Slow airport initial connection

Hi,
On my macbook, it takes about 10 seconds for my airport to connect to a wireless network. This happens both with a WRT541G and an Airport Extreme router, so I am sure the problem is with my laptop. Sometimes, it will not show the network in the list of networks, but I will have to manually click on it to connect, even though it is in my preferred networks list.
Is this a known problem? Any solutions?
Thanks,
Ash

OK, I did some fiddling with the settings and I managed to get it down to 6 seconds. The problem apparently is the order of your network interfaces in your network settings.
- Open system preferences / network (I am assuming you are using Leopard).
- In the window on the left delete those interfaces you do not use (bluetooth for example - do not worry, you can alway add them later on).
- Select the symbol on the right of the minus sign and choose "set service order". Make sure that airport is first. Then press "apply".
What also made a difference for me was the fact that in my preferred networks there was a double entry, as well as some old and unused ones. Choose the advanced button for deleting unused networks and set the order.
Hope this helps,
Jan

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Agonisingly Slow Airport Express Connection...

After hours of trying (days actually) i still can't resolve this, so hopefully someone out there can. Running an iBook G4 with Airport Express hooked up to a cable modem, the connection speed - at best - is about 10 kbps, and is usually worse than a dial-up. If the computer is hooked up directly to the modem, speed is as it should be - about 190kbps - so the problem is not the ISP or the modem. Testing on a friendly neighbour's wireless network, my iBook also hits those speeds - so the prob is not with my iBook.
I have tried changing channels and inference robustness in case of interference. The firmware is 6.3 and Airport software is up to date. I have hard reset the Airport but still no joy.
My question is, is there a perhaps a software or a permissions conflict or something that be slowing this down? Is there a way of taking the iBook back to a time before it knew of wireless, and trying to install everything again? Is it possible the Airport is just broken?
If anyone could help i would be extremely, and expressly, grateful.
B
iBook Mac OS X (10.3.9)
iBook Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Hello all,
Well the Airport has worked in the past, and now it is working again, after lengthy calls to customer service. What happened is this. Instead of just unplugging the modem for a few minutes to try and reset things, I read on these forums that to solve a potential MAC problem (i don't know what that is, but apparently it can affect cable modems and conenction speed) you need the modem unplugged for half and hour or more. So i unplugged it from the electricity overnight. When i plugged it back in, it seemed to die. All the LEDs came back on and stayed on without blinking, like it had frozen. The cable customer service tested it from their end and said it had died. But as the cable guy was coming over to fix it, it unfroze (after maybe an hour of being frozen) and hooked up to the airport at top speeds again.
So, two conclusions.
ONE - Dodgy modem, not dodgy airport.
TWO - If you have a speed problem with a cable modem, you might need to unplug everything for a while, not just a few minutes.
I hope this helps. Thanks to everyone for the advice. These pages remind me why i have a Mac, which after screaming at my airport (unjustly as it turns out) i had almost forgotten.
Cheers,
Bedevere

Slow Airport Express connectivity

My Comcast Blast service is consistently giving me 95-99mbps download speeds and 9.99 upload speeds on ehternet. I understand wifi will be slower than this, sometimes by half. My problem is the airport express (latest model) seems to max out at 20.5 mbps download and usually acheives 9-12mbps uploads. I doubt the upload speeds are correct (who cares it is close to 10). The download speeds being only 20% of my hardwired speeds seems extreme though. The channel the wifi is running on doesn't see too crowded or anything and I cannot account for the large disparity.The item that is hardwired with ethernet is a PC with Windows 7 and everything on wifi (iPhone 5, iPhone 6, 2 ipad mini with retina displays and a 2013 MBA) all are consistent at 20up/10down on wifi.
Any ideas?
Thanks!

