Home Internet is Really Slow - New Developement

[pigoo3]

At home, I use the modem from the company and an Airport. Lately, it is really slow or won't connect, at all on devices. I often need several tries to get my iPhone and iPad to work on wifi. I will often turn off wifi and start over or turn the device off and start over.

Referencing back to OP's first post...OP's setup seems very similar to a setup I used to have (ISP modem + AE):

At one point a few years ago when I was using my Time Machine as my WiFi router...I had Time Warner (now Spectrum I believe) for internet/cable TV. I was using Time Warners Cable modem...and was using the Time Machine as my WiFi router (wasn't using any Time Warner WiFi router).

If OP has an ISP modem & Apple AE...the first thing to do would be to reboot both. If the WiFi speed is still slow after rebooting both...then very possible the ISP modem is bad or the Apple AE is bad.

ISP shouldn't have to much of a problem replacing the modem...thus I would suggest getting a replacement ISP modem. Then test the new ISP modem + Apple AE. If WiFi speed is still slow...then I would say the Apple AE is bad...and time to purchase a replacement WiFi router...OR...get a WiFi router from the ISP (I'm sure they have them).

HTH,

- Nick

p.s. For anyone that doesn't know...Apple's Time Machine is a wireless hard drive & WiFi router in one unit.

 

[MacInWin]

Yeah, it really is a bad design. The Frontier tech who came out and installed this latest equipment was not thrilled with it either. (He used to work for Verizon) He was also a Mac guy and understood about using macOS and security in general. We both agreed not to install all the extra Frontier security junk and their "delux cable box".

My up and down speeds are 150/150 which is more than enough for me. Spectrum is offering 400/400 for less than what I'm paying and they provide around the same amount of viewing/music channels that Frontier does.

Charlie, I wonder if it would work if you leave the FIOS modem/router in normal mode so that you get the communication it needs, but then set DHCP to not issue ANY numbers at all. Then set the AE to have DHCP, give it a second name and then connect everything to that device. It's a kludge, but hey, if it works, it works.

 

[Slydude]

OK, and thanks for the info Jake. It seems rather interesting the way some things are done down there and it's hard to know sometimes just from reading or listening to some of the news.


- Patrick
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This is true. Most news organiations are decidedly biased in their coverage. If you listen carefully some things that should get reported as fcts have other snide comments added which add the reporter's oinion.

 

[pm-r]

Not really hard, Patrick. Some things it makes sense to have a monopoly for provision. You don't need two or more sets of gas pipes, or power lines, etc., to provide the service in a city. In fact, you probably want to avoid just that. So the government allows a monopoly, but regulates that monopoly to control prices and service standards.

FWIW, we live in a pretty rural country area, so we are not on The Cutting Edge of communication technology, but basically the two main internet and landline telephone suppliers in our specific area both have their copper and fiber optic cables hung on the same shared poles (or underground in some places) and they both support some other third-party companies that piggy back on their services, any of which can supply ASDL or Cable Internet connection services, digital and/or analog telephone and various TV and other services.

The customer then decides which services or bundles they want and at what speeds Etc... It works pretty well and there's something for everybody and the companies compete among themselves to improve their services and pricing which is a good thing for the customer. Not much government involvement is needed at all now that the Canadian federal government's CRTC Communications Department changed a lot of their rules some years ago.

It works pretty well for us except the prices still seem to be way too high, but it's still quite in line or much better compared to a lot of rural/country places in the US.

Both companies added fiber optics to their bundled lines within the year or so that are suspended from their poles right in front of our house as the roadway there acts as a main thoroughfare for communication and power lines.

We have a bundle package with the main Cable company for Internet, digital Telephone and TV but I don't know if any of it is connected to their fiber optic or not. Anyway it's all fast enough for us.



- Patrick
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[pm-r]

If you listen carefully some things that should get reported as fcts have other snide comments added which add the reporter's oinion.

We have almost given up on listening to the main media news networks mainly due to lousy and inaccurate reporting and especially as you say due to the "reporter's oinion". There's just way too much of that, and it seems it's highly contagious as well!!

Say there's an idea, let's just call it reporters onion. Isn't there some spoofing news site called the onion or something. If not there should be!!!



- Patrick
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[chscag]

We have a bundle package with the main Cable company for Internet, digital Telephone and TV but I don't know if any of it is connected to their fiber optic or not.

Bundling is a great sales pitch for carriers and ISPs. For example: I could order just internet but would have to pay much more than what it would cost if I bundle it with my TV service. Believe me, I thought of just using one of those newer type HD antennas and doing away with cable TV entirely but it's just not worth it. Most carriers now offer VOIP phone service along with internet and TV. No one that I know uses a home phone anymore, so what's that all about? It's about the money! Show me the money as Jerry Maguire would say.

 

[MacInWin]

Patrick, most of the utilities, particularly in residential areas of our city, are underground, which complicates things. The city doesn't want every possible utility provider digging up yards, streets, etc, so they control who gets to do what. In our neighborhood, which is mostly homes in the 12-15 year old range, the utilities, including cable copper lines, were put in as the streets were laid out, so coming back to dig up the street for new utilities would be a royal PITA.

 

[pm-r]

Patrick, most of the utilities, particularly in residential areas of our city, are underground, which complicates things.

