Airport Extreme Speed Tests (2GHz vs 5GHz)

I tested a 702mb file transfer (sending and receiving) with the Apple Extreme 802.11n. One system (20" Intel iMac) is on ethernet and the other (17" MacBook Pro with 802.11n enabled) is using the wireless connection. I wanted to find out if I should be running 802.11n in the 2GHz or 5GHz range. I have always though the better the signal strength the better the connection would be, but my findings were completely opposite.
The laptop remained in a static spot with no microwave oven or any strange electronics around to interrupt. I transferred the file up to my iMac and back down and viewed the network traffic through the Activity Monitor. I also used iStumbler to check my signal strength.
I know my testing has its flaws, but this is what I came up with...any recommendations to get better speed or am I looking at the best case?
Test 1:
2GHz - Channel 6
Signal Strength: 62%
File Send (Average/Max Burst): 2.6MB/s / 5.5MB/s
File Receive (Average/Max Burst): 5.8MB/s / 8.2MB/s
Notes: The speed is all over the place for both sending and receiving. The graph in Activity Monitor looks like a heart monitor.
Test 2:
5GHz - Auto Channel
Signal Strength: 35%
File Send (Average/Max Burst): 8.3MB/s / 8.5MB/s
File Receive (Average/Max Burst): 6MB/s / 6.9MB/s
Notes: The speed was not sporadic like the 2GHz test, although this time the sending was faster than the receiving.
Test 3:
5GHz - Auto Channel - Interference Robustness Enabled
Signal Strength: 36%
File Send (Average/Max Burst): 8.7MB/s / 8.8MB/s
File Receive (Average/Max Burst): 4.1MB/s / 5.8MB/s
Notes: Slower on the receiving than Test 2, but a bit quicker on the send.

Your general results are consistent both with my experience and what the protocol should be able to do.
1. Your absolute best results will be in .11n only mode at 5 GHz. .11n mode is more efficient and it is only at 5 GHz can you use 40 MHz wide channels. There is also essentially no interference at these frequencies particularly in channels 36, 40, 44, and 52 - the defaults for .11n at 5 GHz.
2. If you use .11n at 2 GHz you will have three problems: interference from ovens and other Wi-Fi networks, using .11n in compatibility mode that allows it to share with other networks at these frequencies, and the use of only 20 MHz wide channels.

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Airport Extreme speed limit to 130 Mbit

Is it normal that the maximum speed of the Airport Extreme is always limited to 130 Mbit when you've configued it as 802.11b/g compatible? I've use the Network Utility to check the Link Speed.
I need the 802.11 g mode because sometimes I need to connect some older PC's.
Also before mine network was a wired when. The link speed was 100Mbit. When I copied a file from a Mac to another Mac I got have some transfer speed about 8 a 9 MB/s. (I use the iStat widget to check this).
At this moment mine network has become a wireless one. The link speed is 130Mbit which is higher then the wired network. Although when I'm copying a file from one Mac to another one mine speed transfer is maximum 4 MB/s.
This is half the speed as before.
Is this behaviour normal? Of-course I didn't expect the same results as with the wired network but at least I expected some better results.

I have also noticed that when you setup the Airport Extreme to only the 'n' network at 5GHz you will get a maximum speed transfer of 270Mbit.
But I've find it very strange that when you select the network for b/g/n that you will always be limited to a maximum transfer of 130Mbit. I find it normal that the speed of the network will slow down at the moment that there is a connection busy with a device that only supports b/g.
Most people do need this compatibility. Game-consoles, smartphones, printers and so on. 90% of the time those devices are not connected with the network.
Whenever you setup this mode of compatibly you will have always a slower network then the Airport Extreme is capable of doing. Of-course you can connect another router when setup for 'n' 5GHz and the other setup for b/g. But this isn't the way to go...

Maximizing Airport Extreme Speed

Hello All,
I'm currently running my home wireless network with an Airport Extreme with b/g/n 2.4GHz setting. I want to be able to run a/n 5GHz only, to take advantage of the full speed. The issues is my roommate only has a g-enable Dell, and he would be without internet access. Can I get an Airport Express, extended it wirelessly, set it up for him with b/g/n 2.4GHz, and still have full speed with the Airport Extreme? Thanks!

