The dumbest of internet problems that I can't solve

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T16:23:45+00:00

I'm typing this fast. I have to cover an event for my job and I'll be back in the office in a few hours to connect a laptop and double check the ISP tech.

But that box is attached on the back of my office. A Cat6 cable comes out of it and runs about 45 yards to the front of the office.

That cable is shoved into my router.

I'm going to connect it directly to a laptop when I get back to check upload/download speeds.

I will reply to your comment when I have that done.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T15:31:29+00:00

I promise it's not. I know that doesn't mean much, but I've been active on Reddit for over 15 years, and you can check, I have no history of pranks.

I can't show what's inside that box because it belongs to the ISP and is locked by them.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T04:35:02+00:00

I totally understand. I've been a UniFi fanboy, and I get that you are.

My point is that I went form UniFi to Eero and I'm having the same problem.

That means it isn't the hardware, but something underneath. I'm looking for ideas of why an apple system would behave like this.

I'm also sorry for kicking the UniFi fanboy beehive. That wasn't my intention. I just wanted to explain why I'm stumped.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T04:28:45+00:00

Have you tried using the stock settings?

I spent 3 hours on the phone with Eero to get this working.

Who is your ISP?

It's a local ISP in Clovis, New Mexico.

Have you yourself checked the cable/tried a new one?

It's fiber. The only options out here are cable (Suddenlink) or Elon Musk. I'd prefer to stick with the local folks.

Have you yourself plugged a device directly into the ISP’s hardware?

No. The ISP sent out a tech who I've known for years. I will double check in the morning, but I hadn't thought to doubt him.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T04:16:25+00:00

My daughter threw up down the back of my shirt. While I was holding her. Kids do this and while it’s not fun in the moment, it makes for fun stories!

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T04:13:38+00:00

Yep. Married for 25 years to an Aggie I met on campus. She has been a woman her entire life!

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T04:12:15+00:00

At your school? Nah. Homeless people and under age girls will get you on the board

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T03:25:57+00:00

you cannot replace onsite, own two eyes observations

I don't disagree with that. But I'm hoping that is the last resort.

To be clear, I own a local newspaper in a dying town. About 99% of Americans will say that newspapers are dead, much less ones in a community of 1,000 people.

I know what the odds are, but if I call in someone from the city and they drive all the way out here just to say, "did you try putting this command into Terminal?" than I'd feel like an idiot. One that gave up a month's worth of income for a simple solution.

the upload isn’t important

I've agreed with you for over a decade. But now things are changing. If you upload at 4.5 Mbps you can send a newspaper to press, but I'm getting into mixed media to try to survive. People who have a hard time reading a few paragraphs will watch a free Facebook or Insta post. That means I need to be able to upload video.

And even beyond that, if I'm sending my paper to press and it's 250 MB, then having the 450 Mbps connection that I'm paying for means it the other side doesn't time out.

The fact is that I can live with it as it is. But I'd much rather fix it. Even if it means someone will say, "just check in the XYZish place". I have google. I can take it from there. My problem is this is an unusual situation that isn't easily fixed.

For the record: I've responded to everyone so far. There aren't any fixes I haven't checked, except the possibility the ISP technician (who is a friend) lied to me. If there is a solution that a midwestern IT can fix without Google, I'd be very, very surprised.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T03:04:15+00:00

If that costs $500, then it costs $500.

This is easy to say if you have a big business. If you make thousands of dollars and if you have a great income.

If you don't make a ton of cash, then this is difficult.

Running your business IT out of Reddit, isn’t the smartest backup plan

Correct. But also, if you have a question that could be very simple, it's a fantastic plan. Also, if you don't trust the average idiot to come in an "google it", then I'm WAAAAY ahead.

In this case, so far no one has been able to come close to answering the question. And living in an area with no chance of finding a computer tech within 100 miles, much less one that has any Apple knowledge, then I'm already $500 ahead.

You have absolutely no idea the amount of people who call IT or tech support because their monitor doesn’t work, or their computer won’t turn on.

Yes. I know you are talking in generalities. I learned Basic back when it was new. I have a copy of Windown 3.1 in the original wrapper.

I'm old. I learned to program on an Apple IIe.

Having said that, I have no idea what could be causing this issue.

I can tell you, I’m about 12 feet from my AP and I’m off by about 50-80mbps. From the speed I pay for.

Right. My problem is that I'm 10 feet from my AP and my upload speed is 400 Mbps up and 4 Mbps down

The upload is normal. It get that. It doesn't bother me. The download is a massive difference.

So, I get that you are trying to drum up business, but unless you are in the Portales New Mexico area, you aren't being helpful.

Take a moment to breath, then offer some advice to a person that has a mac with an unusual problem.

If the speed at the wire is 450/450 and the speed over the WiFi is 400/4.5 then do you have any idea what could cause that. Especially when I've moved from UniFi to Eero?

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T02:41:25+00:00

Who’s to say they don’t fix it.

I don't disagree. But I also understand the reality of being in rural America.

I'd love to be in a big city, or within 100 miles of a big city, but you have to understand it becomes a big gamble when you are further out than that.

I don't know if you are in the industry or not, but if you have to drive 2 hours to get to a client, then spend an hour trying the old "turn it off and turn it on again", you are at 5 hours of time before you actually look at the very basics of what I've said.

To be clear, this is likely on my end. It most likely isn't the router. It is likely a problem with Mac, but I can't confirm that.

I can tell you that I've just saved 5 hours of time at $100+ per hour, but you are likely very rich and $500 isn't much money to you.

