AirPort 802.11n ... speed

I just upgraded to 802.11n, but it seems much slower than the old AirPort g. Is this just my problem or does "n" work differently?

I just used the AirPort Client Monitor to see what's up. Here is what I'm getting.
Strength: -40dBm
Noise: -90dBm
A signal with a strength of -40 dBm and noise of -90 dBm would equate to a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of 50 dB -- an excellent value for WLANs.
SNR is the signal level (in dBm) minus the noise level (in dBm). In your example, a signal level of -40 dBm and a noise level of -90dBm yields a SNR of 50dB.
The SNR, as measured from the iBook, decreases as the range to the base station increases because of applicable free space loss. Also an increase in RF interference from microwave ovens and cordless phones, which increases the noise level, also decreases SNR.
SNR Guideline
o 40dB+ SNR = Excellent signal
o 25dB to 40dB SNR = Very good signal
o 15dB to 25dB SNR = Low signal
o 10dB to 15dB SNR = Very low signal
o 5dB to 10dB SNR = No signal
Transmit Rate: 52Mbps
54 Mbps would be the highest possible bandwidth for a 802.11g wireless network ... so getting 52 Mbps would be excellent.
To achieve 130 Mbps, the wireless network would have to operate at in either 802.11n only (2.4 GHz) or 802.11n only (5 GHz) with wide-channel disabled radio modes. To achieve 300+ Mbps, the network would need to be operating in the 802.11n only (5 GHz) with wide-channels enabled radio mode. In addition ALL wireless clients must be capable of either of these as well. Any "b" or "g" clients will impact the "n" network overall bandwidth performance.

Similar Messages

802.11n Extreme + Airport Express on same WDS w/802.11n speed?

I'm traveling now, but when I get home on Monday morning a factory refurb Core2Duo Macbook Pro waiting for me. I've had an Airport Extreme 802.11n for a couple months now and would love to upgrade the network for 802.11n (for faster transfer speeds to the Airdisk I use as the depository for all my music). but I have an Airport Express I want to keep on the same network (in order to stream internet radio to my stereo since that feature was conveniently left out of the Apple TV, though the Express also serves as a bridge for my Xbox 360 & PS3). Is there a way to configure a WDS so I can keep the Express in the loop and enjoy 802.11n speeds? I read the Apple support doc, and it was kinda vague about whether it would work if I followed the model that involves running an Ethernet cable from the Extreme to the Express? I'd hoped the manual would clear things up, but it only left me more confused...

I have a similar issue here, only I'm keeping my snow Airport base station around just in case. I assume the following will work:
Airport Extreme 802.11n
-connects via ethernet cable to-
Airport Snow
-which connects wirelessly to-
Airport Express.
The Snow has a spare ethernet out, which can connect to a PS3, Network Area Storage Hard Drive, or a TiVo at 802.11n (or higher, since it's all wired) speeds.
The Airport Express has AirTunes out of the mini jack.
My only question is this: does having the Airport Express connected to the Airport Snow (via 802.11g, I assume) put a drag on the overall 802.11n speeds? Or because the Snow and the Express are only on "bridge" setting, it's a non-issue?

How to get 802.11n speed for Apple TV?

I installed my first Apple TV yesterday. Great stuff!
My iTunes movie library is on a Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro. I have not yet used the AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler on this MacBook, since I just found out it exists. If I use it, can I utilize 802.11n sync speeds with the Apple TV? How?
My AirPort network uses only an "old" 802.11g AirPort Extreme base station, not the "new" AirPort Extreme base station with 802.11n.
I have three 802.11g AirPort Express base stations on my network, mainly for using AirTunes.
My iMac connects to my wireless network using 802.11g, and I don't think the 802.11n Enabler works with it.
My cable modem current connects to my Airport Extreme (802.11g) base station via Ethernet.
I understand I can get a new AirPort Extreme 802.11n base station to replace the 802.11g one, and that would let me use the higher 802.11n speed from the MacBook to the Apple TV. It would also allow (unless I misunderstand) all my 802.11g devices to access the network at the lower speeds they are capable of. Correct?
I also understand there is something called a "dual band network" that involves using both base station types in one large network, but I don't know what the advantage of doing that would be, compared with just replacing the old base station. Can someone fill me in on that?
And, is there any way to get 802.11n speeds from the MacBook Pro to the Apple TV without getting an 802.11n base station?
Thanks in advance.