Hi...
You can't do this wirelessly, but why not do it cabled? Connect the express to the extreme via cat5, then configure the extreme as the "master", with wireless options of 802.11n 5ghz only selected, and aldo set as the DHCP server. On the express, set it to 802.11g only, and configured as a bridge. You'll then have 2 wireless networks a g and an n, but they are on the same LAN so DHCP, printer sharing and everything works fine. The only thing is they would need to be close together and connected by a cable. That's how I've set it up, an n network for the appletv and one macbook, whereas the rest of the wireless clients go on the slower g network.

New Airport Extreme Speeds?

My new Airport Extreme (ac) arrived at much the same time as my ISP provided me with FTTC and a connection speed of up to 70 Mbps.
My VDSL modem (wireless disconnected) is connected by Ethernet (+Power adapters) to my Airport Extreme, which in turn is connected again by Ethernet to my Mac.
I created a wireless network in the Airport configuration in the usual way to service other appliances.
The wireless connection as measured by the speedtest app (latest toy) on my iPod Touch gives me:
Ping 79
Download 10.46 Mbps
Upload 6.41 Mbps
At the same time, Speedtest.net gave me a connection speed from the computer (presumably the Ethernet connection) of
Ping 31
Download 65.89 Mbps
Upload 7.41 Mbps (usually 16+)
The associated Pingtest reported
Ping 33
Jitter 1ms
Line quality A.
Reading through the discussions, I realise I may not be comparing like with like, but I have to admit to being somewhat disappointed by the wireless speeds achieved and possibly their quality from the Airport Extreme.
I would appreciate knowing if it possible that I have made some glaring mistake in my Airport configuration that would account for this?
Thank you in anticipation,

Using power line adapters is going to introduce an element of uncertainty.
Anything resembling a controlled test will require that you first measure the speed with your Mac connected directly to the VDSL modem, followed by comparing that speed to the Mac connected directly to the Extreme.
Remember to reset the modem between those two measurements. Usually that just means powering it down and letting it rest for a moment or two.
Any latency introduced by the Extreme itself should be negligible. Repeated tests may be necessary due to local variations from your ISP. Claims of "up to 70 Mbps" means just that - you may, during ideal conditions, enjoy connection speeds of 70 Mbps. Other times, it can be much less. Perform your tests during times of low demand.
Following those tests, introduce the power line adapters and test again. Household wiring is a poor substitute for Gigabit-capable Category 5e or 6 Ethernet cable.
Then, unplug your Mac's Ethernet connection and measure its wireless connection speed. Any resulting reduction in speed will be a function of your wireless environment and the protocol you are using. At present, the newest MacBook Air models are the only Macs capable of using 802.11ac.
An iOS device's speed will always be less than what a Mac can achieve due to its hardware power constraints.

Low AirPort Extreme Speed

I have an Airport Extreme BS [g] connected to a cable modem. My iMac and Mac Pro both have full bars and get just about 10mbps download speeds. My G4 MDD on the other hand is one bar down from the top and gets 2.82mbps down speed, pathetic Why such a dramatic difference when all the machines and equipment are in the same room?
When I connect the MDD via Ethernet directly to the APBS my speed jumps up to just about 10mbps down just like the other machines. So, bad AP card? Other? What can I dig into, to troubleshoot?
Thx for any help,
Tony

Hi.. I also want to know what I can do to tweak my 802.11g pci wireless card's speed as well.. I have the 2003 PM MDD dual 1.25(last to boot into OS 9). My wireless speed sometimes is slow, and sometimes its fast. Should I just get a wireless n usb or PCI card, or is there a way to make my wireless G go faster?
Also, its strange that I can't access the airport software on my computer even though this pci card is a wireless G card?

