The macosxhints Forums - Wireless: 5GHz vs. 2.4 GHz

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- Networking (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/forumdisplay.php?f=14)

- - Wireless: 5GHz vs. 2.4 GHz (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=156415)

I actually started documenting all of the Buffalo's settings so I could migrate to the Extreme. Just one project that stalled out...

I use static leases for the convenience and ease of management. I like to be able to just ssh Bleach without having to know the IP address. Also, it makes port forwarding a lot easier.

I have now set DNSMasq to use only the opendns IP addresses. We'll see if that changes anything.

I still think there has to be some reason why my iOS devices do so poorly on the ping test. In looking at the speedtest.net history I see that my iPad (including my old iPad1) got ping results of less than 100ms until mid June of this year. Since then they've almost always been 500ms+. Same results with the iPhone.

I have no idea what happened in mid June. I've been using the Extreme as a wireless access point since January.

Code:

Date                        Down     Up    Ping

Aug 31, 2012 11:22 AM        2928        708        612

Aug 31, 2012 8:53 AM        2956        800        610

Aug 30, 2012 6:22 PM        2964        772        662

Aug 30, 2012 6:15 PM        2894        776        699

Aug 20, 2012 6:04 PM        2482        713        607

Aug 20, 2012 6:02 PM        1302        821        675

Aug 11, 2012 11:19 AM        2904        971        39

Aug 11, 2012 10:33 AM        2632        963        646

Aug 11, 2012 10:28 AM        2162        720        618

Jun 29, 2012 6:39 PM        2910        974        597

Jun 28, 2012 6:02 PM        1050        130        3411

Jun 16, 2012 10:45 AM        2616        960        565

Jun 16, 2012 10:40 AM        1480        825        985

Jun 16, 2012 10:38 AM        2388        832        788

Jun 16, 2012 10:37 AM        1768        845        849

Jun 16, 2012 10:33 AM        2109        869        691

Jun 16, 2012 10:32 AM        1917        769        663

May 21, 2012 6:52 AM        12078        3304        30

May 14, 2012 8:28 AM        145        170        144

May 11, 2012 4:59 PM        145        129        68

May 11, 2012 4:58 PM        115        202        97

May 11, 2012 4:58 PM        66        192        191

May 11, 2012 4:37 PM        157        172        55

Apr 28, 2012 8:18 AM        2059        424        70

Apr 1, 2012 5:07 PM        2705        509        61

Mar 31, 2012 10:00 AM        1457        770        64

Mar 26, 2012 9:51 AM        2826        566        45

Dec 25, 2011 4:14 PM        1718        401        65

Nov 13, 2011 4:50 PM        440        108        75

Nov 13, 2011 4:49 PM        721        163        83

Nov 2, 2011 10:49 AM        4742        502        52

Ha ha ha! The joke's on me. I turned the radio on the Buffalo back on and had the ipad join its wireless network. Here's the results:

ping: 39ms
down: 2.87Mbps
up: 0.81 Mbps

Edit: Loading web pages on the iPad is now astoundingly fast!

So, the fault lies with the Airport Extreme. Amazing.

What now?

Cool. I think you found something similar to I. Were tests conducted in the same spot? I think the iPad may get worse reception?

I have seen a router "mistreat" one device. Often a reboot of both helps.

All interesting.

Yes, interesting.

I changed the wireless security setting on the Extreme from WPA/WPA2 Personal to just WPA2 Personal. Now the ping time on the iPhone is in line with everything else; about 35ms. However, the iPad is still slow at over 600ms; even after a reboot of both the iPad and Extreme. Note that the iPad is connecting to the Extreme's 5GHz network.

So, I split the Extreme's SSIDs and forced the iPad to join the 2.4GHz network. Still slow.

Then I forced the iPad to join the 5GHz network. Now the ping times are less than 40ms.

Bottom line: I don't understand this at all.

Will a wireless expert please chime in?