If I use it, can I utilize 802.11n sync speeds with the Apple TV? How?
And, is there any way to get 802.11n speeds from the MacBook Pro to the Apple TV without getting an 802.11n base station?
No. Unless you set up an adhoc network between your Mac and the Apple TV.
I understand I can get a new AirPort Extreme 802.11n base > station to replace the 802.11g one, and that would let me > use the higher 802.11n speed from the MacBook to the Apple > TV.
Yes, it would.
It would also allow (unless I misunderstand) all my 802.11g devices to access the network at the lower speeds they are capable of. Correct?
If you set things up this way, then I believe you wont be able to use wideband mode on the AEBSn. Your AEBSn will be opperating in mixed mode and its 802.11n performance will be degraded. The best set up would be to keep your old router to service the G only devices, and have your new AEBSn service the N capable devices. This would allow you to take full advantage of the performance increase provided by 802.11n capable devices.
Message was edited by: ctomer

Airport (802.11n) and WDS

Hi,
Does someone can tell me what "speed" will I get with two Airport 802.11N with WDS setup ?
I alreday know that a WDS with an Airport 802.11N and an Airport Express or Extreme won't get better than the slowless one : 802.11g.
Thanks
HDR

You'll get 54mbit between the two airport extremes...
Technically yes but the bandwidth available to any client is really only 27 Mbps since all data must make 2 hops and no other data can be transmitted during either hop. Other data can not be transmitted because both base stations are using the same channel.
So if the client requested 54 Mb, it would take one second to go from AEBS_1 to AEBS_2 and then another second to go from AEBS_2 to client. Therefore the total bandwidth is:
(54 Mb)/(2 sec) = 27 Mbps
Don't know where you got 104 Mbps but if the clients were able to use that speed to connect to AEBS_2, the data would take .519 seconds on the second hop. The overall bandwidth would then be:
(54 Mb)/(1.519 sec) = 35.5 Mbps
Regardless of how you slice it, WDS makes a drastic cut on your available bandwidth.

Airport Express with Time Capsule - Nowhere near 802.11n speeds!

I currently have a Time Capsule set up in bridge mode, giving me a wired+wireless network off my Belkin modem. I just bought an Airport Express to serve as a wireless bridge (to connect my wired PC to the network) but transferring files across the APE-TC connection goes at a woefully slow 3-4MB/s! (When I connect my 802.11n laptop to the TC directly via wireless, it was 3-4x faster.)
This problem happens whether the TC is set to either create a second discrete 5GHz network or not. I noticed that if I run this separate 5GHz network, and I connect the APE to the 2.4GHz one manually, the transfer speed slows to 1-2MB/s.
How do I get it to go faster? The APE and TC are only about 5m apart (+ 1 wall).

Welcome to the discussions!
+What to do?+
The iPhone does tend to remember the router that it is originally connected to.
If you plan to use the iPhone most of the time when you are in proximity of the AirPort Express, I suggest that you delete the current WiFi connection on the iPhone, restart the device, locate it near the AirPort Express, and set up a new connection to your network.
Works for me. May or may not work for you.

Airport Express 802.11n - speed, throughput, bandwidth problems only 1MB/s

Hi there,
I got a brand new Airport Express with 802.11n. But I'm really disappointed with the speed in a draft-n-only environment.
Before I used as a router my 54Mbit/s Linksys WRT54GL with DD-WRT v23, which gave me on its g-Standard network a throughput of 3 MB/s when copying something via finder to my Ubuntu server.
But with the new AE I got only 1 MB/s as transfer rate for the same job. I tried already various configuration setups, but nothing helped. It seems to me if there is a bandwidth limitation thing in the AE.
Can someone help me to find the reason for my problem or give me some advice after what I have to look at?
Many Thanks,
Jan.

