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Slow download speed MacBook Pro but fast on Windows on same network?

P

pjamas1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 7, 2021
5
0
Hi All

Okay, here is my issue. This does seem to be an issue many folk are combining about on forums - Mac slow, all other gadgets fast.

After years of rubbish broadband, our house invested in FTTP. It is great and does what it says on the tin. So, my husband gets the full speed 140 Mbps download, 20+Mbps upload on his Windows machine whether using wifi or ethernet. I do not, and am looking for a solution for my MacBook Pro October 2016 running Big Sur.

I get approx 50 Mbps download by Wifi and 80-85 by Ethernet cable to the main hub.

With Wifi on, the speeds on Wifi are the same anywhere in the house so that works well. We have a SmartHub 2 and Wifi disc from BT to boost to upstairs.

All ethernet speeds have been checked with no other devices active and WiFi turned off etc. The problem lies within my computer, not the wifi signal.

First - it is not specifically my Wi-fi, the problem persists with WiFi switched off and Ethernet cable plugged as you can see from above speeds.

Next, some people on forums have said VPN clients are the culprit - as far as I am aware I don’t have one installed (I used to but removed it, or at least I think I did, unless there are system files still in there). A search though Applications has not shown one that I can identify.

I tried deleting some wifi system files according to a post on this forum that I can't find again, and it worked (well, up to 120 Mbps), but only for a few hours and then back to square 1 - presumably as new files were generated.

Found this thread but not sure where to start next….

https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/323130/mac-wifi-slow-fine-on-other-devices

Have you any insights or thoughts as to anything I can do??



Thank you



Pauline
 
Another test to perform would be to turn off everything else in the house connected to the router and then check the MBP's speed. If there's no difference then that would rule out the router "prioritizing" the other devices in some odd way.

Also, please clarify how you're checking the speeds.
 
Hi There. Nothing else in the house was active at the time. All other computers were off and the TV was off. Phones were on I guess, but not being used. I was using the Which Broadband Checker https://broadbandtest.which.co.uk
with either Wifi off and an ethernet cable into the Smarthub (main router), or WiFi on and the laptop beside the router and various other locations around the house. Location made little difference to the sees, always 50 Mbps download by Wifi and 80-85 by Ethernet cable to the main hub. Thanks. PJ
 
A little better. 65 Mbps download (still slower than expected), 30 Mbps upload (as expected).
 
With Ethernet, 93 Mbps download, 30 Mbps upload. I have no idea about the cable, but it has no problem reporting my husbands speeds on his windows machine as 140Mbps (which is what is expected).
 
Hi BrianBaughn.
Thanks for taking an interest.
It's a Elutteng E301195, Style 2725. But even if this were the problem, the Windows machine gets 140 Mbps over WiFi beside the router, and I get 50-63. I can't believe the hardware in the WiFi can only manange this - and from my reding it should do a lot better than the network can provide, so there must be some other issue I feel.
PJ
 
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