WIFI File Transfer is Slow

[timidpimpin]

I'm using WIFI for the first time on my 2x Mac mini's, and the internet speed is as it should be, but file transfers over the same WIFI on the LAN are a fraction of the internet speeds.

These are late 2009 Mac mini's running El Capitan, with 802.11n WIFI, and connected to 5GHz.

My connection is 150/150, which I get with downloads/uploads, but with file transfers it seems like g speeds at only 7MB/sec or 56Mb/sec. Why would file transfers be so much slower?

 

[MrWillie]

I'm using WIFI for the first time on my 2x Mac mini's, and the internet speed is as it should be, but file transfers over the same WIFI on the LAN are a fraction of the internet speeds.

These are late 2009 Mac mini's running El Capitan, with 802.11n WIFI, and connected to 5GHz.

My connection is 150/150, which I get with downloads/uploads, but with file transfers it seems like g speeds at only 7MB/sec or 56Mb/sec. Why would file transfers be so much slower?

Are you sure you’re not using megabits for connection and megabytes for transfers ?

Also Ethernet does packet switching and their true speed is measured in packets per second. If the packet size is small, there is less data throughout than if your transferring larger packets. When consumer grade routers and switches advertise their speed, it is done with maximum sized packets and usually as megabits. They also don’t take in to consideration the overhead.

Another point to ponder is how much crap do you have on your WiFi network ? My rule is, if it’s not portable, it’s wired. The only WiFi devices we have are the two aye pads and two aye phones. Blazing fast, even with an AirPort Extreme.

Hard wire the two macs and check their transfer speed.

Also what protocol are the macs using, and what protocol is anything else on your network using ???

 

[MrWillie]

I'm using WIFI for the first time on my 2x Mac mini's, and the internet speed is as it should be, but file transfers over the same WIFI on the LAN are a fraction of the internet speeds.

These are late 2009 Mac mini's running El Capitan, with 802.11n WIFI, and connected to 5GHz.

My connection is 150/150, which I get with downloads/uploads, but with file transfers it seems like g speeds at only 7MB/sec or 56Mb/sec. Why would file transfers be so much slower?

Are you sure you’re not using megabits for connection and megabytes for transfers ?

Also Ethernet does packet switching and their true speed is measured in packets per second. If the packet size is small, there is less data throughout than if your transferring larger packets. When consumer grade routers and switches advertise their speed, it is done with maximum sized packets and usually as megabits. They also don’t take in to consideration the overhead.

Another point to ponder is how much crap do you have on your WiFi network ? My rule is, if it’s not portable, it’s wired. The only WiFi devices we have are the two aye pads and two aye phones. Blazing fast, even with an AirPort Extreme.

Hard wire the two macs and check their transfer speed.

Also what protocol are the macs using, and what protocol is anything else on your network using ???

 

[BrianBaughn]

Please specify the router model to which your Minis are connected and the method of file transfer you are using.

 

[timidpimpin]

Never mind... I cleared the PRAM and all is well.

Thanks for the help regardless.

 

[ElectronGuru]

FYI
You can upgrade to external AC with these

https://www.bearifi.com/collections/all-current-products/products/bearextender-turbo-for-mac

 

[timidpimpin]

Are you sure you’re not using megabits for connection and megabytes for transfers ?

I'm positive. My WIFI connection speed is 300Mb - my internet speed is 150Mb up and down, which I was getting, but my LAN file transfers over the same WIFI were only getting 56Mb/7MB/sec. Note that I'm distinctly using both upper and lower case B's to show the difference. I'm not sure how there could have been any confusion, as I used the same dynamic in my OP.

 

[kevink2]

When transferring files between 2 computers, both using Wi-Fi, you have contention on the network. In theory 300mb transmit from the one computer to the router. But that leaves no bandwidth from the router to the other computer. So you are limited in an ideal world to 150mb/sec. And Wi-Fi is always significantly worse than that.

Depending on the router, newer technologies with multiple antennas can improve this. Also, if one computer is 2.4G, and the other is 5, they don't conflict with each other.

And the protocol used for the transfer can also limit it.

Until I got to AC, when both were on the Wi-FI I was generally disappointed. Works better for me now since one connects directly to the router using cable, and the laptop uses the Wi-FI. I also tend to use OneDrive nowadays for shared files. So they always seem "local" to the computer instead of mounting a shared folder and accessing the file that way.