Airport Express Help - Extremely slow internet speeds (ethernet & wireless)

[tann]

Hello there,

I am having some difficulty with my new airport express. Basically I got it to use while at university where they only have ethernet. It's like a hotel, once you connect to it you log in via a web browser.

The issue is I plug it in, set it up to create a new wireless network, everything connects to it fine (macbook, ipad etc) but then the speed is HORRIBLE.

I did a speed test on my iPhone (over wifi) and the down speed was about 10x slower than what it was connecting my laptop straight to the ethernet port on the wall.

The laptop when plugged in via ethernet to the airport base station was even slower! Speedtest couldn't even load itself.

I used to use my macbook pro and just share the connection with other devices I had, but I didn't like leaving it on near 24/7.

I'm failing to understand why my macbook pro shares the internet fine with other devices, but the airport express cannot do the same (it shares it, but SUPER slow).

Any tips would be appreciated. I've come here as a close to last resort .

In bridge mode it shares the internet with any one device absolutely fine as well.

 

[Weaselboy]

So you are saying the speed is fine in bridge mode, but it will only allow one device to run at a time? It should be set in bridge mode.

What happens if you connect a second device?

 

[tann]

So you are saying the speed is fine in bridge mode, but it will only allow one device to run at a time? It should be set in bridge mode.

What happens if you connect a second device?

Thanks for the reply!

When you connect something to it you need to sign in using a web browser to then use the internet.

In bridge mode each device when you load up the browser asks you to log in, logging in results in the other device being kicked off.

My understanding was that internet sharing/the airport in dchp & nat mode uses shares 1 ip with all of the connected devices. Or something like that, sorry I'm not very technically good with wireless things.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for the reply!

When you connect something to it you need to sign in using a web browser to then use the internet.

In bridge mode each device when you load up the browser asks you to log in, logging in results in the other device being kicked off.

My understanding was that internet sharing/the airport in dchp & nat mode uses shares 1 ip with all of the connected devices. Or something like that, sorry I'm not very technically good with wireless things.

It sounds like the university's ethernet is setup to only allow one connection per ethernet outlet, and you aren't going to be a able to get around that with an Airport Express.

 

[tann]

It sounds like the university's ethernet is setup to only allow one connection per ethernet outlet, and you aren't going to be a able to get around that with an Airport Express.

That's what I was thinking.

How does the airport differ then from my mac in terms of how the airport does it vs mac osx internet sharing?

 

[Weaselboy]

That's what I was thinking.

How does the airport differ then from my mac in terms of how the airport does it vs mac osx internet sharing?

I'm not sure. Maybe something to do with the way the Mac handles NAT somehow differently than the router?

 

[tann]

I'm not sure. Maybe something to do with the way the Mac handles NAT somehow differently than the router?

Maybe. I'll ask around and see if anyone else has a router setup.

 

[tann]

I'm not sure. Maybe something to do with the way the Mac handles NAT somehow differently than the router?

Also thanks for all your help/advice