Windows gets fast and stable Wi-Fi. OS X does not.

[Ultra AleM]

Hello, guys. I have a MacBook Pro Retina in my room. My Wi-Fi router is not near, I admit, but here's what happens:

When I am on OSX it is super slow. It can litterally reach 0,5 Mbps. A nightmare to use.
When I am on Windows, it's full speed. It's always reaching, at least, 28 Mbps.

Same thing for other notebooks with Windows. And I'm suspecting it happens on phones, too. Many times my iPhone 5 is slower than my mother's Moto G.

What's with Apple and Wi-Fi management?

 

[Aneef]

How are u calculating the link speed of 0.5 Mbps? Through some speed test website? It's possible that OS X is busy in updating any app or the Mail app (if you've configured it) takes a lot of bandwidth to download mails. It would be better if u analyse the link speed with some app. I use iStat Monitor and it shows me almost the actual upload/download speeds. My macbook is a hell lot faster than my windows machine as it has 802.11ac as compared to my windows machine which has only 802.11a/b/g/n.

 

[Ultra AleM]

How are u calculating the link speed of 0.5 Mbps? Through some speed test website? It's possible that OS X is busy in updating any app or the Mail app (if you've configured it) takes a lot of bandwidth to download mails. It would be better if u analyse the link speed with some app. I use iStat Monitor and it shows me almost the actual upload/download speeds. My macbook is a hell lot faster than my windows machine as it has 802.11ac as compared to my windows machine which has only 802.11a/b/g/n.

Hello, I calculated the speed via speedtest.net. I'm 100% sure that no process was running in background or using my connection (I did this test many times on many days, btw). I am 100% sure that the problem is OSX, because Windows, in the same exact conditions, is extremely faster, and does not turn my browsing into a nightmare. Any advices? Thanks a lot. The only thing that I can do to fix this problem is selling my Mac...

 

[priitv8]

There is something wrong with your setup. OS X in itself is no reason. This is what I get:

15" rMBP early-2013 + AirPort Extreme

 

[Ultra AleM]

There is something wrong with your setup. OS X in itself is no reason. This is what I get:

15" rMBP early-2013 + AirPort Extreme

Yes, but it's fast for me too if I'm closer to the router. The problem is in my room. Why, in my room, Windows gets full speed while OS X can't be fast and stable?

 

[CreatorCode]

Most likely, OS X is automatically joining some other open network instead of the right one.

Open System Preferences > Network and make sure the "Ask to join new networks" box is checked. Then click on Advanced, click the Wi-Fi tab, and make sure that the Preferred Networks list only has the networks you actually want it to have.

 

[Ultra AleM]

Most likely, OS X is automatically joining some other open network instead of the right one.

Open System Preferences > Network and make sure the "Ask to join new networks" box is checked. Then click on Advanced, click the Wi-Fi tab, and make sure that the Preferred Networks list only has the networks you actually want it to have.

Its all right. It's correctly connected to my router without other open networks. Other ideas,

 

[zombiecakes]

When I transfer a file from Mac to PC from within Windows I get a pretty steady 16MB/s, when I do it in OSX I get an unsteady 10MB/s. Its also much more reliable if I use Windows to start the transfer since OSX will sometimes just give up halfway through a lot of GBs. Same computers, same time, same direction (MBP>PC), same distance, very different speeds depending on which OS controls the file transfer. They definitely arent the same.

 

[Ultra AleM]

When I transfer a file from Mac to PC from within Windows I get a pretty steady 16MB/s, when I do it in OSX I get an unsteady 10MB/s. Its also much more reliable if I use Windows to start the transfer since OSX will sometimes just give up halfway through a lot of GBs. Same computers, same time, same direction (MBP>PC), same distance, very different speeds depending on which OS controls the file transfer. They definitely arent the same.

Yes, I got it. But it's a nightmare. For example, OS X is now networking at a speed of 350 KB/s, while Windows is networking at a speed of 3,50 MB/s...

 

[TechZeke]

Reliability seems okay so far on El Capitan. Yosemite was always terrible vs Windows when comes to Wi-Fi. My iMac running Windows 8.1 and recently 10 was much better. I selected my Wi-Fi network once during first boot and never looked at the Network screen again. On Yosemite, I had to turn wi-fi on and off again periodically to get full speed.

 

[t0mat0]

Is Windows 10 wifi still sharing user's wifi passwords?

 

[Ultra AleM]

Is Windows 10 wifi still sharing user's wifi passwords?

What? No.

 

[PhantomGhost]

What? No.

Actually yes, yes it is. That's the default setting for Windows 10, but you can turn it off.

As to your original problem, I don't have that issue at all, so I'm not sure what it is. I get great range with my MBP, though I guess since my whole house is covered fine, I haven't really tested your exact issue. Wait for El Capitan and see how it does, I've seen several great improvements with it (wifi wasn't one of them, but who knows).