Welcome to the discussions, Tiggar!
A few suggestions from here, where my AirPort Express far outperforms my older "g" router.
1) Try to position the AirPort Express as high as possible and away from any other electronic gear. The general design of the product unfortunately encourages users to position the device low on a wall, often behind a desk and close to other electronic devices that sometimes can interfere with the wireless signal. Use an extension cable to get the Express up high and give it as much free air as you can.
2) You need to remember that higher frequency "n" signals...although faster...do not penetrate walls and other obstructions as well as lower frequency "g" signals. Try to establish a line of sight situation between your computer and the Express if possible and mimimize obstructions in the signal path.
3) Your Linksys may have been using a different wireless channel than the Express. Try different channel settings on the Express to see if you can find a good channel that is free of interference. To do this, open AirPort Utility, click Manual Setup and click the Wireless tab below the row of icons to get to the Wireless settings page.
4) Turn off any cordless phones that you may have there for an hour or so to see if you notice any improvement in performance. If you do, try to position the cordless phone as far away as possible from the AirPort Express.
Let us know if things improve when you can.

Airport Extreme 802.11n Speed

Hello Everyone,
I am planing to buy an Airport Extreme 802.11n for my iMac Core Duo at home, I am trying to find out if this upgrade will benefit the speed of wireless connection, as I am using actiontech DSL modem which was provided by the ISP. I have to reset the current DSL Modem every other day to keep the consistant speed. Please enlighten me with your wisdoms.
ps/ How do I ask (contact) apple support with email?. Plz help
Thank you
intel iMac 20" Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8) 1GB RAM, 250VRAM

As far as resetting your modem, that is an issue with the DSL modem and your ISP. The router may help only if you have your computer directly connected to the modem, as it will prevent you from losing your connection to your isp when your Mac goes to sleep. As the router is an "always on " device it should keep the connection unless your ISP has its network set up to time out your IP address regardless of your connection status.
Your Base Station will have no effect on your internet speed because the minimum connect speed for most routers is much faster than even the fastest internet speed ( this axiom may soon be untrue with fiber getting so fast, but for now you router will not be the weak link in the chain.)
What a faster router will do is increase the speed within your network (moving files accross your local network), adding a layer of secuirty between you and the outside world (which is better than most software firewalls if you are connecting your Mac directly to your modem).
The new airport extreme (80211n) also has the added bouns of letting you network USB drives (great for backup and keeping large files off of your hard drive) and sharing USB printers.
I just set up mine and it works great. The automatic setup is VERY easy to use and did a good job setting up my network. And there are plenty of manual settings for advanced users ( I am tweaking some of my security settings now.)
Hope this helps.

Aiport Express 802.11n speed problem

I just set up my AXn last night and tried some settings. I found that if I set the radio to 802.11 (n only, 5GHx) mode. The connection speed show in the network utility is 270Mbps. But the Tx rate (Option + click on airport icon) is only 54mbps all the time. In the other way, if I set the radio to 802.11 (n/b/g compatible, 2.4GHz). The connection speed became 130Mbps. But I can get a much faster Tx rate now (sometimes reach 130Mbps). This also prove but actual download exercise
This is abnormal, right? Anything wrong with my settings?
Please help. Thanks.

Just tried 802.11n only (2.4GHz), it can also reach TX rate 130Mbps. But why 802.11n only (5GHz) oly reach Tx rate 54Mbps????
Do I need to reset the AE or re-activate the airport on my iMac?

Airport 802.11n issues

I have 4 macs and 3 of which cannot access the Airport extreme 802.11n.
The only one that can is the MacBook 10.5.4
I need to connect a g5 (intel) 10.5.2, PowerBook (PowerPC G4) 10.4.11 and MacBook Pro 10.5.4
Is this info helpful, or do you need to know anything about the airport card each comp has?
Can you point me towards some troubleshooting help?
Thanks so much!

