Apple → slow wi fi on mac book pro

I rarely use my Macbook Pro nowadays. I'm usually using my iPad Air or my iPhone. However, I had wanted to update to the new updates in Mavericks and update my iPad air to iOS 8 using iTunes to avoid the space issue.
I have Mavericks 10.9.4. On the day of the release of iOS8 it was showing that it would take more than 50 hours to download the update in both iTunes and the Software update. I figured it was some issue with servers on the release day. I tried again this morning and it is the same problem. My wife's slightly newer Macbook has no issue and downloads at top speeds. My Macbook Pro is about 5 years old. I have looked around and it seems that many people experienced Wi-Fi issues with Mavericks but that looks confined to when it was first released. I know I didn't have Wi-Fi issues previously so I don't know how or when it started. Essentially, I guess it started from the last time I used it. I've removed the SSID and re-added it. I've done a release and renew of the DHCP. I've re-sent the PRAM. I've turned Bluetooth off. These were all suggestions that seemed to work for the majority of people with this issue. It hasn't worked for me. I can browse ok but forget about downloading large files or streaming as it is unbearable. Am I resigned to the fact that I can't use wi-fi anymore on my Macbook Pro???? It is old and pretty sluggish nowadays but it is still somewhat useful. It is the 15 inch size and although I'd like to buy a new one, it just isn't in the cards for me financially right now. Any thoughts?

Do you have FiOS?

Some people on FiOS are seeing horrible download speeds from Apple.

Try running a speedtest to a different server over WiFi:

»www.speedtest.net

Just FYI, I am, 75/75 plan and not seen any download issues other than slow App Store updates but I put that down to a run on the App Store for iOS8 updates.

Ok. Maybe not everybody on FiOS, but a lot of people were having issues:

»FIOS horrible Apple download speeds..
»No iOS8 Neutrality. VZW iPhone-8 Min; AT&T iPad 29 Hours

Eww, nothing like that here. iPad was rough the first time I tried it but I think it was struggling with space and I was trying OTA. Once hooked to iTunes the d/l screamed, as did the one for my iPhone. I got lucky I guess.

Well, I've tried everything. I've changed my SSID and the channel on wi fi. I feel it is software related because I used the personal hot stop on my iPhone and connected my Macbook Pro to it and I was able to download at super fast speed. I tried flushing my DNS cache using terminal but that doesn't seem to have done anything. I give up at this point.

Download what?

If all you're doing is downloading from Apple and you are on FiOS, there's nothing local you can do (except changing the DNS settings, not just flushing the cache) that will fix it.

Did you run the speedtest.net test? If so, what speeds did you get?

I'm trying to download from the Apple Update page to update Mavericks as well as from iTunes to update my iPad to iOS8. I know it is my computer because my wife's macbook is fine. A speediest.net on my macbook pro show 50 down and 50 up which is correct. It is just the throughput using Apple Update and iTunes. I haven't tried downloading large files elsewhere but the fact that speediest.net shows the correct download and upload seems to me that it is something on my macbook pro, software, that is corrupt and preventing me from downloading anything from Apple update at more than 10kb per second. It definitely isn't fios.

No, it does not show that. There are still too many variables. The fact that speedtest.net shows full speed indicates it could be a FiOS problem and makes it infinitely unlikely to be a wifi or networking issue on your laptop.

Try changing the DNS server on your laptop to 8.8.8.8. Go to System Preferences > Network > Wifi > Advanced > DNS > enter the number into the left box. It should replace any numbers that were already there.

Then try downloading from Apple again.

I am using the Google DNS servers. Perhaps that's why I had no issues downloading from Apple.

When I get home I am going to try the DNS servers you mentioned and will let you know.

THANK YOU! That worked! How does Verizon not get into trouble with the way they deal with their network! Unbelievable. Thanks again.

No problem! You might want to switch back to Verizon's DNS at some point (just delete the 8.8.8.8 and use the default value) as that's supposed to get you better performance on things like YouTube/Netflix/etc. But this latest problem with Apple downloads is truly bizarre!