Airport to MacBook (speeds) vs Airport to Airport Bridging (speeds)
I have an interesting question that I can't seem to figure out. I recently decided to connect my PS3 and DirecTV box to my network wirelessly.
I tried a D-Link device at 802.11n 5GHz only to my Airport Extreme and that got 3.5 MBytes/sec when downloading an MP4 file to my PS3 hard drive. I thought to myself this is pretty slow, because when I use my MacBook to connect to the Airport in 5GHz only I get 14.5 MBytes/sec.
So, I decided the best way to do this would be to use another Airport Extreme and use it in Bridge mode with my other Airport Extreme. The only problem was that this configuration ended up with 2.7 MBytes/sec...
Why are these speeds so low? When my MacBook blazes? I figured the Apple to Apple solution would give me that 12.5-14.5 MBytes/sec. Am I missing something here?
I tried the configuration in WDS mode and that was horribly slow.
This is the extend a network setup (Bridge).
The only thing I could think of was line of sight (macbook) versus thru a wall (airport bridge)?
But this discrepancy is pretty severe. The main airport is in the den connected to the left of the front room. Both devices are each about 25 feet from the base. There isn't a door. But the angle to the Television versus the couch there is a wall. So for sake of argument let's say it's not interference from the wall. What would be the reason for this?
The DTV is a gigabit port, and the PS3 is a gigabit port...
What gives...
I tried a D-Link device at 802.11n 5GHz only to my Airport Extreme and that got 3.5 MBytes/sec when downloading an MP4 file to my PS3 hard drive. I thought to myself this is pretty slow, because when I use my MacBook to connect to the Airport in 5GHz only I get 14.5 MBytes/sec.
So, I decided the best way to do this would be to use another Airport Extreme and use it in Bridge mode with my other Airport Extreme. The only problem was that this configuration ended up with 2.7 MBytes/sec...
Why are these speeds so low? When my MacBook blazes? I figured the Apple to Apple solution would give me that 12.5-14.5 MBytes/sec. Am I missing something here?
I tried the configuration in WDS mode and that was horribly slow.
This is the extend a network setup (Bridge).
The only thing I could think of was line of sight (macbook) versus thru a wall (airport bridge)?
But this discrepancy is pretty severe. The main airport is in the den connected to the left of the front room. Both devices are each about 25 feet from the base. There isn't a door. But the angle to the Television versus the couch there is a wall. So for sake of argument let's say it's not interference from the wall. What would be the reason for this?
The DTV is a gigabit port, and the PS3 is a gigabit port...
What gives...
Comments
I never came up with an answer, since it wasn't worth THAT much of my time to dig into it. (And due to codec compatibilities, I decided I'd rather watch stuff via Front-Row from the Mini, than via the PS3.) The PS3 connection is still faster than my internet, so it doesn't affect on-line gaming lag or update downloads
But I have an update for anyone else who may have opinions also...
I re-positioned my Airport to where there was nothing obstructing them perfect line of site. About 20 feet way, I was almost tempted to put them side by side... but it's going to give me this speed again.
In addition the Directv box is reporting about the same speed, slow. It take approximately 85 minutes to download a 60 min HD show, via VOD.
Laters...
I didn't think much of it but, the MediaLink (Nullriver) when connected with the D-Link didn't show up very well on the XMB of the PS3. So the reason I kept the Airport was because the MediaLink popped up every time on the PS3 no problems very stable.
But, today I tried something new, I decided to use my macbook as a "bridge" by enabling internet sharing, thinking maybe I could get that 14 MBytes/sec. Well, I connected the macbook to a gigabit hub, and the PS3 to the hub. I did a transfer of a 2GB file to see what speed I would get, result? 6.5 MBytes/sec. This was just a transfer from my server to my macbook hard drive. Here is the funny part: I could not get the MediaLink to even show up on the PS3 at all, and if it would show up, which I didn't wait to see, it would take at least 5 minutes like the D-Link probably.
So all in all the Airport has no problems with visibility of the MediaLink to the PS3, the Directv to the PS3, or the Directv to the Windows machine. The D-Link wasn't 100% stable and the internet sharing via the macbook was even worse with stability (visibility). Here is the funny part though: There must be some kind of electro magnetic interference from the 60" Mitsubishi that all of the stuff is sitting on top of. Because when I just moved my macbook on top of the Directv box which was on top of the Mitsubishi I got a flat out 6.5 MBytes/sec like I said instead of 14 MBytes/sec while sitting on the couch 5 feet away.
My main reason was I was thinking about getting a MacMini instead of an Airport Extreme which would be like -$190 towards the price of one, and use internet sharing. The only thing is that the visibility of services is very annoying unless I use the Airport Extreme. I like it even though it's kinda slower, because every time I goto the PS3 XMB blam! the MediaLink is there. If it's not, because I just started up, I just do one search and it finds the MediaLink, or just wait like 1 to 2 minutes after the PS3 starts up then the MediaLink shows up.
I hope this update helps those out there with similar situations with plugging and playing...
Laters...
Laters...
Well I was hoping to a get a New Release Mac Mini coming up sometime. Hoping that would have 802.11n (draft).
But it's not expected till sometime next year