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Slowly degrading wireless download speeds

Lodesman

Lodesman

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 4, 2014
167
36
Folkestone, Kent, UK
Hi I'm a newbie here.

I bought my first iMac (late 2013) after using iPhones/iPads and am finding that the wireless download speeds degrade significantly over days.

I normally get 65-70 Mb/s but with my iMac this slowly degrades to 20-30Mb/s over a few days.

The problem is rectified by switching off and restarting WiFi. However I am sure I should not have to do this.

Any suggestions ?
 
Try changing your wireless channel as a first port of call.
 
Thanks for your advice.

I am using WiFi at the moment and I will try using an ethernet cable (a pain in the neck due to distance).

I doubt if it is my router as the problem of degrading download speed is rectified by switching off the Wifi on the iMac and then switching it on again.
 
Still have difficulty with slowly downgrading wireless speeds. The problem is solved by stopping and restarting the iMac WiFi. The normal speed then slowly degrades to 20-25 Mb/sec download over about twelve hours

My router is maintaining a very stable 68-70 Mb/sec download and 18 Mb/sec upload throughout so it is not the router having difficulties. It would appear to be my iMac WiFi.

Using an ethernet cable (really inconvenient) maintains full speeds but I would prefer to use WiFi.

Any more suggestions ?
 
Without someone to come along who has already figured out this specific issue, you need to keep eliminating variables...

Make sure it's not the Internet by testing local content source

Determine if it's the base station, try a second base station or do pier to pier

Determine if it's the iMac, try another device

Determine if the problem is hardware software, restart with an independent OS. If the problem goes away, The problem is somewhere on your drive.
 
This is probably an issue with your router.

I have the same issue at my place where our download speeds get ridiculously slow after a week. I then unplug the router for a few minutes then plug it back in and all is well for the next week or so where I repeat the process.

I've been meaning to get a new router for a while now but haven't gotten around to doing so.
 
I have my router also connected wirelessly to my wife's Windows PC and it maintains a steady 68-70 Mb/s download so I am reluctant to believe that the router is at fault (it's only six months old and operates on both the 2.4 and 5 ghz channels).

Both the PC and the iMac are using the 5 ghz wireless channel and it is only my iMac that shows this slow degradation of speed.

Strange.....
 
Lodesman said:
I have my router also connected wirelessly to my wife's Windows PC and it maintains a steady 68-70 Mb/s download so I am reluctant to believe that the router is at fault (it's only six months old and operates on both the 2.4 and 5 ghz channels).

Both the PC and the iMac are using the 5 ghz wireless channel and it is only my iMac that shows this slow degradation of speed.

Strange.....
Click to expand...


But all your other devices on top of the iMac are experiencing the slowdown in speed right?
 
Our iPhones and iPads have never been able to utilise the maximum speeds available and they operate at about 25/30 Mb/s download. Apart from my 5S the other iPads and iPhones are a couple of years old so I am not surprised.

Our PC and iMac are capable of accepting the higher speeds but it is only the iMac that, after a iMac WiFi reset, gives the higher speeds and these slowly degrade over about twelve hours. Resetting the iMac Wifi restores these speeds.

Our 5 year old PC (with dual channel Wifi dongle) gives steady downloads of the higher speeds.

Resetting the Wifi on the iMac each morning is not a great hassle but I would prefer that I did not have to do this.
 
Lodesman said:
Our iPhones and iPads have never been able to utilise the maximum speeds available and they operate at about 25/30 Mb/s download. Apart from my 5S the other iPads and iPhones are a couple of years old so I am not surprised.

Our PC and iMac are capable of accepting the higher speeds but it is only the iMac that, after a iMac WiFi reset, gives the higher speeds and these slowly degrade over about twelve hours. Resetting the iMac Wifi restores these speeds.

Our 5 year old PC (with dual channel Wifi dongle) gives steady downloads of the higher speeds.

Resetting the Wifi on the iMac each morning is not a great hassle but I would prefer that I did not have to do this.
Click to expand...


Hmmm, I don't know what else it could it.

If it's just the iMac, have you thought about reinstalling OS X or perhaps cleaning out your user preferences folder?
 
Tried ejecting my external HDD when speed dropped but no difference.

Still had to stop and restart my iMac WiFi to restore download speeds.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.
 
Solved !!!

Well, after a lot of gaffing around I finally bit the bullet and bought an Airport Extreme and "hey presto" download speeds are steady and consistent.

A steady 65 mb\s download and 19 mb/s upload.

I guess it was my old router after all. My (UK) BT Homehub 4 is now on the shelf in my workshop where it will remain.

An expensive remedy but worth it in the end.

Thanks for all your help.
 
Lodesman said:
Well, after a lot of gaffing around I finally bit the bullet and bought an Airport Extreme and "hey presto" download speeds are steady and consistent.

A steady 65 mb\s download and 19 mb/s upload.

I guess it was my old router after all. My (UK) BT Homehub 4 is now on the shelf in my workshop where it will remain.

An expensive remedy but worth it in the end.

Thanks for all your help.
Click to expand...

Oddly enough I just checked my transmission rate for the first time in a while. It was around 150 and staying there. I thought that was odd, turned wifi on and off and it back to 750ish. See sig... Probably just a coincidence but I'm gonna keep an eye on that...
 
compare wireless adapter

Lodesman said:
Still have difficulty with slowly downgrading wireless speeds. The problem is solved by stopping and restarting the iMac WiFi. The normal speed then slowly degrades to 20-25 Mb/sec download over about twelve hours

My router is maintaining a very stable 68-70 Mb/sec download and 18 Mb/sec upload throughout so it is not the router having difficulties. It would appear to be my iMac WiFi.

Using an ethernet cable (really inconvenient) maintains full speeds but I would prefer to use WiFi.

Any more suggestions ?
Click to expand...

I suggest a USB mini-wireless adapter, if the performance is better, try changing out the on-board wireless adapter...if your machine has been worked on requiring prior removal of the adapter, the round antennae ends may not be clasping tight around the connection. They can distort, if not removed properly.

----------
cynics said:
Oddly enough I just checked my transmission rate for the first time in a while. It was around 150 and staying there. I thought that was odd, turned wifi on and off and it back to 750ish. See sig... Probably just a coincidence but I'm gonna keep an eye on that...
Click to expand...

...refreshing the wireless router helps, have seen that often .
 
Thanks Worldbrain, I have sorted my problem by replacing the router with the Apple Airport Extreme.

No degradation of download speeds at all now.
 
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