Apple's Wireless Diagnostics may supply some additional helpful information. Run it while you're having trouble remaining connected.
To use it, hold an option key while you click your Mac's Wi-Fi icon, and choose Open Wireless Diagnostics...
The following authentication dialog will appear:
Authenticate with your Admin password, then click the Continue button in the following:
The network analysis and diagnostic tests will take several minutes to complete:
When it completes, if your wireless network is functioning properly the following will result:
If something is amiss, supposedly the results will be different and you will be presented with helpful information.
Assuming your connection is "working as expected" select Continue to summary and click Continue:
Ignore the pre-populated text field, which is provided as a place for you to type in additional information should Apple ask for it in the course of obtaining technical assistance from them. Apple has no way of knowing where your router is located in your home, and certainly doesn't know if you even have an upstairs bedroom closet.
Click Continue.
The next step will also take a few minutes:
When it finishes, you will be presented with a summary that may or may not be useful to you:
The above result is uninteresting, but if there are additional actions for you to consider they would be included in the screenshot above.
The WirelessDiagnostics-xxx.tar.gz file deposited on your Desktop can be dragged to the Trash, or you may wish to expand it and examine its contents. It's up to you. The files in it contain extensive information about your system and are primarily intended for use by Apple in the course of troubleshooting. If you want to examine them yourself, the information I personally find most useful may be found in the file named wireless_diagnostics-nnnnnn.log where nnnnnn = some random characters. If you want to post the contents of that file here for others to examine, omit or obscure any information you might consider personal.

Slow AirPort Extreme Connection

I'm having a slow wireless connection problem using AirPort Extreme Base Station for a last few weeks. It's possible that this problem started when I installed OS update 10.4.7., but I'm not totally sure.
When I'm connected to the Internet via LAN, I have no problems with the speed. However, when I'm connected wirelessly, pages loads very slowly as if there were 10 other computers on the network. It takes long to get to the web page, and once the page starts loading, it loads in several steps with pauses between the steps. The speed of downloading a file appears to be OK once it starts although it still takes a long time to get it started.
It happens with Safari, FireFox, and IE. My G3 iBook 600MHz behaves the same way with OS 10.3.x.
I tried both soft reset and hard reset of the base station, and re-installed the firmware v.5.7. I tried the different channels and encryptions, switched between wireless b and g, turned off all the cordless phones in the house, and brought the iMac right next to the base station to minimize the interference.
With all these, the wireless connection is still very slow although the signal strength is at full strength.
I'm wondering if anybody is having a similar problem after installing OS 10.4.7. update. I would appreciate any suggestions to solve this problem.

After all the trial and error, finally I've figured it out.
First, I removed DNS Server address from the box at Network Preference/ Airport/ TCP/IP location. This immediately improved the web page loading speed. In addition to this, I also set my IPv6 to "off."(Default was "automatically")
With combination of these two network settings, I'm back to the full speed.
In the past, I wrote down DNS Server address in the box when Safari was having problems finding web address, and I always had to click load button twice to load a particular page. Back then, providing the DNS Server address solved the problem.
I suppose when Apple fixed this problem during one of the updates, it ended up making the network slower unless DNS Server address was left blank.
If you are still having slow connection problem, try this setting.

Printing to Airport Express connected Laserjet 1012 very slow after update to 10.6.8

After updating a pair of computers that we have here to 10.6.8, printing to our Airport Express connected HP LaserJet 1012 has become incredibly slow. I timed it and it is taking 2:30 to print a blank page, whereas printing the same blank page under 10.6.7 (on an external drive connected to the same MacBook Pro) happens within 2 seconds. One thing that I have noticed is that when I bring up the HP Printer Queue the computer says 'connecting to printer' for 20 - 30 seconds, then sits at 50% complete on the printing for some time - anyone else running into similar problems?

Because I am not experiencing the same issue I have not needed to apply the CNET article. But just to be clear, did you follow the instructions to the letter?
If you did and it's still not working then you can begin narrowing down where the problem is by following some basic trouble shooting steps. First thing I'd try is creating a new user account (call it TEST ACCOUNT) and leave it alone, then try printing from that account. If it works then you know it's a software issue in your normal user account. If it still doesn't work then what I'd do is:
1. Download 10.6.8 Combo Update at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399
2. Disconnect all peripherals (including the printer)
3. Backup using both Time Machine and/or a Bootable Clone using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner
4. Restart from the Bootable Clone or the Snow Leopard install discs.
     a) choose language
     b) Click Utililities Menu
     c) Disk Utility
     d) highlight the internal HD and the First Aid tab
     e) Repair Disk Permissions, Verify Disk & Repair Disk.
     f) exit Disk Utility and restart in Safe Mode
5. Install the Combo Update
6. Restart normally and test the system
7. Begin connecting peripherals one by one and testing each.

