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Why Does Internet Suck In OSX?

S

Steve Jobless

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 31, 2006
304
0
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
 
Steve Jobless said:
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
Click to expand...
Its true that the wifi reception sux in MBP, but, the internet rocks, its faster than any PC. Your net its bad.
 
Steve Jobless said:
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
Click to expand...

Not sure what to tell you. It's quite a generalization to say OS-X's handling of WiFi is bad.

I have a 3000mbps connection and was downloading XCODE 2.4.1, over 900MB, at over 300KBPS (last night, actually). This is on a PowerBook G4, with the Airport Extreme (802.11g). The card used in the MBP's is different. (in other words, not OS related)

What kind of wireless router are you using? Unless the MBP's card is actually broken, is almost has to be some incompatibility in setup. Is this new behavior? Did it ever work [out of the box]? Sounds like you can swap in the Windows machine and consistantly get same results. Or, if this is based on old tests, could something else have changed? Just thinking if you recently bought a new phone (wireless), running at 2.4GHz, that will definitely interfere with any WiFi.
 
I use my C2D MBP, 12" PB, and iBook via WiFi router which is connected to the high speed cable modem. I use my 15" PB and Ti via wires through the same router. I have not seen much of the difference in speed. I also use my home WiFi network for my Tablet PC (running XP Pro Tablet Edition) and Dell X200 (running XP Pro) and my experience with them all are almost same speed.
However, I heard PB and MBP's metal casing may reduce the WiFi range.
My router is Belkin 54G.
 
Steve Jobless said:
Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.
Click to expand...

Trying turning on "Interference Robustness" in your Wi-Fi settings on the Mac. As another member suggested, if there are any other wireless devices around or other possibilities of interference, this will help.
 
WiFi signal in PowerBooks and MBP might be less than what you might get wiht a plastic portable.

But to say that internet suxx in OSX is generalizing a bit.

I find the whole experience of connection/surfing/downloading very straight forward/pleasant/speedy

I have never had a problem connecting to the net, even when using obscure ADSL modems.

With a 1MB connection my normal download speed is of 125 kbps (depending on the site/server/mirror

The distance i get out of my WiFi connection (airport express) is also very good. I get a signal from the flat directly underneath mine.

I don't believe it OSX that is causing you problems.
 
Steve Jobless said:
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
Click to expand...

I get the opposite wifi results with my machine... :rolleyes:
 
Steve Jobless said:
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
Click to expand...

Your ethernet card is broken. There's no reason why you should have bad performance and problems like that.
 
I guess I may have lost people, I am using Windows Vista on my MBP in Boot Camp. Which is why I am questioning this.

I do have connection robustness on, but it seems as though after I downloaded the Airport Update (to prevent any exploit) did the connection start to get bad.

And to make matters worse I now have to use my MBP in Vista to download things because Verizon can't solve the issue of why I can't download anything from my main PC. (Modem, WiFi is fine).
 
Steve Jobless said:
I guess I may have lost people, I am using Windows Vista on my MBP in Boot Camp. Which is why I am questioning this.

I do have connection robustness on, but it seems as though after I downloaded the Airport Update (to prevent any exploit) did the connection start to get bad.

And to make matters worse I now have to use my MBP in Vista to download things because Verizon can't solve the issue of why I can't download anything from my main PC. (Modem, WiFi is fine).
Click to expand...

That is important information to have left out. If it was the update that made it bad, I don't see why you needed to say that OS X sucks at the internet, the update to the airport sucks...
 
Hmm, I get 6.2 Mb/s over AirPort on my iMac, and that's actual speed, not the theoretical limit. There's definitely something wrong at your end, it's not a fault of OS X.
 
Steve Jobless said:
I have a CD MBP 1GB RAM and connecting to the internet in OSX is hell! Downloading in OSX via WiFi I've never had speeds over 32 KBPS, Compared to Windows Vista where I can constantly download at over 100 KBPS. Also in OSX the reception would only be two bars, but in Vista it would be full (five bars) same location and everything.

