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Browser performance painful since getting M4 Mac mini with Sequoia

SalisburySam

SalisburySam

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 19, 2019
1,120
1,032
Salisbury, North Carolina
I recently upgraded(?) my 2017 iMac to an M4 Mac mini with 1TB RAM and an Apple Studio Display. Since doing so I’ve been only mildly impressed with the performance boost. Worse, Internet speeds on three browsers (Safari, DuckDuckGo, and Opera) are just abysmal with many previously-used site page loads just timing out. This is everything from page loads, to CAPTCHAs, to even loading pages without much graphics or images. This has been a huge step down for me for Internet work. Almost wish I hadn’t traded in the working iMac and kept it for browser work.

Both devices were/are connected to 300mbps Ethernet, both used/using the same VPN and host sites, current versions of all software (Monterey on the iMac, Sequoia on the Mac mini), caches cleaned out, other stored browser chaff cleaned out.

What could I be doing wrong?
 
Could it be the VPN?
Have you tried disabling that for a while, to see if things change?

One other thing to try:
Go to the users & groups pane.
Create a new "experimental" user account.
Give it administrative privileges.
Username and password are all you need.
Then...
Sign out of your "regular" account and sign into the experimental account.

Try some browsing now with Safari and other browsers.
Do things change?

When you're done using the experimental account, you can either delete it, or perhaps keep it around if you need to use it again (doesn't take much space).
 
My guess is also that it has something to do with the VPN but since I've never used one, can't help there. I have a base m4 Mini 16/256 that is primarily a media server for my Apple TV's but it's also connected to my home stereo system and I frequently stream music on the Sirius/XM website. No performance issues there. Don't normally do regular web browsing on that Mac, but just tried several sites including MacRumors. Seemed just as fast as my 2018 Mini on Monterey, no problems at all. I use Safari for everything (except testing a web app I'm developing on different browsers).

I have 500/500mbit FIOS internet and a hardwired gigabit ethernet LAN. Anyway, I don't think there's a generic issue with the m4 Mini (or if there is, it's not affecting me).
 
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Fishrrman said:
Could it be the VPN?
Have you tried disabling that for a while, to see if things change?

One other thing to try:
Go to the users & groups pane.
Create a new "experimental" user account.
Give it administrative privileges.
Username and password are all you need.
Then...
Sign out of your "regular" account and sign into the experimental account.

Try some browsing now with Safari and other browsers.
Do things change?

When you're done using the experimental account, you can either delete it, or perhaps keep it around if you need to use it again (doesn't take much space).
Click to expand...
Yes, could be the VPN and browsing is faster without it…but still painfully slow. And it is the same VPN as I used on the iMac (though more current version). I expect a slowdown with a VPN but not as drastic a slowdown as I see.

Hadn’t thought of a test user account, but will try that, thanks.
 
chown33 said:
Also try a Safe Boot.

Start up your Mac in safe mode

Starting up your Mac in safe mode may help you diagnose problems with your Mac.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
Click to expand...
Yup, good suggestion. I did that and performance did speed up for awhile, then slowed back to a crawl. Same thing now with normal booting: quick loads for awhile, then back to crawling. Just don’t get this. Will likely have to revert to an Apple service ticket.
 
Maybe it's the router.

What happens if you disconnect the ethernet cables and go wifi only?

I'd be looking at every component or element along the entire content-retrieval path, including the computer, cables, switches, routers, etc. I'd also try going to another location, like a public library, and seeing what happens there.
 
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chown33 said:
Maybe it's the router.

What happens if you disconnect the ethernet cables and go wifi only?

I'd be looking at every component or element along the entire content-retrieval path, including the computer, cables, switches, routers, etc. I'd also try going to another location, like a public library, and seeing what happens there.
Click to expand...
Could be the router I guess, though none of this happens browsing on my iPadPro or my wife on her iPadAir or Microsoft Surface Book. Since they are all WiFi devices, I’ll try the WiFi option on the Mac mini and see what happens. Whether Ethernet or WiFi, same routers though which I’ve rebooted. I have eight eeroPros in the house, WiFi5.

Although only a block away, I’m not sure the library is necessary given that our other devices do not exhibit the slowing down…only my Mac mini.
 
Whatever is going on here it is definitely not the M4 mini on Sequoia.

I run that exact set up and mine is lightning fast with browsing on all browsers.

I hope you get this fixed though. I know how frustrating this stuff can be and I would not tolerate it either.
 
turbineseaplane said:
Whatever is going on here it is definitely not the M4 mini on Sequoia.

I run that exact set up and mine is lightning fast with browsing on all browsers.

I hope you get this fixed though. I know how frustrating this stuff can be and I would not tolerate it either.
Click to expand...
Thanks, good to know it is supposed to not be what I’m experiencing. Are you using a VPN? I lean towards that being more of a contributor to my issues even when disabled for whatever reason as suggested by @Fishrrman above. My next debugging step will be to completely delete the app and try again. Then an Apple support ticket…
 
SalisburySam said:
Thanks, good to know it is supposed to not be what I’m experiencing. Are you using a VPN? I lean towards that being more of a contributor to my issues even when disabled for whatever reason as suggested by @Fishrrman above. My next debugging step will be to completely delete the app and try again. Then an Apple support ticket…
Click to expand...

I do sometimes, yep ... SurfShark user.

I should add that while I don't recall having noticed issues in Safari, it's not my primary browser (Firefox is).

I do use Safari for some sites here and there, but it's not my primary.
 
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SalisburySam said:
Could be the router I guess, though none of this happens browsing on my iPadPro or my wife on her iPadAir or Microsoft Surface Book. Since they are all WiFi devices, I’ll try the WiFi option on the Mac mini and see what happens. Whether Ethernet or WiFi, same routers though which I’ve rebooted. I have eight eeroPros in the house, WiFi5.
Click to expand...
What I meant was it might be some interaction with the router. I was thinking of the "iPhone reboots router" problem described here:

Router malfunctions can appear with many symptoms, not just reboots or slowness.
 
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