 

[priitv8]

What frequency are you connecting on? What S/N ratio do you see and what MCS index do you get?
BTW if you are still on 2.4GHz, do you also have Bluetooth on?

 

[maflynn]

Did you try to connect to your router via a cat-5 cable and measure its performance that way?

I found sometimes my MBP connected to a neighbor's wifi and my network performance sunk. Once I realized that was the case, I make sure I'm on the correct network

 

[Alameda]

Its all right. It's correctly connected to my router without other open networks. Other ideas,

If you want to fix the problem, do exactly what it says on the piece of paper they put in the box of every single electronic device you ever buy: "Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna."

Put your WiFi router another few feet higher, or away from an obstruction, and reception in your bad spot with your metal-encased laptop will likely be as good as with the plastic encased laptops. Simple. That's a downside to Mac notebooks -- the metal case will cut down wifi reception. But moving your wifi antenna at home will cure it, because you said that performance is fine when you're closer.

 

[Ultra AleM]

What frequency are you connecting on? What S/N ratio do you see and what MCS index do you get?
BTW if you are still on 2.4GHz, do you also have Bluetooth on?

Hello! I'm connected to 2,4 Ghz (as every other device) and Bluetooth is off.

 

[Ultra AleM]

If you want to fix the problem, do exactly what it says on the piece of paper they put in the box of every single electronic device you ever buy: "Relocate or reorient the receiving antenna."

Put your WiFi router another few feet higher, or away from an obstruction, and reception in your bad spot with your metal-encased laptop will likely be as good as with the plastic encased laptops. Simple. That's a downside to Mac notebooks -- the metal case will cut down wifi reception. But moving your wifi antenna at home will cure it, because you said that performance is fine when you're closer.

Hello! It doesn't make sense, since Windows gets full speed (same pc, same place, same router, same conditions).

 

[Ultra AleM]

Did you try to connect to your router via a cat-5 cable and measure its performance that way?

I found sometimes my MBP connected to a neighbor's wifi and my network performance sunk. Once I realized that was the case, I make sure I'm on the correct network

Hello! I can't use a cable. The router is not nearby.

 

[chevalier433]

Hello, guys. I have a MacBook Pro Retina in my room. My Wi-Fi router is not near, I admit, but here's what happens:

When I am on OSX it is super slow. It can litterally reach 0,5 Mbps. A nightmare to use.
When I am on Windows, it's full speed. It's always reaching, at least, 28 Mbps.

Same thing for other notebooks with Windows. And I'm suspecting it happens on phones, too. Many times my iPhone 5 is slower than my mother's Moto G.

What's with Apple and Wi-Fi management?

You can set a static ip.

 

[priitv8]

You can set a static ip.

Why would that help? But if it really does, I'd do it via DHCP reservation.

 

[Alameda]

Hello! It doesn't make sense, since Windows gets full speed (same pc, same place, same router, same conditions).

Cover the Windows laptop in aluminum foil and tell me this again. Makes perfect sense. The Mac is covered in metal, not radio-transparent plastic.

When the Mac is closer, you get full speed operation. Ergo, the problem is Rf. Reorient or relocate the antenna. Or keep whining about it, if it makes you feel better.

 

[Alameda]

Yes, but it's fast for me too if I'm closer to the router. The problem is in my room. Why, in my room, Windows gets full speed while OS X can't be fast and stable?

See? You say the connection is fast if you're closer to your router. This means that your problem is related to the reception of the radio signal itself. With distance, the signal strength falls off faster in your metal-encased laptop. Try moving your wifi router a few feet higher.

 

[joe-h2o]

Cover the Windows laptop in aluminum foil and tell me this again. Makes perfect sense. The Mac is covered in metal, not radio-transparent plastic.

When the Mac is closer, you get full speed operation. Ergo, the problem is Rf. Reorient or relocate the antenna. Or keep whining about it, if it makes you feel better.

Are you not reading his posts? He said that *literally the same machine* shows different wifi performance in the same location when switching between OS X and Windows via bootcamp.

This suggests a software issue with his OS X install.

What we need to see are the figures that OS X is using (option click on the wifi symbol and give us s/n, MCS index, channel info etc) and what information Windows is reporting.

It sounds like something has gone wrong with the wifi config in OS X.

What happens with a new user account on OS X? Same speed issues?

 

[Ultra AleM]

Are you not reading his posts? He said that *literally the same machine* shows different wifi performance in the same location when switching between OS X and Windows via bootcamp.

This suggests a software issue with his OS X install.

What we need to see are the figures that OS X is using (option click on the wifi symbol and give us s/n, MCS index, channel info etc) and what information Windows is reporting.

It sounds like something has gone wrong with the wifi config in OS X.

What happens with a new user account on OS X? Same speed issues?

I will try with a new user as soon as possible, thanks!