Your Mac has slow WiFi but other devices are fast
Your Mac is probably connected to the slower 2.4GHz WiFi band when the faster 5GHz band is available. Disconnect and reconnect to WiFi to switch to the faster band. This fixes it.
Modern routers broadcast WiFi on two frequencies: 5GHz which is faster, and 2.4GHz which is slower but reaches farther. If your Mac is stuck on the 2.4GHz band, everything feels slow even though the router is fine. Forgetting the WiFi network and reconnecting forces your Mac to the faster band.
- ✓Have your WiFi password ready in case you need to re-enter it
- ✓Have another device (phone or tablet) ready to run a speed test for comparison
- ✓Stay within WiFi range of your router during testing
Fix-IT-Bot will walk you through each step, just tap, no typing needed.
Skip, I just want a technicianCommon mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the router is broken when other devices are proof the router is fine
- Not realizing your Mac can be on 2.4GHz while your phone is on 5GHz at the same time
- Thinking distance doesn't matter when you're far from the router — WiFi speed drops significantly with distance
Signs you need professional help
- You've forgotten and reconnected to WiFi and it's still slow. Your Mac is close to the router and still slow even after reconnecting. Other devices are getting normal speed but your Mac is stuck at a fraction of that speed.
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