If you wanted to test RSSI readings across the house, you could enable logging and then take your MacBook for a walk. One nice thing it does do is keep a periodic history of Wi-Fi connection quality, assuming you can read through the extraneous lines. These logs are not that simple to decipher for humans, however, and are very noisy. The Logs tab is perhaps the most inscrutable window in Wireless Diagnostics as its entire purpose is to record relevant network process activity to a system log file which can then be inspected in the Console app. The Wireless Diagnostics panels update with the new live values if the Tx rate changes. What’s slightly confusing is that the Tx rate is not constant for a particular router: it will vary as the system adapts to wireless conditions with the mentality that a slow, stable, connection is better than a faster, unreliable, one. You may need to change settings or upgrade your hardware to a new router (suggestions below) to take full advantage of your ISP’s speed. As 2.4GHz usually provides longer range signals, a common error for Wi-Fi performance is to simply move closer to the unit so the laptop can pickup the (faster) 5GHz link.Īnother interesting data point to check is the Tx rate which states the maximum possible transfer speed for the current connection. If you have super-fast fiber broadband but your quoted Tx rate is only 78 Mbps, don’t be disappointed when your maximum Internet speed is also capped at 78. If you were expecting to see 5GHz listed but don’t, first check your router configuration and then try moving closer to the base station. For example, if you are running a dual-band Wi-Fi network like the AirPort Extreme, it’s worth checking that you are actually running on the GHz band that you expect. This screen is useful for quick diagnosis of the most obvious problems. The current noise and RSSI levels are also displayed here, more on that later. This includes quick access to information like the MAC address of the hardware, the Wi-Fi mode, operating band and channel. The Info tab is a simple table panel that displays information relating to the wireless connection. Access these other views from the Window menu bar item. As a standalone self-help tool, however, the assistant is not very useful in my opinion. The more interesting data for individuals can be found on different windows of Wireless Diagnostics. At the end of the process, the assistant generates a report that can be sent to Apple Support for further assistance. The first screen is the Assistant, the app’s automatic step-by-step diagnostics wizard for detecting common network problems. Although the app contains a lot of useful information, it isn’t intuitively clear what you are supposed to do with it.įrustrated by bad WiFi on Mac OS X? This guide may help you get better WiFi on your computer.įollow along below for a walkthrough of all the screens in Wireless Diagnostics that can help you analyze your Wi-Fi network and find any weak spots. It can be daunting to see so many stats at once but in reality you are only interested in a couple of numbers. Open the app by option-clicking on the Wi-Fi indicator in the menu bar and select ‘Open Wireless Diagnostics …’. If this isn't quite what you need, take a look at our guides to the best printers for photos, the best art printers and the best home printers, many of which will also work perfectly alongside your Mac.Apple ships a little-known utility app that helps you analyze and diagnose your Wi-Fi connection, called Wireless Diagnostics. We've chosen each model based on the specs as well as reviews from our network of contacts. With those elements in mind, we've picked together a selection of the best printers for Mac, at a range of prices and with all the different features you might need. And if you're a MacBook owner, you might want something compact and lightweight so that you can take it with you when traveling. Another thing to consider is the design of the printer. If you're a creative, you'll want high-end print quality and colour reproduction, but you'll probably also want a printer that can scan and copy, and different sizes of paper, not just A4. If a printer offers that, you're guaranteed easy wireless printing from the get-go, not only from your iMac or MacBook but from an iPhone and iPad too. To kick things off, there is no Apple Printer, but AirPrint support is a very nice feature instead.
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