under Windows 7 is worse than with OS X, so I suppose new bootcamp drivers are needed to bring the Windows 7 performance on par with OS X.
 
mark28 said:
I can't say for sure, but it looks like the 10.6.5 update has improved WIFI. Anyone has similar experiences with the update?

I have also noticed that WIFI under Windows 7 is worse than with OS X, so I suppose new bootcamp drivers are needed to bring the Windows 7 performance on par with OS X.
Click to expand...

What do you mean by improve?

Do you mean the problem of dropping wifi signals like a hot potato for no reason? Or do you mean sometimes connecting to a wireless router and just getting a self-assigned IP address for a couple minutes and then getting a normal IP address?

Or just better signal reception?
 
SavMBP15 said:
What do you mean by improve?

Do you mean the problem of dropping wifi signals like a hot potato for no reason? Or do you mean sometimes connecting to a wireless router and just getting a self-assigned IP address for a couple minutes and then getting a normal IP address?

Or just better signal reception?
Click to expand...

Better signal reception. Now the MBP is useable everywhere in my house. Before the update the reception was very poor on the top floor ( my previous $500 laptop smoked the MBP on WIFI ). Now I can download at maximum speeds without drop outs on the top floor. I'd say it's now on par with my old $500 laptop in WIFI performance.
 
I have noticed also that my MBP signal reception with 10.6.5 is better than before. I use my MBP at home in the same spot every day, last night after update, I have been able to pick up neighbors wifi, which was not possible in te same spot with 10.6.4.

Maybe it's just our imagination......:)

Good luck.
 
Perhaps they juiced the radio at the cost of a slight decrease in battery.

Though i've never really had a range issue. I get the phantom drop outs as someone mentioned earlier. Fine one second with an IP, the next, absolutely nothing.
 
Maybe it is just Apple changing how to measure again. Like they did with iphone 4.
I get now full reception according to the wifi status symbol and I used to get 2 bars. Somebody who didn't update yet should test real speed before and after.
 
My findings:

Macbook Pro 13" (2010)
10.6.4
Using www.speedtest.net

Test 1 - D = 11.34 U = 1.14
Test 2 - D = 11.06 U = 1.14
Test 3 - D = 11.24 U = 1.15

Average - D = 11.21 U = 1.14

10.6.5
Using www.speedtest.net

Test 1 - D = 11.29 U = 1.14
Test 2 - D = 11.33 U = 1.15
Test 3 - D = 11.31 U = 1.14

Average - D = 11.31 U = 1.14

No difference with upload speed. Download speed seems to have improved slightly on average but not enough to make a noticeable, significant difference.
 
Furifo said:
My findings:

Macbook Pro 13" (2010)
10.6.4
Using www.speedtest.net

Test 1 - D = 11.34 U = 1.14
Test 2 - D = 11.06 U = 1.14
Test 3 - D = 11.24 U = 1.15

Average - D = 11.21 U = 1.14

10.6.5
Using www.speedtest.net

Test 1 - D = 11.29 U = 1.14
Test 2 - D = 11.33 U = 1.15
Test 3 - D = 11.31 U = 1.14

Average - D = 11.31 U = 1.14

No difference with upload speed. Download speed seems to have improved slightly on average but not enough to make a noticeable, significant difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the results, that's great job. What about signal reception, have you noticed anything?

Is the wifi signal really true? Me and my friend sit's in the same cafe shop, with his sony laptop, he gets 3 bars, but with my MBP, I get full 5 bars?
 
HussainAL said:
Thanks for the results, that's great job. What about signal reception, have you noticed anything?

Is the wifi signal really true? Me and my friend sit's in the same cafe shop, with his sony laptop, he gets 3 bars, but with my MBP, I get full 5 bars?
Click to expand...

The signal reception is a good question. I've just taken a look at my available wifi networks at the spot in my room where I usually sit and I see now instead of seeing 1 (mine) I see 2 (looks like a weak signal though). I can only think of 2 explanations:
1) 10.6.5 is giving better signal reception
2) I haven't been home from University for 3 weeks. It could be that my neighbour just installed a new wifi router or something.

I'd like to think explanation number 1 is true though :D

I'll monitor my signal around the usual places I'm on WiFi and report back on any changes I notice. If there is an increase in signal reception, I'll probably notice it best when I'm back on campus.
 
I have checked also where I work, I can receive new Wifi network now. The signal reception seems to be stronger with 10.6.5, but we can't confirm with with speed test that the network is faster now, Wifi speed will be the same, it will jump from 54Mbps which is the default for 802.11g to 100Mbps. So speed test can't confirm increase in performance if the Wifi bar went from 4 to 5, but we can confirm now that the signal is stronger, if everyone agree to that.
 
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