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Substantially Decreased Uplink Performance

I installed the MacOS Profile for NextDNS and these are these some of the results I obtained. Prior to installation, I was achieving close to 300 Mbps in both directions. Is there some setting(s) that I need to adjust to regain my prior performance on an M2 MacBook Pro running MacOS X 26.2? The Uplink has decreased so much.

 

==== SUMMARY ==== (Installed WiFi)

Uplink capacity: 26.623 Mbps

Downlink capacity: 272.538 Mbps

Responsiveness: Low (461.625 milliseconds | 129 RPM)

Idle Latency: 164.002 milliseconds | 365 RPM

 

==== SUMMARY ==== (Uninstalled WiFi)

Uplink capacity: 28.882 Mbps

Downlink capacity: 269.103 Mbps

Responsiveness: Medium (139.267 milliseconds | 430 RPM)

Idle Latency: 71.754 milliseconds | 836 RPM

 

==== SUMMARY ==== (Uninstalled Ethernet)

Uplink capacity: 135.170 Mbps

Downlink capacity: 282.867 Mbps

Responsiveness: Medium (111.284 milliseconds | 539 RPM)

Idle Latency: 18.101 milliseconds | 3314 RPM

 

==== SUMMARY ==== (Uninstalled WiFi (3 feet from router))

Uplink capacity: 115.142 Mbps

Downlink capacity: 280.815 Mbps

Responsiveness: Medium (88.224 milliseconds | 680 RPM)

Idle Latency: 21.227 milliseconds | 2826 RPM

 

Any insights would be appreciated.

6 replies

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    • R_P_M
    • 2 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    A configuration profile should have no impact on speeds. I think something else is at fault for this behaviour. 

      • Steve.30
      • 2 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Thanks. Any thoughts on what I might look for to run down this issue?

      • R_P_M
      • 2 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Hmm... Not sure at the moment. I would need to know more about how the tests are being carried out. Things like is it online to some test server at another location or some local data being transferred.

      • Steve.30
      • 2 mths ago
      • Reported - view

        What information can I provide to help diagnose this better?

      • R_P_M
      • 2 mths ago
      • Reported - view

       Well, from your other comment you seem to have already done enough to find the cause. Most consumer routers would see this kind of thing when both download & upload is saturated. The majority of online speed tests, test them separately.

    • Steve.30
    • 2 mths ago
    • Reported - view

    I believe I’ve found an explanation for the deceased in Uplink capacity. It’s the “networkQuality -p” vs. “networkQuality -s” tests. It seems unrelated to NextDNS; it was the networkQuality command that helped me diagnose my concerns. Hopefully, this information will be helpful to someone else in the future, like me, who isn’t a networking expert.

    AI explained: If your Uplink (Upload) speed is significantly lower during the parallel (-p) test, it points to one of two things:

    • Asymmetric Bandwidth: Most residential internet (like Cable or 5G) has much less upload than download. If your download is saturating the "pipe," there is very little room left for the upload to send its acknowledgment packets, causing the upload speed to crater.

    • Bufferbloat: This is the most common reason for your specific situation. When your Mac tries to download and upload at the same time, the "buffers" in your router or the residual NextDNS filters get full. This creates a traffic jam where upload packets are forced to wait, resulting in a much lower "Uplink capacity" score.

    3. Which one should you trust?

    • Trust -s (Sequential) to verify that your ISP is giving you the speed you pay for and that the NextDNS "bottleneck" is truly gone.

    • Trust the Default (Parallel) to understand why your Zoom calls or Gaming sessions lag when someone else in the house is watching Netflix. If the parallel Uplink is very low (e.g., 5 Mbps vs 50 Mbps sequential), your network has a "Responsiveness" issue.

    I better understand the results now.

     

    ==== SUMMARY ==== (Terminal command "networkQuality -s" via WiFi)

    Uplink capacity: 227.121 Mbps

    Downlink capacity: 281.942 Mbps

    Uplink Responsiveness: Medium (184.209 milliseconds | 325 RPM)

    Downlink Responsiveness: Medium (135.147 milliseconds | 443 RPM)

    Idle Latency: 18.632 milliseconds | 3220 RPM

     

    I’ll now attempt to reinstall the Profile and see if it delivers the benefits I had hoped for before embarking on this journey of learning and discovery.

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