Internet speed slows down when connected via airport express

Internet speed slows down when connecting via airport express. When connecting directly via the timecapsulethe internet speed is ok, when connecting via the airport express the speed slows down.What can I do to change that? Any suggestions?

Turn off the AirPort Express completely as a test, and move your computer very close to the location of the Express.
As I said before, the Express can only extend the bandwidth (speed) that it receives from the Time Capsule, so the speed that you see there with the Express powered off will be the fastest speed of which the Express is capable.
The Express will make the signal go further when it extends....but it will not make the signal go faster.
A good location for a device that extends wirelessly is a point that is about half the distance from the Time Capsule and the general area that needs more wireless coverage.
If you locate the AirPort Express too far from the Time Capsule or there are more than a couple of walls in the signal path, the signal will be very slow by the time that it reaches the Express....and the Express simply extends a signal that has already slowed down significantly.
If you already have the Express located about half the distance between the Time Capsule and general area that needs more wireless coverage, how many walls, ceilings or other obstructions are there in the signal path between the Time Capsule, the AirPort Express and the area that needs more coverage?
Often, due to obstructions, it is just not possible to achieve good performance when you try to extend a network wirelessly. The solution is connect the AirPort Express to the Time Capsule using a wired Ethernet connection.
There is virtually no signal loss with this type of connection, so the Express can be located exactly where it is needed and it will produce a much faster wireless signal in this type of setup.

Airport will connect to network but not internet

Hi,
My MacBook air started out working beautifully on my wireless network-high download speeds, solid connection, etc... After about six hours of operation however, it has stopped being able to find the internet consistently, no matter what wireless network I try. I use a NetGear wireless hub in my room, and my laptop is able to consistently find and connect to the network (the hub is only about 3 feet away) but it cannot connect to the internet. Under network settings I get the message "Airport has a self-assigned IP address and may not be able to connect to the internet" or "Airport cannot connect to the internet." I know that the internet is working, because the network works fine for my MB Pro, iPhone, TiVo, and xBox 360. In fact, the MBA is occassionally able to find the internet and get an IP address. Sometimes this IP address allows me to load web pages extremely slow and sometimes I cannot even find google. The problem extends beyond my one network, however, as I have difficulty connecting to other wireless networks. I am on a college campus and sometimes can connect to the campus WiFi, but it again frequently connects without being able to figure out an IP address. Some help would be great.

I have a similar issue. Mine does the same thing, but only if in a specific area. If I'm sitting on my recliner with the Air on my lap, then it will connect, but I can't get to any sites. The browser just stalls.
If I move to the table that's 3 feet away from me, then the internet connects without any problems.
It could be a reception issue with me, or something. I don't know. At first it connected at very high speeds. That was before 10.5.2.
I don't know if the Leopard Update has anything to do with it, since my iMac doesn't have this problem at all. And that has an N card also.
I hope Apple is looking into this wireless issues.
AL

AirPort Express connected to an iPod Hi-Fi; iTunes can't find the speaker.

Hi,
I've been trying to get my Hi-Fi to show up in iTunes via an AirPort Express connected to a MBP without much success..
First I had some trouble connecting the Express to my exisisting wireless network (Wireless-N ADSL2+ Gateway WAG300N), but once I changed the WEP key to a correct lenght I got it working (green light on the Express). Actually I'm not quite sure that it's working as intended, the Express won't show up in the Aiport utility, only in the advanced setting of my wireless network (system preferences -> network). Is it supposed to show up in the Utility even though it's connected through my existing wireless network?
I have both and optical and a 'regular' (English is not my first language cable and I've tried both, but the speakers won't show up in iTunes. I've got iTunes looking for external speakers so that shouldn't be the problem.
Any ideas?

Try setting-up AE as if for the first time (perform a hard-reset of the AE).
This time, however, DO NOT connect the AE to your router initially. Connect it directly to your computer via ethernet cable when setting-up. Airtunes should now be enabled (this will not happen if you initially set up AE with AE connected to your wireless router).

