Unstable network

Thank you for your help. This has been going on for six months but looking back I can trace it back to a change in network provider. A couple of days ago I noticed that they had updated their app recently so updated that, forgot the networks, rebooted everything, repaired the booster hub, used the app to create two network connections to the sam hub (I suspect that did nothing useful) and since then everything has been working as it should with no lag at all. However, I am going to keep the replies I got here in case the issue recurs. All is well for now though.

Wired, or Wi-Fi?

Remove any add-on VPN apps.

If Wi-Fi, and the possibility this is the Wi-Fi network and not the Mac, ensure the Wi-Fi router firmware is current.

The Wi-Fi network characteristics are visible by using Option-Click on the Wi-Fi logo 🛜 or <⋯> in the menu bar to capture Wi-Fi network data. Wi-Fi Security, Channel, Country, RSSI, Noise, Tx Rate, PHY mode, MCS, and NSS are all interesting here, but don’t post the Wi-Fi address, any local HotSpots that might be present, the Wi-Fi network name, or the BSSID.

Given you have a Mac, get WiFi Explorer app and use that to view the local network environment, signal strength, and other competing Wi-Fi networks. I use that app when troubleshooting, and it was invaluable for finding failing AirPort Time Capsule boxes — those AirPort Time Capsule network problems were why I started using the app, and it all tracked back to those random drop-outs.

You may well be making some of your own Wi-Fi contention here too, with mesh (which needs two Wi-Fi channels for each box) and AirPort competing for available channels. Mesh is useful when you can’t run wires, but the connections are slower and the added Wi-Fi channels can mean more room for Wi-Fi interference.

I’d start by scanning the local Wi-Fi environment and see what’s going on.

If you want us to look at the available data, post the following info:

Stuff we don’t need to know is under the pale green boxes.

Thank you for your help. I think there was definitely something going on with the mesh connection. I tried disconnnecting it and it was slightly better but still laggy. Then a couple of days ago I noticed that my network provider had updated their app recently so updated that, forgot the networks, rebooted everything, repaired the booster hub, used the app to create two network connections to the sam hub (I suspect that did nothing useful) and since then everything has been working as it should with no lag at all. However, I am going to keep the replies I got here in case the issue recurs. All is well for now though.

Solve internet connection problems on Mac - Apple Support includes a number of suggestions and additional links to peruse.

Given the circumstances you describe begin with If your device has network connectivity issues, check for VPN and other third-party security software - Apple Support if for no other reason that it's buried deep under a lot of elementary but necessarily fundamental steps.

Don't omit them anyway. They may be simple but they're all important.

If you continue to have trouble by all means write back. Everyone who comes to this site in need of help is already frustrated. We know that.

I tried all the solutions I could understand that i found online ...

We know that too. We don't know what they were.

Good that it’s working.

Wi-Fi networks including mesh networks can get flaky when interference or conflicting networks are involved. Where there’s enough network density, these environments can get into cascading network failures, where each network encounters enough errors and enough interference that it reconfigures its own network channels, and which then causes another nearby network to reconfigure its channels, lather, rinse, repeat. And mesh gear doubles the necessary channels. The local network can work fine for a day or three or ten, and then the neighbor network reassigns its channels or gets going streaming high-res video or whatever, and the local network encounters that interference and wobbles again.

There are some fine and nearly-invisible fiber optic cables available now that can be run along walls and mouldings, and which can be handy for getting network coverage into places not previously easily feasible.

And re-reading the thread FWIW, a major change to the local network infrastructure is a rather large and important detail to omit from a problem report for networking-related issues.

I was here partly for a bit of a rant and to get some help but appreciate the advice and will attempt to implement (have been away for a few days). I am persuaded that it is a hub/mesh issue not the Mac as the issue started when i got a new hub. The wifi explorer app is not one i’d heard of

I think i have enough here to work at so will monitor for a couple of weeks and report back.

Do you have a question for the community or are you just here to rant?