"I need to connect a g5 (intel) 10.5.2" did not think Apple ever made this one has a B/G card not N
"PowerBook (PowerPC G4) 10.4.11" has a B/G card not N
"MacBook Pro 10.5.4" should be able to connect to N
Use Airport Utility and set your network for 2.4 GHZ N+B/G speed you will not get N speed at 5 GHZ your devices are mixed so the N peed will not be there.

X120e WiFi Connection Speed - is 802.11n speed possible?

Dear guru!
Could you please tell me what should I do in order to get 802.11n connection speed on my new x120e? The better speed I get is 65Mbs. On T500 I get 300Mbs with the same WiFi access point (so it definitelly depends on notebokk but not the infrastructure).
Thanks in advance,
Vadim

Check if your router has a Channel Width selection. Mine was defaulted on 20mhz, which yielded crap performance, after changing to 40mhz it works as good as it can on this 1x1 card and connects at 150mbps to the router where before it was 72mbps.
| X220 i7-2620M | 12.5" IPS | Intel 520 Series 180GB Main SSD | Mushkin 120GB mSATA SSD | 8GB RAM | Intel 6205 WiFi | BT | Win7 Pro 64 SP1 |

Apple Airport 802-11n connection problems with Windows 7

I'm basically a MAC user, but my son is trying to get his Windows 7 Toshiba laptop to connect to my Apple 802-11n wifi. It will see the wifi, but when clicked on my network the connection fails before I get to input the password. Yet neighborhood 802-11n connections get to the password screen. The lap[top is a Toshibe satellite L755-S5107 running Windows 7.
I'm not very savvy on PCs, so I don't know where to look for versions of his software et al.
Anyone familiar with such problems?

Toshiba may be doing something different than other manufacturers, so your best bet might be a Toshiba support site.
Official Toshiba Support | Toshiba
Another source that may of some help is the Windows troubleshooting guide for WiFi connections:
Wired and wireless network connection problems in Windows ...
Not sure how much more help that we can provide on an Apple support site for Apple wireless routers.

Conflict with Neighbour using another Airport (802.11n)

Hello
I noted recently some slow down in my home wi-fi network and discovered that my neighbour installed a new airport extreme that might be confilicting with mine. I have tried to change channel (automatically set to 7) to 2, 3, 4, 9 and others. It partially solved the problem but if it works for a while, then the problem keeps coming back. I will go to his place tonight, please could you tell me what I should check ?
Also while changing my configuration, I keep having the same error message coming back (on my airport extreme), that is error code -6722 or sometimes -32 or -6. Apparently this is a comon issue to many of you. Could you help me also on that one? Thanks a lot. Pascal

vador300 wrote:
Radio Channel selection: Manual 36(5GHz), 11(2,4GHz)
I have now turned mine to channel 11 and it seems to work.
I would expect that having both units assigned to the same channel would maximize the interference, not minimize it. But if it's working, I won't argue.
However, while applying the changes, I got the error message -(6722). Also sometimes, error -(32)
A Web search showed a number of reports of error -6722, but no one seemed to have an explanation. Sorry.

Airport 802.11n Disk - File Corruption!

I'm seeing occasional file corruption when using Apple Disk. After copying files to an Apple Disk using a Mac mini via Ethernet, the files are not the same.
myvideo.avi /Volumes/Adonais/Documentary/myvideo.avi differ: char 34439169, line 112648
Copying the file again usually results in a successful copy. Copying to a Samba share on a Linux server is 100% reliable, suggesting it's not a network issue.
I've tried two different USB enclosures with the same results. Both enclosures were problem free when directly connected to the Mac mini. The enclosure is connected to the base station with a Belkin hub.
Mac mini Mac OS X (10.4.9)

I've given up with AirDisk. The file corruption was too serious to ignore. I've plugged the HFS+ disks into the Linux server, mounted them (Linux hfsplus filesystem driver) and shared them using Netatalk. It's not quite as elegant but it's much more reliable.
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Airport Extreme 802.11n and WDS with 802.11g express