I have an old PowerPC and a Macbook Pro running 10.6.7 sitting side by side. Both are using AirPort to connect to the internet wirelessly to the same router, but the old Mac connects with full bars, but the MBP struggles with only 2. Pls help, thanks!

I have an old PowerPC running 10.4.11 and a Macbook Pro running 10.6.7 sitting side by side. Both are using AirPort to connect to the internet wirelessly to the same wireless router. The old Mac connects with full bars but the MBP struggles with only 2 bars. Pls help, thanks!

BDAqua,
Thanks for the response.
Apple has used the term "Digital Audio" to identify this machine. System Profiler has the following information:
Machine Name:          Power Mac G4
Machine Model:          PowerMac3,5
CPU Type:          PowerPC G4 (2.1)
Number Of CPUs:          1
CPU Speed:          800 MHz
L2 Cache (per CPU):          256 KB
Memory:          768 MB
Bus Speed:          133 MHz
Boot ROM Version:          4.3.3f2
Serial Number:          XBxxxxxMK9
Sales Order Number:
Yes, I could connect them by ethernet if all I wanted to do was transfer files, but I would like to network them so I could use wireless internet. The machines are not always so close together, I did that to simplify the testing. With the very slow transfer speeds I am reluctant to move ahead with the internet step.
<Edited By Host>

Slow Wi-Fi connection with both Extreme and Express

Hi all,
I have problems with slow Wi-Fi connection at home. With my 100/100 Mbit/s fiber I have an Airport Extreme 802.11ac connected by Ethernet cable directly into the cable modem.
With only the Extreme as a router I was not satisfied with the Wi-Fi range and therefore also bought an Airport Express 802.11n (2nd generation ) to extend the network with.
The range got better but I'm facing real slow Wi-Fi connection both on the Extreme and the Express.
Example - When connected to the Extreme less than 1 meter from it I normally get a down speed on 30 Mbit/s and on the Express (placed 8 meters from the Extreme) I normally get between 2 to 8 Mbit/s down speed.
I have a couple of questions about this issue below that I hope someone can answer.
1. The Extreme and the Express are connected wireless. If I connect them together with cable instead, will I then get the same speed from the Express that I have on the Extreme?
2. I've read in several forums that the latest versions on the Extreme and Express causes bad Wi-Fi connections and an downgrade to earlier version is recommended. My problem is that Airport Utility only can find the latest versions when trying to downgrade (bought both of them recently).
How can I downgrade to earlier versions when Airport Utility can't find them? If possible, is this still recommended to do?
Current versions:
Extreme - 7.7.3
Express - 7.6.4
3. Could it cause problems if the Extreme and Express doesn't have the same versions, or is this normal?
4. Any suggestions to improve the down speed on my Wi-Fi connection?
Thanks in advance!

1. Cable connections are always better.
But test first.. turn off the express.. reboot or even factory reset the extreme and have another go with it.
On a computer plugged in by ethernet test the speed.. wireless should be off..
So the most important thing is .. do you get full speed by ethernet.. if not you will never get it by wireless.. always less.. and sometimes much less.
2. You cannot downgrade either of those models. So you are stuck with them as is..
3. I think wireless links are always problematic.. by the very nature of the beast you will drop your speed by half.. so if the links were perfect.. and the Extreme wireless gives you 30Mbit then the best the express could ever give you is 15Mbit.. it is the nature of wireless.
4. Yes.. we can make suggestions.
But give me the pure wired network speed first. If that is low then tell me what modem you are using, which you mentioned.. normally a fibre system has no modem just a fibre converter to ethernet called ONT. Optical Network Terminal

Status says Airport is connected to network and internet but can't get on!

I just moved to the UK and got (cable) broadband service via Virgin Media. Thought plugging in the Airport Express would be as simple as it was in the US. The cable modem definitely works (I've plugged the ethernet straight into the computer and am online. But when I plug the ethernet from modem to airport, despite the Network status saying that "Airport is connected to [my] network. You are connected to the internet via Airport" and the "green light" is on on the Express, I can't get online at all! Can anyone help me with this?!?