Hmmm...??? Nearly ALL cable/wire underground utilities around this area used conduit when the installs were done so as to avoid digging things up again and all they have to do is attach the new cable and pull them all through the old conduit and leave the new one in place and connect its ends.

No one that I know uses a home phone anymore, so what's that all about? It's about the money!

Quite the opposite up in this area, but we were mostly older retired stay-in-place retired people and the digital landline cordless phone is a fraction of the price to use compared toof those using cell phones for all their phone needs.

But it's nice to have the choice and the option to choose depending on one's circumstances.



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

I don't know the status of any conduits in the city. I would suspect that if there are conduits there, Xfinity would argue that because they put them there, they own them. I haven't heard what the arguments for/against are, just know it's being worked on in the city council.

 

[pm-r]

Generally, at least in our area of the Canadian Left Coast, any underground services are usually the responsibility of the property owner from the property line to their home, whether they be in conduit or not. If they are above ground, the utility company involved will usually provide wiring service to a demarc block at the edge of the house.

Maybe some of your city council members would like to take a trip up here to see how we do things and get a constructive view. It works pretty well for us but it may appear to be to "socialist" to those who are used to things working a different way.

But they may just like to take the trip up here regardless as Victoria BC area is renown as a world famous tourist area.



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

Patrick, every lot in the city (and this city is NOT unique, it was the same in just about every place I have lived), has an easement to guarantee the city access to a certain area of the property. The owner cannot build any structure over the easement, even though he/she does own the land. The easement is adjacent to the street in my case, and is about 10 feet wide. In that area, the city has the right to access whatever utilities it may need to do so, with certain restrictions on putting the property back to the same condition as it was before the city arrived for work. So, for example, in the easement on my lot there is a small box that is a distribution center for the cable company (Xfinity) and a larger transformer for the electric provider that actually sits right on the property line with my neighbor. They reserve the right to dig up on my property if there is any issue with the lines feeding the transformer. It is my responsibility from the transformer to my home, although the electric company does take some responsibility, as does the gas company, and water company, given the nature of the service hazards. But I have to use the 811 service to identify where the utilities are before I do any digging, to absolve me of any liability if I hit/cut any service lines. The cable company says it's my responsibility to replace the cable wire if it fails. I would suspect that if you looked into exactly what the legal setup is in Canada that it would very much similar. I've seen some of the HGTV shows based in Canada discussing that the owner of the house has had to pay for replacement of all kinds of services to the house to get to the "street" or whatever the feed lines are. One even had to go under the street with their sewer line because the main line was on the other side of the street. Fortunately for them, it was possible to do a pipe-in-pipe repair that avoided the $$$ to dig up the street itself. It's the same here.

I recently had an accident where my gardener cut the gas line feeding the meter at my house, the gas company responded (very promptly) and repaired it at their cost because it was above ground. Had it been underground, I would have had to pay. Had it been after the meter, I would have had to pay, but because it was both above ground and before the meter, it was their responsibility. I got lucky.

And I don't want anybody travelling to BC. My taxes are high enough already.

 

[Drewber]

Again, I'll post answers and information based on advice and questions here, from different people. Nick - no need to apologize. I didn't see your question about what I was paying for, until the third time, like you didn't see my answer, right away, because of so much info. And, I know you're just trying to get the best information.

As suggested, I attached my computer directly to the Verizon modem. 50+ up and down. If everyone will remember, my biggest concern is that my modem + AE has been this way for 7 years, with relatively no issues. And, it is only in the last month or two, and only in my BR where I can't connect. In den, office and upstairs, I get great speeds. So, my question is why, now? Possibilities are AE is old, so I should consider a new router. Fine, that is something I will probably do
.
I was mostly concerned that there was something with Frontier, since they took over. On Nextdoor, many of my neighbors complained of issues with Frontier.

Another possibility is some kind of signal booster, right?

If I get a new router, what are some brand suggestions, please? As mentioned here, before, Apple is not in the Airport or router business, anymore. If a new router is the best idea, great.

Are there devices that can boost my signal with my current setup? If that is not the best idea, I'd appreciate knowing that also. I don't know the tech side and what the best setup is. That is why I'm here.
Bottom Line: Moving forward, new router or some kind of signal booster?

Again, thanks for the advice and patience.
Drew

 

[MacInWin]

I would not recommend any signal booster. I just don't think that's a good idea as it is a bandaid that may or may not work and that if it doesn't, is a total waste of money (and time).

There is one thing to look at before you get a new router and that is to check that there is not any interference from other nearby routers. You can look for any issues by running a Wireless Diagnostics report. (Hold down Option and click on the WiFi fan on the top bar, then Open Wireless Diagnostics. You just follow the directions and end up with a report of what it finds. If it finds problems, it will tell you. The full results will be in a tar file in /var/tmp, if you want to see it all. Once that is done, and you take whatever actions to fix whatever it finds, see how the performance improves.

 

[pm-r]

Patrick, every lot in the city (and this city is NOT unique, it was the same in just about every place I have lived), has an easement to guarantee the city access to a certain area of the property.

Jake, this is getting way off the subject and all I can say is that your situations and your experience with easments etc. has virtually no relationship as to how things work in the majority of residental zoned areas here or any other areas I have lived in this provence of BC.

Obviously things are different where you live or have lived, but that sure doesn't change anything for how things actually work up in most municipilaties, cities and towns or even unorganized areas up in this province and most other provinces and territories in the rest of Canada.


- Patrick
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