[DigitalEl]

My setup:

Ethernet from cable modem to wireless Linksys .11g router/hub...
Ethernet from router/hub to iMac running 10.3.5...
An Airport Extreme card-equipped 12" PowerBook accesses the network via wi-fi.

Surfing the web is sufficiently quick on the PowerBook, but sharing files between the 'Book and the iMac just sucks. I dragged my Music folder from one to the other and the OS said it would take 42 minutes to finish (only 6.2 GB), had I let the process continue. It takes about 10 minutes via Firewire. I even set the PowerBook right next to the router/hub, b/c distance affects signal. I do have 4 bars on the Menubar Airport meter, BTW, and there's no problem with printer sharing.

Shouldn't file sharing be lightning-quick, b/c the router/hub and the Airport Extreme card are on the 802.11g standard?

What's wrong with my setup?

[larkost]

This sounds about right...

802.11g is theoretically 56Mb (mega bits... not bytes) a second. So this is 56Mb/s divided by 8bits/byte... so (theoretically) 7MB/s.

6.2GB in 42 Minutes is (6.2GB * 1024MB/GB) / (42 minutes * 60 seconds/minute) = 2.52 MB/s.

Since you rarely approach maximum theoretical speed (50% is doing great) on thoruoput, and there is a bit of extra data to take care of traffic and housekeeping, about 35% of theoretical speed is very reasonable.

[DigitalEl]

Disappointing, but understandable as you've explained. Thank you.