Internet Speed Issues with OSX

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kiwiscoota

237 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#32530 19-Apr-2009 16:28

I think somehow I've stuffed speed on my MacBook.

I was getting reasonable download speeds

but as of yesterday, I'm getting these kind of results

HOWEVER if I run the same test from Windows XP (running under Parrallels) on my Mac, I can still achieve good download results:

So on the surface, my network & ISP are not at fault, does anyone have any ideas ?

The Mac is model 3.1, Boot ROM MB31.008E.B02, OS X 10.5.6, EFI firmware 1.2.

stevenz

2802 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 125

#209170 25-Apr-2009 10:40

Try using Firefox instead of Safari (or vice-versa) and see if you get any different results.

kiwiscoota

237 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#209203 25-Apr-2009 11:43

I was using Firefox on Mac, Windows XP (under parallels) and two other computers on my network (1 x Win XP, 1 x Linux Mint) for comparison purposes, the only installation that had started to run at half speed was the Mac running OS X.

No changes to my computer (s) or network had been made by me to any configuration or software installation.

So in desperation, I did a clean install of OS X on the Mac, assuming this would solve my problems as the other machines (connected via Ethernet) all retained good speed and the Mac was running at around half speed, no matter whether it was connected via wireless or Ethernet. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered a clean install of OS X made no difference to the sluggish Mac.

Having tested so many possible things, I had more or less resigned myself to my Mac network connection running slow for ever, when the night before last, at around 2.30am, it occurred to that the ONLY thing I had not tried was connecting the Mac directly to my ADSL modem, WOW, speed was back to normal !

So it seems a problem had developed between the Mac using OS X and my D-Link router, remember I had not changed any configuration settings and all other possible variations of connecting to the router were still working fine. A factory reset of the D-Link router did not solve the issue.

Problem solved by replacing the D-Link DIR-615 with a Netcomm router.

Since I switched over the the Netcomm, I've been advised by another other Mac user that he has suddenly developed speed issues using his D-Link DIR-300 router.

PS:
Does anyone in Christchurch want a free D-Link DIR-615 (Wireless N & 4 Port) router, only driven slowly recently

kaiwai

116 posts

Master Geek

#209334 25-Apr-2009 21:58

*shrugs* I've got a DIR-615 hooked up to my cable modem and all is good - faulty router maybe?

"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators" - P. J. O'Rourke

kiwiscoota

237 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#209337 25-Apr-2009 22:09

kaiwai: *shrugs* I've got a DIR-615 hooked up to my cable modem and all is good - faulty router maybe?

Why only faulty with my Mac when running native OS X & not when using the same machine running Parallels ontop of OS X and no issues with any other computers... and the DIR-615 had worked well for about 6 months with the Mac?

I guess I'll never know the answer to that... oh well it's no longer important to me as the Netcomm is working fine.

teszeract

29 posts

Geek

#213764 10-May-2009 00:56

I suggest using iStat menus (the network module) and see if there's any outgoing & incoming traffic that you don't know about.

kiwiscoota

237 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#213781 10-May-2009 04:30

Subsequent testing of my DIR-615 with friends iMac showed the same issue of low speed and yet with Parallels on his iMac the speed was fine. (Exactly the same situation as it was with my MacBook).

The router problem was *cured* with a firmware update and it's now been working reliably with good speed for about 10 days.