Airport Extreme - Can't Connect to 5Ghz Wifi

Recently I purchased a AT&T MiFi device called a UnitePro. This device allows me to broadcast a a dual band wifi if wanted. It also allows one or both of those to be 2.4Ghz or 5.
After doing some research and discovering that the 5Ghz band can be faster, I wanted to connect to it from my iMac. I have been unable to do so since first attempting...
I have a mid 2010 27" iMac i7 which came with a built-in AirPort Extreme (0x168C, 0x8F) wifi card.
So I have done a bunch of research on this issue and I think I understand the problem that I am having, however I do not understand what (if any) my solutions can be. It appears that when an AirPort interface is turned on, it listens for 802.11d beacon packets, and those contain what it called a regulatory domain field. Then the Airport driver uses the first valid regdomain setting it sees. In my case it is picking up a strong beacon from a neighbors house. The problem is that his router is set with a country code of ZW (Zimbabwe)! This my problem.... Zimbabwe's regulatory laws prohibit the routers to support channels above 13, or at least this one does, I don't fully understand it, but I get the gist.
So what this means is that I can not use my iMac to connect to my new router because quite simply the channels that 5Ghz broadcasts on are not even available.
I know this has been a topic of discussion in the past, but I couldn't find a good answer as to what to do. So... What can I do to get my 5Ghz network working?
Thanks in adavance!
Cheers

It sounds like when the Internet went down, the modem got "confused" and didn't remember that the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) was connected to it.
Please try the following:
o Power-down the modem, AEBSn & computers. Order is not critical.
o While the power is off, check to see if the modem employs a backup batter. If it does, temporarily remove it, and then, replace it.
o Power-on the modem. If it has one, press and hold the modem's reset button for at least 3-5 seconds. After power-up or reset, wait at least 10-15 minutes.
o Power-on the AEBSn; wait at least 5-10 minutes.
o Power-on the computer(s).
Your computers should be able to access the Internet (& access web sites) now. Please post back your results.

Airport Extreme & Express WDS Network with 5Ghz possible?

Hi Guys,
is it possible to run an Airport WDS Network with 5Ghz? I´m using an Airport Extreme Base and a Express, but its only possible to run it with Draft N in 2,4 Ghz... so thats not enough... for IPTV.
any ideas...
thanks
Simon

Simon2207, Welcome to the discussion area!
No. WDS is an 802.11g feature and 802.11g only operates at 2.4 GHz.

Setting up airport extreme - do I need a 5ghz network?

I am running a number of items through our airport extreme base station - iPads, Macs, iPhones, updates to Direct TV, Apple TV, and OOMA phone. I have one network now, and the settings are Automatic on both 2.4 and 5 GHZ channels. The router is ssssllllooowww. Is there any advantage to naming a 5 GHZ network? Or selecting individual channels for the 2.4 and 5 instead of the Aut

The AEBS has a built in modem that will allow you to
dial out and connect to the internet.
Well, only some models of the AEBS have the built-in modem. If the OP already has one, it is easy to tell by there being the standard phonecord plug on the back.

Time Capsule & Airport Extreme Speed Issues

Hello everyone!
I hope to be able to have a solution to my home network problems..??!! (hopefully!)
My Home Network Setup & Problem
I have my ADSL modem hard wired into a 1st generation Airport Extreme, I also have a 3rd Generation 2TB TimeCapsule extending the wireless network.
One iMac & one MacBook Pro (new(ish) ones) use the network for home use.
All softwares and firmwares are upto date. My house is relatively small with excellant wireless coverage throughout.
My problem is that when I transfer files wirelessly across the network either to my TimeCapsule or computer to computer it peaks at about 2mb/sec and is "sporadic" at best!
I monitor the wireless traffic with iStat Pro and see a graph which goes up and down continuously, it obviously is not happy. The same happens with downloads from the web but this might not be a network issue, but maybe it is?
It is not normal to wait 4hrs for a 7Gb transfer, surely!!
Any suggestions would be most helpful. I've reset everything, started from scratch and had no success. I can answer any questions you may need to know to help with this, i'm not an expert with computers but I have an alright knowledge.. Please don't confuse me with too much technical lingo but I understand the basics!!
All machines have OSX Lion also
Matt

