I have three iMacs connected to my router. All Intel, all running at full network strength (~350mbps). All are wired to the router. I have now replaced one with an M1 Mac Mini. The connection is as slow as <insert word here>! Wireless barely reaches 50mbps download, although it has gone down as low as 10! Upload speed remains a steady ~30mbps as has always been the case. Network stability is also a major issue. Wireless connection to the Mini from my other machines is slow and unreliable; as it's in another room, I can't connect directly via ethernet, but I bought some powerline adaptors, which 'promise' speeds around 1gbps, but my standard connection speed is way below that anyway. Either way, this is unworkable. Connection between the machines is easy enough to do; it's the speed and stability that's the issue.
Mac Mini M1 - slow speeds!
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Welcome to the forum.
You need to separate the issues and potential causes. What I would do first is move the Mini to the room with the router, then connect it just like the others, by Ethernet, to see if it then duplicates the same speeds as them in that environment. Then disconnect all of them and use all of them wireless to see what speeds each has, still in the same area. If the Mini keeps up, then it's not the Mini, it's the connection. If the Mini can't keep up, then it's the Mini and you can get it repaired/replaced under warranty.
For the connection, I have found that the options that use house wiring have never performed well. It might be me, but that approach is an emergency connection where I don't care about speed, I just want a connection that works at any speed.
Wireless is very susceptible to interference because there are limited channels and a lot of devices use the same frequency--wireless home phones, remote controls, home automation, security systems, etc. And the signals are attenuated by walls, furniture, wiring, people, etc, so although the maximum range for WiFi may be 10-20 meters, the real world experience says that inside a typical stick-built home 10 is kind of maximum. And a stone-walled home cuts that even more, maybe 5 meters.
So, get some network analysis software (check the App Store) and test your environment after the first test of the Mini I suggested and see what conflicts may exist. I use WiFi Explorer, but there are plenty of options.
You need to separate the issues and potential causes. What I would do first is move the Mini to the room with the router, then connect it just like the others, by Ethernet, to see if it then duplicates the same speeds as them in that environment. Then disconnect all of them and use all of them wireless to see what speeds each has, still in the same area. If the Mini keeps up, then it's not the Mini, it's the connection. If the Mini can't keep up, then it's the Mini and you can get it repaired/replaced under warranty.
For the connection, I have found that the options that use house wiring have never performed well. It might be me, but that approach is an emergency connection where I don't care about speed, I just want a connection that works at any speed.
Wireless is very susceptible to interference because there are limited channels and a lot of devices use the same frequency--wireless home phones, remote controls, home automation, security systems, etc. And the signals are attenuated by walls, furniture, wiring, people, etc, so although the maximum range for WiFi may be 10-20 meters, the real world experience says that inside a typical stick-built home 10 is kind of maximum. And a stone-walled home cuts that even more, maybe 5 meters.
So, get some network analysis software (check the App Store) and test your environment after the first test of the Mini I suggested and see what conflicts may exist. I use WiFi Explorer, but there are plenty of options.
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The three iMacs were wired, but now one of them is an M1 Mini and is wireless? As the previous poster noted, that's two major changes, which makes your first task pretty obvious.
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Lots of things need to be looked at, mostly because it seems lots of things changed all at once.
You switched from wired to wireless, which is a first major change that needs to be looked at.
You didn't state your router spec. Most likely, your router has reached a bandwidth threshold or your router has automatically put the Mini in a low priority state compared to everything else that is already up and running. Having your Mini in a low priority state while you have other devices running will give you fluctuating speeds.
If your original 3 Macs were wired, why can't you test the Mini on a wired connection? That would be very helpful in diagnosing in the mind of an IT pro.
To diagnose and help eliminate the problem, try this:
Get rid of those network adapters.
Enter your router settings and click through the required settings options that allows you to change priorities for your devices.(If there's an auto prioritization feature, turn it off and manually assign priorities to each device).
Make sure to put your Mini in first priority for the sake of this diagnosis.
Follow this order- turn off all network connected devices, turn off router, turn off modem(if it's not a combo unit with router), then turn on modem, turn on router. Wait until router has fully completed it's boot sequence and the internet connection light is on. Then turn on your Mac Mini M1 along with a few other devices(you don't need them all on). It is important to turn on a few other devices so that the memory of the router can hold the initial setup correctly and not have to alter bandwidth spacing a lot afterwards. This is the correct IT sequence when making a change to network bandwidth prioritization.
Come back and let us know how it goes.
You switched from wired to wireless, which is a first major change that needs to be looked at.
You didn't state your router spec. Most likely, your router has reached a bandwidth threshold or your router has automatically put the Mini in a low priority state compared to everything else that is already up and running. Having your Mini in a low priority state while you have other devices running will give you fluctuating speeds.
If your original 3 Macs were wired, why can't you test the Mini on a wired connection? That would be very helpful in diagnosing in the mind of an IT pro.
To diagnose and help eliminate the problem, try this:
Get rid of those network adapters.
Enter your router settings and click through the required settings options that allows you to change priorities for your devices.(If there's an auto prioritization feature, turn it off and manually assign priorities to each device).
Make sure to put your Mini in first priority for the sake of this diagnosis.
Follow this order- turn off all network connected devices, turn off router, turn off modem(if it's not a combo unit with router), then turn on modem, turn on router. Wait until router has fully completed it's boot sequence and the internet connection light is on. Then turn on your Mac Mini M1 along with a few other devices(you don't need them all on). It is important to turn on a few other devices so that the memory of the router can hold the initial setup correctly and not have to alter bandwidth spacing a lot afterwards. This is the correct IT sequence when making a change to network bandwidth prioritization.
Come back and let us know how it goes.
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