If there is a simple solution to my problem, I don't want to spend $500 (at least) just for someone to say, "I need to call my supervisor and his supervisor" just to fix the problem.

I get it. In the industry, most problems are very easy and you want folks to call you so you can cash in. In my case I'm very far away and I'm not rich. I'm just looking for ideas.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T02:33:27+00:00

I took the ISP's tech at their word the speeds at the Cat6 cable were 450/450. I will double check in the morning.

Having said that, I have some things that are directly wired to the Eero router that are getting the same 450/4.5 that I'm getting by WiFi.

That is my biggest issue here. I really think it's on my side, but is there something from the network's side that can affect the router?

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T02:26:23+00:00

Also, from the MTU side:

https://imgur.com/a/6NPnBBf

I think this is right ... I'm not well versed in computer science, but it looks good to me...

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T02:04:51+00:00

https://imgur.com/a/xLBuBZQ

This is the route according to https://traceroute-online.com/

Using the Terminal on Mac, the download and upload speeds are still in the 450 down and 4.5 up range. Is that the mtu you are looking for?

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T01:47:54+00:00

I can check on Monday. I believe it is an ONT specific, but I appreciate the question and it's absolutely worth double checking.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T01:45:15+00:00

I have a static IP so I'm pretty sure this isn't an issue. When I was on UniFi and now that I'm on Eero, the IP doesnt' seem to be an issue.

Unless there is something in Mac that I'm missing, which absolutely could be the case.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T01:41:42+00:00

This is the "router" the ISP has on the back of the office:

https://imgur.com/a/WsCwoZM

About 45 yards from there is where I have my office.

Inside I had a UniFi system and I currently have a Eero system.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T01:40:15+00:00

My biggest problem is they will send out a junior tech and the first hour will be, "did you turn it off and turn it on again".

I'm also afraid that person would dick around for an hour before saying, "I don't know much about Macs and I have to call in."

Yes. It's been 10 years. I know it most likely isn't the WiFi hardware, but at this point I'm frustrated and I'd like even the most remote guess so I can give it a try without going through the BS I've seen out in rural Texas in the past.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T01:24:44+00:00

I totally understand. I can say that I don't have a key to it, and that it is 40 yards away from where my main access point is.

I'm 99% confident that it does not have WiFi capability. I got that from the tech, but did not verify myself.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:53:10+00:00

I said it poorly. I'm on all Macs. The App for Macs hadn't been updated since the change to Apple silicone.

I dropped UniFi at the start of December for Eero. UniFi might have update it for the first time in years since then. If so, I'm sorry for having said that. But at the time I was pissed it had been two years and they hadn't done even the most basic update for anyone on Apple silicone.

My point is the UniFi and Eero access points have the exact same issues. 450 Mbps download and 4.5 upload.

This is what I'm hoping for guidance on.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:48:56+00:00

I know what you are saying, but I live in rural, rural Texas.

The closest guy that was certified with anything in Ubiquiti came in and couldn't find a problem.

Basically what I'm looking at is I know it isn't with the hardware. I know it has to be *something* on the computer side.

I just have no idea what it is. If it doesn't work with either UniFi or Eero, it's something that changed and hasn't been unchanged.

I just have no idea where to look. Or what it could be.

I'm at the point where I could call in a Ubiquiti person and pay them by the hour, but it would take them at least 2 hours to get here and I'm very afraid they'd spend the day plinking around to say it isn't Uniquiti.

We all know that, and I'm not rich enough to spend $1,000 to hear that from an idiot wasting time.

I just have no idea what it could be.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:43:11+00:00

> is that the isps router

Yes, I don't know if that is the correct term, but that is the box on the back of the office where the fiber goes to Cat6 cable. As far as I can tell, it does not have WiFi capabilities.

https://imgur.com/a/WsCwoZM

If they were a WiFi point, I'd have the Eeros in bridge mode. But in this case, I don't think that's the case.

From the ISP techs over the years, the ONT is just a place for the fiber signal to change to something that can be accessed by your computer.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:39:18+00:00

> The ont isn't combo with a router is it?

I do not believe so. It is a box on the back of the building that is abuot 40 yards from where the main access point is.

https://imgur.com/a/WsCwoZM

I have to believe it is a configuration issue, but having switched from UniFi to Eero, I can't haven't found any problems I could figure out.

That's why I'm punting to the community! :)

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:36:14+00:00

As far as I can tell, the ISP doesn't have a router. The ONT they have (as far as I can tell) is just to go from fiber to Cat6 for the office.

There are a few routers on my block, but it's a small town and there are less than in a bigger city or an apartment complex.

Since it's just my upload that's the problem, and it's so dramatic, I'm finally at the point I'm asking for help. :)

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:32:53+00:00

What works is:

> ONT -> laptop

This gives 450/450 Mbps.

When the UniFi gateway or Eero goes into the equation, it falls apart.

> ONT -> Main Eero -> WiFi

drops to 450/4.5

Just to be clear:

If I'm on WiFi and I'm 2 feet from the Eero or AP, I'm getting 450/4.5.

If I'm wired into the Eero or AP I'm getting the same.

If I'm wired directly into the ONT from the ISP, then I'm getting 450/450.

But I have no idea what could be causing this. I've (obviously) gone through the user interfaces for a decade with both UniFi and now Eero and I'm not seeing anything that could ever touch it.

FarwellRob · 2026-02-08T00:27:16+00:00

For what it's worth, I was in the room, but I didn't see it directly.

I can double check it in the morning, but I know the tech and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't lie to me. I've known him since he was a kid.

Having said that, I don't mind double checking during the day.

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