Possibly, but I would venture to guess that the TC is not in the optimal location to maintain the highest data transfer rates on the extended network with the AEBSn.
To help locate where that would be, we will need to make Signal-to-Noise Ratio calculations to measure the signal quality of the AEBSn at the location the TC.
SNR (in dB) = Signal (in dBm) - Noise (in dBm)
You can easily find the Signal and Noise value using System Profiler on your Mac laptop.
ref: Click on the Apple icon on the menu bar > About This Mac > More Info... > Contents > Network > AirPort > Interfaces > en1 > Current Network Information > Find your wireless network > Signal / Noise
While your still in the System Profiler, note the value for Transmit Rate.
These values should be negative numbers. For example, mine currently read: -67 dBm / -95 dBm, with a transmit rate of 27 (Mbps). Plugging in these numbers yield: SNR = -67 - (-95) = 28. My Mac Mini is about four rooms away from my AEBS with about five walls between them. As you can see, the signal is still quite useable ... but the bandwidth is minimal, especially for streaming.
SNR Guideline
40dB+ SNR = Excellent signal
25dB to 40dB SNR = Very good signal
15dB to 25dB SNR = Low signal
10dB to 15dB SNR = Very low signal
5dB to 10dB SNR = No signal
Again, what we are interested in is the SNR value of the AEBSn at the current location of the TC. Since we only want to measure the AEBSn, you will need to (temporarily) power-down the TC. With your MBP near the TC, take the signal & noise measurements. Since we are trying to find the best location for the TC, move the MBP to the next possible location that you can place the TC and take the same measurements. Repeat this as many times as you require to build a good sampling of data for different potential locations. Now that you collected the data, plug them into the SNR formula to come up with the SNR value. Note these values and determine which location provides the highest SNR value ... this, theoretically would be the best location of the TC. You will want SNR = or greater than 25dB.

Update to Airport Extreme - speed increase?

Seems like I experienced a speed bump when I did the upgrade. Anyone else think that, or is it just a coincidence?
I tested with www.speakeasy.com .. came in at between 13000 and 14000 kbps.

Unless you are running a FIOS (fiber) Internet connection you shouldn't notice anything different. Although, the speeds you listed would exceed an 802.11"b" connection they are far from exceeding an 802.11"g" connection.
What we need to know is what speed ranges were you getting before the update and what speed does your ("g" max speed) iMac G5 get?
Greg

More Time Capsule / Airport Extreme Speed Issues

I have noticed a few of these post and also need assistance on this.
My setup is:
Brand New Dual Band Time Capsule
Brand New N Band Airport Express
Older G Airport Express
The time capsule is set up as the router, N Band Airport Express is used to extend the network. The older G band express is connected to the network for music streaming but not to extend it.
We have three computers, iMac with G band airport card, Macbook and a new MacBook Air.
When we are in the range of the time capsule the internet speed is great. Download speed > 5 mps or more.
When we are in the range of the Airport Express the internet speed is terrible and unuseable ~ < .5 mps
I have tried changing the channel settings for the G and N bands on the router with no change in performance. I have disconnected the cordless phones (DECT type) and no change.
Suggestions are greatly appreciated. If this does not work can someone recommend another router which works with our Macs that I can extend.
Thanks

With your networking equipment, I would suggest the following for best overall bandwidth performance for both radios:
o Reconfigure the Time Capsule (TC) to use the following radio mode: 802.11n only (5 GHz) - 802.11b/g/n
o Configure the TC to use a separate Network Name for the 5 GHz radio.
o Configure the 802.11n AirPort Express Base Station (AXn) to extend the TC's 2.4 GHz radio.
o Configure the 802.11g AirPort Express Base Station (AX) to join the 2.4 GHz network.

