Super slow connection

Question

Having problems with my system somewhere. Cable modem connected to Airport Extreme, which is connected via ethernet to my iMac. Connection speeds are painfully slow. 2.5-3MBPS. When I pull the airport from the network and wire directly to the modem, I get 16-20MBPS. All I can think of to do is to plug the imac and the airport into a switch connected to the cable modem, and split the signal before the wireless broadcast begins. Any other thoughts would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

hired gun design wrote:
I'm pretty much at a loss as to how to proceed.
I'm getting there too... some of this amounts to grasping at straws but here's what I'd do:
Turn off your iMac's Airport to avoid confusion. If your connection speed is that slow I'm wondering if it's actually connecting to a distant wireless network so just turn it off to be sure.
See what IP address your iMac is getting when connected directly to the modem. It ought to be the same address the modem would issue the Extreme. Is it? Remember to unplug the modem, thus giving it time to reset its memory first. If you don't know how to determine your iMac's IP address look at this: How do I find my Mac OS X Leopard 10.5's IP address?
Then, find out what address it has when connected to the Extreme. It ought to be supplied by the Extreme, and within its DHCP address range i.e. not "self-assigned". I don't think anything would work if that were the case anyway.
Try resetting the Extreme. Sometimes an internal parameter that you simply can't see or change using Manual Setup gets corrupted, and the only solution is to wipe the slate clean.
Have you updated its firmware? I'm not aware of any recent firmware updates that would cause this kind of behaviour but why not rule out this potential cause.
Try a different Ethernet cable. I know you're thinking that can't possibly be it but defective cables had me flummoxed more than once.
Lastly your Extreme might simply be defective. No way to confirm that without substituting another.