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Macbook Pro 2018 Wifi Uploads Slow

I have an TP-Link AC4000 Smart WiFi Router. Consistently, my Macbook Pro gets significantly lower download/upload speeds when I run speed tests. Even when my devices are on the same network in the same location in the house. My iPhone will show upload speeds of 45 mbps and my Macbook Pro will be under 1 Mbps


Here are my current wifi details.



I've done all the basic stuff like unplugging my router multiple times. I'm on the latest OS Catalina 10.15.4. I've went to /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/ and removed all the Wifi settings and restarted again.


Any thoughts/suggestions?



Posted on Mar 31, 2020 6:29 AM

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Posted on Mar 31, 2020 7:54 AM

Your Wi-Fi appears to be working just fine. Three antennas are being used to pull a very complex data stream off the airwaves on channel 44 in the 5GHz band.


However, the difference between noise at -84 and signal at only -66 yields a signal to noise of 16, consider just to the "poor" side of unusable. You need to be closer to your Router, or have less solid stuff between your Router and your computer.


If you have many neighbors (a long list of other Routers seen on the Option-Wi-Fi display) it is even more important to increase your signal strength by reducing that distance or improving barriers to signal. With a lot of competition, adding a repeater or another "over-the-air" Router such as a Mesh Router will not help.


Adding an additional Router connected with Ethernet cabling may be an option. Or moving your Router by using a longer Ethernet or phone or CATV cable might be an option.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Mar 31, 2020 7:54 AM in response to noodle24

Your Wi-Fi appears to be working just fine. Three antennas are being used to pull a very complex data stream off the airwaves on channel 44 in the 5GHz band.


However, the difference between noise at -84 and signal at only -66 yields a signal to noise of 16, consider just to the "poor" side of unusable. You need to be closer to your Router, or have less solid stuff between your Router and your computer.


If you have many neighbors (a long list of other Routers seen on the Option-Wi-Fi display) it is even more important to increase your signal strength by reducing that distance or improving barriers to signal. With a lot of competition, adding a repeater or another "over-the-air" Router such as a Mesh Router will not help.


Adding an additional Router connected with Ethernet cabling may be an option. Or moving your Router by using a longer Ethernet or phone or CATV cable might be an option.

Mar 31, 2020 10:46 AM in response to noodle24

This is the graphic that helps explain a Wi-Fi extender.

Its claim-to-fame is that in low-traffic areas, it can EXTEND the signal (be repeating it). In a busy neighborhood, it Adds double traffic onto the existing airwaves, improving nothing:

The subtle difference between a brute-force extender and a Mesh Router is that one high channel in the 5GHz band is semi-reserved for the Router-to-Router link for all Mesh Routers.

Mar 31, 2020 10:43 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

This is the graphic for ADDING Router(s) to your existing Network using Ethernet cabling. No additional over-the-air data traffic is added:

Every modern Router can do this trick. Just use the same network-name and password and they self-organize. You set "bridge mode" (turn off issue addresses via DHCP) on the secondary ones to turn them into simpler access points.

Mar 31, 2020 9:33 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thanks for the response! I definitely have a lot of neighbors nearby, and they are likely all using the Internet since everyone is home because Coronavirus has everyone quarantined.


Are you saying that buying a mesh router (Orbi, eero, etc.) won't help? I thought that was their purpose was to having a stronger signal. Same with a Wifi extender.


Moving Routers with Ethernet cabling is a less than desirable option if there are other solutions available.

Apr 2, 2020 1:08 PM in response to noodle24

For anyone reading through this, I think I have this resolved. With Grant's help, I do think the distance between my device and router was the culprit. My iPhone must have been able to handle it better than my Macbook Pro.


Regardless, I bought an eero router with two beacons and it's made a huge difference! I'm consistently getting speeds that are satisfactory and websites load much faster.

Apr 3, 2020 8:49 AM in response to noodle24

Congratulations. You got lucky.


In extremely busy neighborhoods, that solution would not have worked because the channel reserved for the connection Router-to-Router is already clogged, and adding more Routers and beacons just adds more traffic.


So if you had tried this and it did not work, you would have to try to get an ethernet cable between Routers.


You can buy a pre-made 100 foot Ethernet cable that is likely to reach most places in most houses/apartments, pull it into place and coil up the excess. (longest allowed cable is 100 meters/300 ft). For a neater job, you can buy Leviton "keystone" Ethernet wall jacks and push down the unstripped wires onto a terminal Block, then plug in a short cable.

Macbook Pro 2018 Wifi Uploads Slow

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