ANOTHER Airport Extreme base station dropping connections

I think my network connectivity problems predate the latest Airport software update by a few days.
Our MacBook Pro's randomly drop an Airport connection when they are near a secondary access point operated in Bridged Mode.
My one-year-old Airport Extreme/Time Capsule had been working fine in 2.4GHz b/g/n mode with a gigabit switch and a link to a Comcast cable modem, all set up in the northwest corner of the house. I decided to replace it with a new, dual-band Airport Extreme/Time Capsule so that we could separately operate a faster 5GHz "n" network for modern notebooks along with the 2.4GHZ b/g/n network for older notebooks and iPhones.
We substituted the new Airport Extreme/Time Capsule for the old model and it now serves IP addresses to 5GHZ network devices. The old Time Capsule was moved to a new location in the southeast corner of the house, connected to the network via Cat 6 Ethernet, and also set it up to join the same 5GHz wireless "n" network in Bridge Mode -- it is an access point, but not serving DHCP addresses.
Now, whenever a laptop is near that device, it accesses the LAN through that Airport Extreme's 5GHz WIFi connection. The problem is this: every few hours (though sometimes sooner - its random), our MacBook Pro's lose their network and Internet connections (not simultaneously though). This only happens if the laptops are physically closest to the older, Bridged wireless access point. It can happen in the middle of Web surfing and always, when they wake from sleep. It NEVER happens if the notebooks are physically closer to the new Airport Extreme (and hitting it's 5GHz signal) and the iPhones NEVER lose their Internet connection to the separate 2.4GHz b/g/n network.
When it does happen, we have to Restart the notebooks to re-establish an Internet connection, though I suppose restarting the Airport Extreme/Time Capsule also might re-establish the connection. Sometimes, I can just move my laptop back to the northwest corner where the main Airport Extreme/Time Capsule is located and get right back online through that access point. But usually, I just sit in the back room, restart and rejoin the network through the secondary, wireless access point. Turning off/on Airport (at the MacBooks) accomplishes nothing and neither does Network Diagnostics.
This affects two new, MacBook Pro "n" laptops running 10.5.8, but does not affect the iPhones. So, it only seems to be a 5GHz issue. I don't think it's RF interference because I've tried three different 5 GHz channels. I've also tried reducing the secondary Airport Extreme's transmission power to 50% and, more recently 25%, to no avail.
This morning, it started happening again, so I finally used the Airport Utility to turn off the Wireless Mode of the secondary device for my next test (thanks to the Ethernet connections, it's still visible on the wireless network). We'll see if this solves the wireless connectivity problem.
Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this? I wonder if it is some odd, configuration issue.

I just started having a similar problem in the last week. I have three devices: the Gigabit AEBS is connected to my cable modem and is the DHCP server. An Airport Express (N) extends the wireless network. A second (G-Only) Airport Express is connected to one of the gigabit ports on the AEBS and creates a second wireless network for iPhone, G-devices and guests.
Lately, the connection from my May 2009 MacBook Pro has started acting strange. The Airport icon in the menubar shows I have full signal strength, but I'm no longer connected to the Internet and I can't browse other N computers on the network. Devices that are connected via the G network continue working fine and remain connected to the Internet. This is interesting because even the G network has to go through the AEBS to get to the Internet. It only appears to affect the Internet connection via the AEBS's own WiFi but not its ethernet ports. If I open Airport Utility from the MacBook Pro, the AEBS status shows as Normal. Turning off/on the Airport on the MacBook accomplishes nothing but I can restart the AEBS from the Airport Utility and then everything goes back to normal. A few hours or more later, the problem occurs again.
By holding the Option key when clicking on the Airport icon and looking at the Airport MAC address I can tell that the MacBook Pro is connected to the WiFi-N via the Airport Express extender. Like you, I may have to try and shut that one off and see if the problems occurs when it is connected directly to the AEBS. The problem with that is that since it is farther away in the house, the signal strength and thus my transmit rate will be slower. I'd be curious to see if your experiment by shutting down your secondary AE will still cause drops.

Airport Extreme with Netgear Powerline 200 to use Airport Express on other side of house

I currently have my Airport Extreme set up on one side of my house. I have an Airport Express that I want to set up via a Netgear Powerline 200 adaptor on the other side of the house.
When I plug in and connect the ethernet cable to the Netgear Powerline adaptor from the Extreme I see 2 green lights. When I plug in the other Powerline adaptor and then plug into my Macbook Pro, I can't connect to the internet via ethernet from the powerline.
I figured I would ensure that I am getting a signal before confirguring the Express.
Any reason why I wouldn't be able to plug in a device to get an internet connect directly from the Powerline?
Any recommendations for setting up the Powerline?