Also when I decided to hook up my dsl modem directly to my MBP it was a big hassle to get it to work. But the speeds were decent probably comparable to using it on my other PC.
Click to expand...

What exactly is the connection type (cable, DSL, WiMax), how many people are using your network, and if there is a router incompatibility with Mac OS X. But before you assume it's OS X or the card, I'd test it on another wireless network and see if you get the same results. :)

If you and the router on the opposite side of a microwave in a house, that will impact your wireless, a lot.
 
Should I just chalk this up to Verizon and their **** DSL?

But that doesn't explain the slow downloading speeds compared to everyone else.
 
Trash ~/Library/Cahces and /Library Cashes (Restart before emptying the trash)

If that does not work, go to System Preferences>Network and create a new Location and apply the changes. Then connect back to your network and try again.

If the problem is still there after doing that try removing /Library/Preferences/System Configuration onto the desktop and then restart. Create the Network location again and then test.

Its obviously not a hardware issue as Windows Vista works fine.
 
Steve Jobless said:
Should I just chalk this up to Verizon and their **** DSL?

But that doesn't explain the slow downloading speeds compared to everyone else.
Click to expand...

It's not just you. Windows handles my WiFi a lot better than Mac OS X does as well.

People really don't know how to read on these forums and they jump all over you when you question the holiness of OS X.

I heard from someone before that deleting their network settings helped. I really don't know what to tell you. I've switched over to using Windows again full time.
 
Just to add to the "OS X Doesn't Suck At Wifi" debate, I am adding in that my iMac G5 on a Wireless B Network gets constant download speeds of apx. 4000/kbps download and 350/kbps upload. I have ComCast Broadband. & Once again, this is on Wireless B. My network has the iMac & Dell Notebook at the same location, & the iMac gets much faster speeds and all-over better performance.

Kevin.
 
kwood said:
Trash ~/Library/Cahces and /Library Cashes (Restart before emptying the trash)

If that does not work, go to System Preferences>Network and create a new Location and apply the changes. Then connect back to your network and try again.

If the problem is still there after doing that try removing /Library/Preferences/System Configuration onto the desktop and then restart. Create the Network location again and then test.

Its obviously not a hardware issue as Windows Vista works fine.
Click to expand...

you should try this out it will probably fix your problem. My PB is better than any Windows in WiFi. I just got done redoing a family members windows wireless router...all I can say is my PB recognized it immediately but the windows machine did not. Took me a half hour to finally get it to work.
 
makingthebanned said:
It's not just you. Windows handles my WiFi a lot better than Mac OS X does as well.

People really don't know how to read on these forums and they jump all over you when you question the holiness of OS X.

I heard from someone before that deleting their network settings helped. I really don't know what to tell you. I've switched over to using Windows again full time.
Click to expand...

a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build...
a time to love and a time to hate...

I can't blame people for sticking up for OS X. There is a reason why there is a bunch of OS options, and they all have advantages and disadvantages. Sometimes I have found myself screaming at OS X because it couldn't do what I wanted it to do.

But I haven't found windows able to handle wifi "alot better than Mac OS X does". They seem pretty equal. Besides, it's a nice feeling to be able to go all over the internet and not worry so much about what virii and such without paying for protection. Something that should be there to begin with. And yes, I very rarely found a virus on my system in the 10+ years I had a PC, but you'd be nuts to go without anti-virus software no matter how careful you are.

To me it seems that it is your airport update (base station or card?).
 
The internet seems just as fast on my Mac as it does on my PC. I wonder why...oh yes: its the same internet connection! Genius!
 
Windows and wifi is a horror IMO. I have never ever had anything but problems with the nearly 200 PC laptops I have looked and laughed at because people spent a day making their wifi work. It's so bad, that when my PC buddy with his laptop comes over, he needs an ethernet cable. I prefer slower speeds compared to no speed at all.
:)
 
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