Your cyberspace service supplier tells you that your military service should provide “ up to ” 8 Mbps downstream . But then a vane - based speed tester tell you you ’re get less than that . Who ’s to blame here ?

To visualize that out , you have to wait at four components of your net connection : your local area web ( LAN ) , the gateway ( typically a router ) that connect your LAN to your broadband modem , the modem itself , and the wide area web ( WAN ) that associate that modem to your ISP .

( What ’s that you say ? You have n’t tested your wideband speed ? You really should.DSLReports.comhas along listof them . To utilise one correctly , verify that nothing else is happening on your net or over your last joining — no automated substitute , no file downloads , no streaming video recording , not even any tocopherol - posting . If at all possible , plug the computer straight into your broadband modem . )

The Local Network

Because you ascertain your own LAN , it ’s a good place to embark on trouble-shoot a job with your broadband . ( In addition to the advice that follows , you should also consult Troubleshooting AirPort Interference and Improving AirPort ’s Range . )

Upgrade Your Switches : An Ethernet switch is like a phone exchange ; data dealings from your computers and other machine is routed through the switch to its terminus . If you ’ve got a lot of local dealings or a fast broadband connection , an old electric switch can slow up you down .

First , check that all your switches backing Gigabit Ethernet . If you have an AirPort Extreme base station , that means making certain it was released sometime after September 2007 . All Time Capsules support Gbit Ethernet . If your Ethernet substitution does n’t , upgrading is comparatively inexpensive : about $ 40 to $ 50 for a five - port switch .

determine the switch to figure out whether your web is work at Gigabit Ethernet rates . Almost all replacement have a colouration LED that betoken the Ethernet tie focal ratio : it ’ll show orange or yellow for 10 or 100 Mbps , and green for 1 Gbps . If you have a bun in the oven Gbit speed but see orange or jaundiced , you require to look into the cablegram ( as key in the next section ) .

Some switches also have visible radiation that designate collisions on the internet . Ethernet collisions come about when multiple twist start “ talk ” at the same prison term . When such a light glint , that ’s also an indicant of cabling problems .

Check Your cablegram : To set out with , make certain you have the right cables . Gbit Ethernet requires Category 5E cable length ( for curt runs ) or Category 6 ( for long outpouring ) . Most cables have their type print repeatedly in small letters along their length . Neither eccentric of cable is expensive : a 14 - foot Category 6 speckle transmission line is about $ 8.00 atCyberguys.com , for instance . If you have the wrong cable , replace it .

Ethernet cables can also be surprisingly thin , specially after yr of use . If you mistrust a cable problem , scrutinise your cables for bends or kinks . An Ethernet line should never be fold over itself ; if you coil it , verify the loop are several inches in diameter . The insulation should be placid and rounded , with no construction cross or stretching . If you see these signs of wear , replace the cable television . And if you ’re storing Ethernet cable television service , do n’t hand-build it tightly . You should particularly avoid “ ribbon wrapping ” a cable — tightly enwrap a loose end of a spiral cablegram around the middle of the curl to keep it together . Rather , you should stray cable slackly , letting it fall into a loop .

you may practice your Ethernet switch to test your conducting wire : First check the switch ’s action lights when a cable you know to be respectable is connecting the computer and the electric switch . Then connect the cable television you want to test , and check the lights again . If the suspect cable system stimulate the permutation ’s condition light to deepen color when data is flowing , trench the cable .

Make certain You ’re Using 802.11n : The most common drive of trouble with wireless connection is mixing older Wi - Fi equipment with more - modern hardware .

The latest 802.11n equipment has a nett throughput of 30 to 150 Mbps ; 802.11 g ( which was used in AirPort Extreme ironware from 2003 to mid-2006 ) and 802.11a ( include in first - generation Intel Core Duo systems ) have a net throughput of about 25 Mbps ; and 802.11b is , of course , even slower . ( final throughput is the amount of real data that gets through , as oppose to naked as a jaybird rate throughput , which include the bandwidth exhaust by error correction , signaling datum , and other net overhead . )

So even if you have a gracious , fresh 802.11n gateway , any 802.11 g or 802.11b equipment on your internet can slacken down your Net connection . If the connection is n’t that degraded to start out with ( say 10 Mbps or dim ) , this older equipment may not affect functioning . But if your wideband connexion is 10 Mbps or faster , you ’ll require to replace old Wi - Fi equipment .

Apple has made that easier by enable its newfangled AirPort infrastructure stations to apply two wireless bands ( 2.4GHz and 5GHz ) at the same time . This allows you to section your connection into degraded and slow section : your 802.11 g and 802.11b ironware can use the 2.4GHz band , while your fast equipment can pass along over the 5GHz channel . ( See “ empathize Wi - Fi ’s two spectrum bands ” . )

you could upgrade older Macs with 802.11n adapters . These adapters work only in the 2.4GHz band , but you ’ll still hike up your internet speed . Newer Technologyhas some peculiarly cheap USB , PC Card , and PCI Card adapters that will cultivate with OS X 10.3.9 and later .

velocity - tryout Your Wireless internet : Interference can also slow down your wireless web . If a computer or another gimmick is connected to a nearby base station but the data charge per unit is less than the maximum ( 11 Mbps for 802.11b , 54 Mbps for 802.11 g , 130 Mbps for 802.11n using the 2.4GHz set , and 270 Mbps for 802.11n using 5GHz with wide epithelial duct ) , interference may be the perpetrator .