When I plug in the other Powerline adaptor and then plug into my Macbook Pro, I can't connect to the internet via ethernet from the powerline.
Powerline performance simply cannot be predicted in advance of any installation.
Remember that the products are designed to work on the same electrical circuit and any change to another circuit can and will introduce phase shifts in the signal, not to mention significant loss of signal strength and speed....despite what the advertising or salesguy might claim.
I have had one brand work well trying to get a signal to a location a few rooms away, while another brand will not work in the same installation. Yet, the same brand that did not work well in my home worked fine in a neighbor's home when we tested there.
As a test, locate the problem powerline adapter somewhere in the middle of the house to see if you can get a reliable connection when you check the signal at that location.. If it is OK, then move the adapter a bit further away from the main AirPort Extreme and test again. You get the idea.
Try a few different rooms as well to see if one might work better than another.
You may likely have to accept a compromise locationf for the AirPort Express and hope that it will provide enough signal coverarge for the other end of the house.
I figured I would ensure that I am getting a signal before confirguring the Express.
Good plan there.
Any reason why I wouldn't be able to plug in a device to get an internet connect directly from the Powerline?
I think that we have given you some ideas already. In most cases, there is little that you can do other than move the powerline products closer together, or simply experiment with different locations to see one electrical circuit works better than another through the main electrical panel.
Sometimes a different brand will miraculously work when another won't.
The bottom line....as we said initially.....it is not possible to predict how well.....or if.....powerline products will work in any given installation. You won't know if the products will do what you want in your home until you try them in your home.

I have a Sony Bravia KDL46W905 TV but I can't get it to connect the Airport Extreme router

My Sony Bravia KDL46W905 TV won't connect to my Airport Extreme router and the internet. It recognises and picks up my home wireless network though and I'm inputting the correct password but still won't connect. The router is set to WPA2 Personal.
Anyone any ideas?

While most devices should connect using WPA2 Personal, please temporarily test using no security to see if the Sony TV will connect that way.
If it will, then try the more compatible setting of WPA/WPA2 Personal on the AirPort Extreme and test that way.
However, if the TV will not connect using no wireless security.....then it is a no brainer to conclude that the TV will never connect with security enabled....so more troublehooting is going to be required.
In that case, make sure that the name of your wireless network......
Does not exceed 20 characters, fewer would be better
Does not contain any special characters like an apostrophe, asterisk, dollar sign, etc
Does not have any blank spaces
For example, if the current name of your wireless network is something like.....
rpepler's wireless network
Change that to read something like.....
rpeplerwireless
Same rules for the wireless network password

Airport Extreme loses connection to USB disk

Recently I upgraded my Airport extreme to 7.4.2 software. Since that time AE I keep losing connection to the disk when copying large files or after browsing on it for a while.
The drive is simply gone (no share advertised)
The only way to get it accessible again is by resetting the AE (soft reset via airport utility)
Is there a way to revert to the previous software (there appears to be no newer SW or fix at the moment)?
My config is as follows:
Airport Extreme 802.1n operating a 5GHz wireless N network, 1TB Seagate (Seagate FreeAgent 102D) external USB drive attached to it (formatted with MAC filesystem)
on the ethernet port is a linksys router acting as a Wireless G Accesspoint (for my wife's Windows laptop)

Toryn Farr wrote:
I've been having exactly the same problem. The Macs on my LAN will all continue to have Internet access. On any of them, the base station still shows up in a Finder window under "shared"... but if I click on it, it will think for a moment and then say "Connection Failed" where it normally says "Connected As: USER NAME". And then none of my computers can access the shared volumes until I reboot the router.
I'm having exactly this same problem.
Not sure where the problem comes from, but here is my environment:
Airport Express (older model) Version 6.3 as WDS remote
Airport Extreme (version 7.4.2) as WDS base station
Powerbook G4 (1.33 Ghz)
PowerMac G4 (Mirror Drive Door)
iTunes 9.0
I've had problems with my Hard Disk access from the Airport Extreme. I have Time Machine running automatically from two different machines to the same plugged in HD on the Airport Extreme. I get messages indicating that the backup can't be mounted. Once that occurs, I have to reboot the Airport.
Just like Toryn says, once you get Connection Failed, you must reboot the router.

Airport Extreme Speed Tests (2GHz vs 5GHz)

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