I have an 802.11n Airport Extreme that I have been using with my AppleTV. I have it set to allow for 802.11b/g, since I have an old Powerbook Titanium that cannot be upgraded.
I recently decided to add my Airport Express 802.11g to the mix to act as a bridge for a remote, wired computer. I did this by enabling WDS on the Extreme/Express.
My question is this: by enabling WDS on the extreme, will the AppleTV still be able to connect at 802.11n speeds, or does it get pulled back to 11g? Is there any way to verify/check this on either the Extreme or the AppleTV?
Thanks,
keith

You can check the connection speed of each wireless client attached to a base station using Airport Utility. Launch Airport Utility, click on the Airport button in the toolbar. On the Summary tab you'll see an item called Wireless clients. It shows you how many wireless client devices are connected to that base station.
Click on the words Wireless Clients and you'll get a graph and a list. The graph shows the signal strength of each client. The list shows the client's wireless MAC, the signal and noise levels and the rate at which each device is communicating. On my Extreme-n base stations, I regularly see rates from 1 to 130 and everything inbetween. It looks like each device runs at it's best rate based on signal strength and error rate.
Assuming you know the MAC of your Apple TV (it's on the serial number label) you can see what wireless data rate it's getting this way.
The thing I've noticed is that my Extreme-g base stations seem to connect to clients at higher average rates than my Extreme-n units. In other words, on the g units I'll see more clients at 54 (the max) or 48 and on the n units just a couple will connect at 130 or 54 but most are at lower rates like 27 or 11 (even 2 or 1), even when they are in the same room as the base station.
I find that very odd and would like to understand it. Anybody have any ideas?

AirPort Extreme (802.11n), AirPort Express, and Client Limit Q

I'm very interested in the new AirPort Extreme (APE) due to the ability to access a hard drive from it for network sharing. I think that is awesome. But I have a few questions.
I am currently running 2 AirPort Express (APX) base stations for my network and am getting great signal strength throughout the house. No real complaints there.
One has the modem plugged into in the basement, and the other is set up as WDS. Unfortunately, I am quickly approaching the 10 client connection limit for the APX, so I was looking for a way to expand it.
If I get an APE and use the APX base stations as WDS access points, will I still be limited to only 10 clients attached at a time? And, since I assume the computer attaches itself to whichever of the three AP base stations has the strongest signal, will I alway be able to access the hard drive attached to the APE if I do that? I understand I won't get the 802.11n speeds (fine, I don't care) , but I would love to keep the APX base stations in my network for stereos and signal boosting.
Thanks for your help.

Is there a way to use the APX without losing bandwidth?
Configure it to operate as a wireless client. See KB 302153, AirPort Express: How to join an existing wireless network in client mode.
Maybe a way to use it as an extension other than WDS mode?
No
And why does it cut the bandwidth in half?
802.11b/g is not duplex so data can only be transmitted one direction at a time since the same channel (and radio) is used to transmit/receive.
If traffic is flowing from deviceB to deviceA, that traffic will interrupt the flow of data in the other direction and get part of the full bandwidth.
Each WDS link cuts the effective bandwidth in half because the traffic has to be retransmitted again. Let's assume that deviceA and deviceB are connected via WDS. Let's say that deviceA is connected to the internet and clientC is wirelessly connect to deviceB. Let's say that clientC is sending a 54 Mb file to the internet.
- 1 second to send 54 Mb file from clientC to deviceB
- 1 second to send 54 Mb file from deviceB to deviceA
So looking at the bandwidth between clientC and the internet, we see that the transfer rate is:
(54 Mb)/(2 seconds) = 27 Mbps
The effect of WDS becomes even more troublesome when you realize that while the data is being transferred between clientC and deviceB, deviceA has to shut off its radio so that it doesn't cause interference with the transfer. This means that other clients of deviceA are waiting. So WDS has large implications for big networks.

AirPort 802.11n ... speed

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