To get hold out how quickly a Wi - Fi transcriber is connect to a foundation station , plunge AirPort Utility , select your base place , and chatter on Manual Setup . Then pick out the Advanced tab , and get through on the Logs & Statistics release . In the Wireless Clients tab , you should see the unique MAC ( Media Access Control ) address of each adaptor and the pep pill and standard that it ’s using to join .

To identify which client is which , press the DHCP Clients yellow journalism , which testify the Bonjour name or the DHCP Client ID for each . Alternatively , you could reach the adapter preferences in the web preference window pane , press the Advanced button , and then clack on TCP / IP . The AirPort ID is the MAC reference that you ’ll see in the list . ( you may also use this method to examine how tight your internet works with a give way laptop or wandering gadget at various places in a home or an office . )

The Gateway

The 2d Internet - connecter component that can slow up down your net connexion is the gateway . Typically , that ’s a router , such as an AirPort base station , associate to your broadband modem .

Double - Check Your NAT : If your religious service is 30 Mbps or faster , and your gateway is configured to pass on out secret meshing name and address to your local internet , that gateway might become a bottleneck for data .

The problem is that mesh address translation ( NAT ) , which lets multiple equipment on a local connection deal a single gateway IP savoir-faire , requires constant computation . Every lump of data glide by in or out needs to have the address rewritten . If that datum is fare in at high-pitched speeds , your gateway ’s NAT may not be capable to keep up .

If you have a superfast net business relationship , the workaround is to pay off for static IP addresses from your ISP and manually depute one to each of your Macs . you may then deform off NAT in your gateway .

Disable WDS : If you relate multiple radix stations via Wi - Fi using the Wireless Distribution System ( WDS)—in Apple base stations released starting in 2007 , this functionality is called Extend A Wireless connection — you could be shortchanging your bandwidth . When WDS is turned on , each byte of data point sent has to be retransmitted for each base post . So if you have two infrastructure stations , your net ’s bandwidth is cut in one-half ; if you have three , it ’s cut in tierce ; and so on . Disabling WDS and or else using Ethernet or powerline networking to connect your foundation station should restore your full speed .

The Modem

The vainglorious trouble with modems is that they get sometime .

check that Your Modem Is forward-looking : If you have n’t bought a wideband modem or received a new one from your ISP within the last three years , call your ISP to make certain the one you have is up - to - appointment enough to treat your connection .

Some early DSL modems still in exercise do n’t support the faster speed of new DSL demarcation — their slower CPUs can throttle downloads . Newer hardware can act upon faster .

Similarly , older cable modem that support the DOCSIS 1.0 standard wo n’t be capable to keep up with networks that encode information with DOCSIS 2.0 ( or , as is increasingly the case , DOCSIS 3.0 ) . Check your cable modem ’s manual to see which criterion is in use .

Your ISP might swap your previous modem for a newfangled one at no cost . If you ’re renting the modem , you should ( courteously ) take that elevate . If your initial contract term is up , you may often regenerate and get a new modem at no cost . If you ’re within a contract term , hint that you ’re guess of throw providers ; you could very well get a Modern modem in response .

Check Your connexion : Because a broadband modem has one stimulant for a phone melodic phrase or a coaxal cable , a bad hunk of cable or a wobbly plug can mean discrepant service , with frequent drops or lag .

watch over the Lights : As with your gateway , keep an eye on your modem ’s status lighting if the internet slow down . One DSL modem I had crashed every time a Mac connected to its web interface , but I ’d never have make out that if I had n’t been watching its status lights . If something like that take place , call your ISP to set off troubleshooting . ( Mine was unable to figure out the problem ; I ended up switching ISPs . )

The Wide Area Network

If you ’ve checked your local meshwork , gateway , and modem , and they all seem to be up to sniff , you should check one more possible informant of Internet slowdowns : the wire between your modem and the cyberspace .

checker Your cable’s length Again : The cable from the back of your broadband modem to the skinny telephone or cable wall jack can suffer from the same problems as any Ethernet wire on your local connection . Check it for caisson disease and kinks , and verify the insulation shows no signs of wear . If it does , supervene upon it . With coaxal cable television , ensure the hard - to - turn hexangular nut around the connector is as tight as it can be . To be sure , filch the cable to release tensity while turning the fruitcake .

Call Your ISP : If you distrust that the line outside your house is causing connexion trouble , call your ISP and ask for a line test . Such tests are n’t as utilitarian as they might be : they can observe only whether your modem is responding . ( If you have DSL , your provider may also be capable to hold in the impedance on the melodic phrase and use that to figure out if it is achieving the proper signal - to - noise ratio for your line speed . )

Watch the Weather : At some spot , a conducting wire leave your planetary house and connects to a demarcation item at a usefulness pole or a buried line . That connector is typically expose to the elements . If your bandwidth sags when the wind bodge , call your ISP for a service call to break the wire . When serving is mercurial , call your ISP is especially useful ; a technician may be able to screen the line and find a problem . ( Keep in mind that if the ISP does n’t find a job , you may have to pay for a service call . )

Call an Electrician : If you ’re certain that there ’s a job between your modem and the net , but you ’re also sure that the trouble does n’t lie between your modem and the wall jack or between your house and the ISP , you may have a problem inside your wall . ( For representative , I once had a wasp ’ nest in an exterior bulwark , and the louse ate the insulation on the cable coming into the house . ) Indoor wiring is your responsibility ; if you ’re sure that ’s where the problem lies , you ’ll have to either rent a professional ( in some states , that mean an electrician ) or rive some new wire yourself .

[ Glenn Fleishman writes invariably about networking , mostly wireless , and is the source ofTake Control of Your 802.11n AirPort internet(Take Control Ebooks ) . ]