slow connection problem, 2 macs: 1 good & 1 bad

[Leon.K]

Hi,
I have a 1mb internet connection to which two macbooks are connected via wifi. Each has a windows xp partition, from which i have found (from the wifi properties in the toolbar) that one runs at 108kbs/s, whereas the other only reaches 54kbs/s. The lag is really noticeable in the latter, even when just browsing webpages, and it often cuts out. I've tried all i can think of and am beginning to wonder whether there's some fine detail I'm overlooking. What is going on!!!???

 

[spinnerlys]

Try again with the iStat Menu or iStat widget from islayer.com and see if it also affects the Mac OS side of your MacBook.
Or just use the Activity Monitor.

Or make a benchmark here: http://www.speedtest.net/ . You could try it like this: 2 MacBooks connected to the Router at the same time and run the tests separately (not at the same time of course), then disconnect one MacBook and test the other, and then the other way around.

PS: Do you mean 1 Mbit/s or 1 MByte/s?

Did you try to connect the MacBooks via cable to the router (if possible) and see if the problem still occurs?

 

[Leon.K]

Try again with the iStat Menu or iStat widget from islayer.com and see if it also affects the Mac OS side of your MacBook.
Or just use the Activity Monitor.

Or make a benchmark here: http://www.speedtest.net/ . You could try it like this: 2 MacBooks connected to the Router at the same time and run the tests separately (not at the same time of course), then disconnect one MacBook and test the other, and then the other way around.

PS: Do you mean 1 Mbit/s or 1 MByte/s?

Did you try to connect the MacBooks via cable to the router (if possible) and see if the problem still occurs?

istat just confirms that my connection on macbook 1 is better than macbook 2, and the independent speedtest results are:

macbook 1: download 1313 kbps - upload 338 kbps - ping 57ms
macbook 2: download 830 kbps - upload 335 kbps - ping 70ms

ive just looked up what my isp say my speed should be and it says 'up to two megabyte'

i havn't tried connecting directly yet as the router is in an awkward place, but if essential i can try it.

I'm baffled but i hope this helps?

 

[spinnerlys]

What are your network settings? (System Preferences > Network)

And what are the router settings?

Have you static IP or dynamic?

 

[Leon.K]

What are your network settings? (System Preferences > Network)

And what are the router settings?

Have you static IP or dynamic?

network settings:
network security - WPA personal
IPv4 Address: 192.168.0.3
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Router: 192.168.0.1
configure IPv6: Automatically

AppleTalk is off

not entirely sure of router settings or whether IP is static or dynamic :S sorry if i am not giving the right info :S

can you think of anything i can try?

 

[spinnerlys]

Static IP means that your IP address doesn't change every time you connect to the network. Dynamic IP is the opposite, the IP changes every time you connect.
You can find out if you have a static IP by looking at the configure drop down in the Advanced setting of your Airport in the TCP/IP tab.

Btw. which OS do you have? 10.3.x, 10.4.x or 10.5.x?

I want to rule out the Airport, so is it possible for you to connect both MacBooks (they are portable at least) to the router via wire, and see if the slow down continues?

And the network settings you gave me, are they from the slower MacBook?
Could you give me the other one too?

Have you set a specific network location or is it on automatic?

You can access the router via Safari I suppose with the following IP address:
192.168.0.1 (into the address bar)
Then you will be prompted with a dialog asking you for your username and password.
I think you know that, otherwise how could you have set the router up.

Til the next post. I hope I can help in the end.

 

[Leon.K]

Static IP means that your IP address doesn't change every time you connect to the network. Dynamic IP is the opposite, the IP changes every time you connect.
You can find out if you have a static IP by looking at the configure drop down in the Advanced setting of your Airport in the TCP/IP tab.

Btw. which OS do you have? 10.3.x, 10.4.x or 10.5.x?

I want to rule out the Airport, so is it possible for you to connect both MacBooks (they are portable at least) to the router via wire, and see if the slow down continues?

And the network settings you gave me, are they from the slower MacBook?
Could you give me the other one too?

Have you set a specific network location or is it on automatic?

You can access the router via Safari I suppose with the following IP address:
192.168.0.1 (into the address bar)
Then you will be prompted with a dialog asking you for your username and password.
I think you know that, otherwise how could you have set the router up.

Til the next post. I hope I can help in the end.

I'm sure it's static but cant see a configure dropdown where you said. sorry for any idiocy on my part!

i have OSX 10.5.4 on both. yes those settings were for the slow mac. the fast ones settings are:

network security - WPA personal
IPv4 Address: 192.168.0.2
Subnet mask 255.255.255.0
Router: 192.168.0.1
configure IPv6: Automatically

AppleTalk is off

it is set to automatic, although it always defaults to my home network (i take the slow mac to my girlfriends house occasioally and have it set to automatically pick up both networks when in range.

router settings:

ADSL Port
MAC Address 00:1B:2F:7C:0F:83
IP Address 90.202.0.142
Network Type PPPoA
IP Subnet Mask 255.255.255.255
Gateway IP Address 87.87.251.118
Domain Name Server 90.207.238.97
90.207.238.99

LAN Port
MAC Address 00:1B:2F:7C:0F:82
IP Address 192.168.0.1
DHCP On
IP Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0

Modem
ADSL Firmware Version A2pB023b.d20e
Modem Status Connected
DownStream Connection Speed 1535 kbps
UpStream Connection Speed 409 kbps
VPI 0
VCI 38

Wireless Port
Name (SSID) SKY09018
Region Europe
Channel 6
Wireless AP Enabled
Broadcast Name Enabled

Anything useful in there?

ok so i disabled airport on the slow mac and connected via ethernet cable and ran speed test and i got: download 1131 kb/s - upload 342 kb/s

think its airport? thanks for your help btw

 

[spinnerlys]

It seems to be the Wireless LAN, be it the Airport of the Mac or the WLAN of the router.

Could you try the slow Mac at your girlfriends house and try the speedtest again, after you already tested her internet connection speed with her computer as comparison.

This way we could determine if it is the Mac or the Router.

 

[Leon.K]

thats a little difficult right now as i have just had an operation and cannot leave the house. Annoyingly, there isn't anyone even relatively technically able around me, i.e my family, gf or her family. I'm the one that usually stumbles around trying to fix their pc/mac problems lol. i could do that but it's be in a couple of weeks time which is a complete drag

Is there another way to determine which it is? or what would be the way of determining the problems with each possibility?

thanks once again - leon

 

[spinnerlys]

Now for the funny part.

To see if your MacBook(s) use a static (manual) or dynamic (DHCP) IP address do the following:

System Preferences >> Network

Select Airport on the left side.

On the right side select "Advanced" (lower right corner), and the advanced settings of Airport open.

There's a tab called TCP/IP (second from the left).

There are the following options:

Configure IPv4 : Using DHCP, Manually, DHCP with Manual Address and Using BootP
IPv4 Address : 192.68.0.xxx
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Router : 192.168.0.1
....

If you're using DHCP, your IP is dynamic, if it is set to Manual, it's static.


Concerning another way finding out, where the problem is, I can't think of one now.
But you could try setting a different channel on your router under the wireless settings of the router.

Good recovery. And report back, please...

 

[Leon.K]

it is set to DHCP, so my ip is dynamic. i have looked into the wireless settings of my router (netgear super wireless ADSL DG834GT) but cannot find an option to change to a different channel.