iMac internet is extremely slow

bca


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I have two macs, a MacBook Pro mid 2010 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4 gigs of memory and a mid 2011 21.5 inch iMac with a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 and 16 gigs of memory. Both are running the latest version of Mountain Lion.

I have a Wi-Fi internet provided by the management of the apartment building that I live in so I don't have access to the router or modem. It's not great internet but it's free and on my MacBook at Speedtest.net I get downloads at around 4.5 mbps and uploads at .10 mbps with a ping of somewhere betweenh 20-70 ms. On my iMac, a newer computer with a quad core processor and four times the memory creeps along with Speedtest.net downloads at .36 mbps and uploads.. well the uploads time out most of the time. Both computers have very similar firewall settings. I've done everything I can think of to try and remedy this problem, spyware scans, tinkering with the DNS settings on the iMac, restarting the wireless on the iMac, rebooting the computer and nothing seems to correct his issue. But I'm thinking that if the wireless router or modem was the issue, I'd be having the same problem on both computers. So any ideas about why the iMac's internet is so bad while the MacBook seems to do fine?

Any help with this I'd really appreciate.
Thanks
 

chscag

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2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
Without being able to access the router itself to make changes or to do testing you're limited with what you can do. The MacBook Pro has its WiFi antenna encased in the display area while the iMac antenna is in the big Apple area on the back of your iMac. Both antennas are efficient so there shouldn't be any difference. Have you tried moving the iMac to different locations in your apartment? Also, changing DNS settings has no impact on net speed.
 
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bca


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Thanks for the reply. I think I've figured it out. Regarding where the iMac is, I really don't have much of a choice with this and both computers are only a foot or so apart when the speed tests are done so I'm not sure placement is the issue. But it seems that if I have my mobile phone charging at the base of the iMac seems to interfere with the wifi signal. If I charge my phone a few feet away, the signal and wifi speeds are better. Go figure. I wouldn't have thought that a mobile phone sitting so close the iMac would have interfered with the wifi.
 

chscag

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Glad you figured it out. Yes, interference can rear its ugly head in many forms and it just so happens that wireless phones are the biggest offenders. Thanks for posting back the fix. Have fun and visit often. :)
 

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