Wireless network is super laggy - how to maintain a persistent connection?

[RobertSix]

I have a MP and a MB. On my MP I'm running a web server, and on my laptop I'm doing my web coding. I'm opening the files directly on the webserver from my MB. I am also looking at web page via local ip, e.g. 192.168.1.101.

This seemed like a great idea, but the problem is that it is slow... it is quicker to upload to an FTP! It is as though each time I save a file, a brand new network connection must be made. I really don't know. It's uber slow.

I'm not a networking engineer, but it seems like waiting 3-5 seconds to save a 5kb file over a 1gbps wireless connection at home with 5 bars is unacceptable. But after 10 years on apple, I have found the wireless networking always to be very sub standard. ie making an initial connection can sometimes takes up to a minute.

Is there a way to speed up wireless networking on Mac? Or to make the connection more persistent?

Cheers,
Rob

 

[RobertSix]

Here's a quick look at ping results to my local server:

64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=54 ttl=64 time=204.680 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=55 ttl=64 time=126.777 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=56 ttl=64 time=46.967 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=57 ttl=64 time=580.655 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=58 ttl=64 time=194.038 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=59 ttl=64 time=115.192 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=60 ttl=64 time=4.999 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=61 ttl=64 time=571.599 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=62 ttl=64 time=186.201 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=63 ttl=64 time=107.559 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=64 ttl=64 time=27.959 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=65 ttl=64 time=562.734 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 66
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=67 ttl=64 time=97.884 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=68 ttl=64 time=326.747 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=69 ttl=64 time=554.090 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=70 ttl=64 time=169.461 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=71 ttl=64 time=90.571 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=72 ttl=64 time=625.238 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=73 ttl=64 time=268.712 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=74 ttl=64 time=160.828 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=75 ttl=64 time=21.536 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=76 ttl=64 time=616.563 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=77 ttl=64 time=6.868 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=78 ttl=64 time=151.172 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=79 ttl=64 time=71.937 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=80 ttl=64 time=606.361 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.101: icmp_seq=81 ttl=64 time=528.680 ms

Such fluctuation hey? I can get better and more reliable pings to a server in China.

Ping results to a server on another continent:
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=50 time=86.970 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=50 time=85.873 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=50 time=85.509 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=50 time=74.733 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=50 time=74.224 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=50 time=82.670 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=50 time=72.088 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=50 time=70.718 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=10 ttl=50 time=79.665 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=11 ttl=50 time=68.816 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=12 ttl=50 time=78.618 ms
64 bytes from 195.246.120.1: icmp_seq=13 ttl=50 time=77.710 ms

Both my server and my laptop have excellent signal strength, -87db noise on the MB and -90db noise on the MP.

What I don't understand is using the same wireless how I can ping a server on the other side of the world faster and more reliably than a computer in the same room.

Hoping somebody can shed some light

Cheers,
Rob

 

[satcomer]

Please list the version of OS X both Macs are running. Plus how are you connecting, B, N or AC?

 

[smithrh]

I'm a little put off by the assertion that Mac wireless networking is somehow substandard, but I'll put that aside...

Clearly something is wrong here. For comparison, here are my wifi pings:

64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=255 time=1.644 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=255 time=1.680 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=255 time=1.482 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=255 time=1.536 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=255 time=1.508 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=255 time=1.543 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=255 time=1.565 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=255 time=1.522 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=255 time=1.557 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=255 time=1.889 ms

Having said that, OP, there needs to be more information before troubleshooting can be done.

How is your network set up? What's on WiFi, and what's wired?

Is there a router? What router is it? Is it wireless?

Are you sharing network access?

How are you sharing files? AFP?

What other wireless networks do you see?

Are you running any other networking besides Wifi? Make sure you haven't somehow set up a Bluetooth connection.

Have you run Wireless Network Diagnostics? Do this by holding down the option key and selecting the WiFi icon in the menu bar, it's all the way at the bottom.

How is your DHCP set up?

Anything interesting in your console?

As a first step in troubleshooting, I'd suggest not using WiFi at all and see how your network performs.