I was writing a response that said I had a similar problem - and then I had a brain-wave while typing it up.
slbyum, try this: in your Airport Admin Util, configure your base-station, and turn DHCP IP address distribution OFF (deselect it under the Network tab). If your cable modem is like mine, it initially handles it's own DHCP, and then hands the IP assignment over to your service provider; the DHCP from your Airport and the DHCP from your modem are conflicting with each other - solution, move the Airport out of the way, and only let it handle the wireless side of things.
As an additional note - I suspect you won't be able to share your wireless connection with more than one computer this way - I don't know for sure, 'cause I'm not set up to try it with multiple computers (i.e. I can only afford one computer at a time!).
I hope this works for you.

Slow airport extreme

My airport extreme base station which is approx. 3 yrs. old, is running slow or not connecting at all. I'm running several devices, not all at the same time. What is the capacity of this unit for the number of device ? Does it refresh every so often? Thank you.

System Prefs->network->airport->tcp/ip.......
1> I set the tcp/ip settings manually. (was default at auto)
2> I set IPv6 to "off" (was default at auto)
Safari pages seem to load at faster/normal speeds now.
I just got my new MacBook Pro 2.16 ghz core duo last week. I eventually noticed the internet browsing speed difference between wireless and wired..like these other people. The airport connection could barely load some pages sometimes while the cabled connection loaded pages fast. The signal is strong, and it is connected to the network, and internet, and all sharing works, even the windows box. The airport card was just choking on something.
I have a netgear wireless router MR814v2. not an apple airport base station. So it would not show in airport admin utility as 1 guy suggested.
anyways, seems ok now after making those 2 adjustments
/me knocks on wood.
MacBook Pro 2.16ghz core duo 17" Mac OS X (10.4.7) 2 GB RAM 7200rpm hd

Extremely slow Airport Extreme

Is my Airport Extreme just dying? Experiencing extremely slow downloads and intermittent dropping of internet across multiple laptops & iPhones. Did a side-by-side wifi speed test (w/ SpeedSmart app on iPhone) of Airport Extreme connected to Verizon FIOS modem vs. FIOS modem's built-in wifi. Airport download 0.23Mbps vs. built-in 7.23 Mbps. Upload, Airport 0.53 Mbps vs. built-in 7.83 Mbps. Routers about 18” apart, iPhone in same position for both tests.
I updated the firmware in the Airport, rebooted (several times - Airport and modem). Get close-to-normal downloads for short while, then problems recur. Any thoughts appreciated.

How old is the extreme? What model from the base please.. A1xxx and what firmware is it running?
How is it setup? It should be in bridge to the FIOS plugged into it by ethernet.. and should be setup to create a wireless network with a different name to the FIOS and on a different channel. Auto should allow the channels to be determined by the router at start up it is not always going to work right.
It is also a question of what iphone as later ones can do 5ghz which is faster on the airport than 2.4ghz is on the FIOS.

Can airport extreme connect using a mac mini. the base station is not recognized so i cannot configure it manually

can airport extreme connect using a mac mini. this airport extreme wont connect to internet via my cable modem. I cant set it to bridge mode because it doesnt appear as a base station in airport utitlity...help

First, is your AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBS) a 802.11n, 802.11g, or 802.11b model? Second, what is your primary goal for using this base station? Finally, is the AEBS the only router in your current network configuration?

I've had a new hard drive installed and reloaded all my stuff via time capsule and now can't connect to the internet although it say Airport is connected. How can I fix this problem ?

Just had a new hard drive for my iMac and reloaded all my stuff via time capsule, all works fine apart from Safari which won't connect to internet. Airport is connected but each time Safari comes back saying there is no connection....any help gratefully recieved.

So you have the apple rotuer called a time capsule and you have complete the frist time machine back up? but there is not internet access ?
If so.
Opem airport utiltiy on your Comptuer :
What is the IP ? > if its 169.254.xx.xx > its a self assigned
Try power cycling the Internet source for up to 1 mintue and make sure all the lights turn off.
In Airport Utility Version 5.5.3 / 5.6.1
Gi > Intenret > conncetiong sharing > Is it off bridge mode change it to share a public Ip address
In airport Utility version 6.0/6.1
Edit > network > rotuer mode : Should be DHCP and NAT unless you use PPPoE to conecnt to the internet then this is automatically invoked.

Slow airport initial connection

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