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[zok2000]

I've tried searching for a solution to my issue, but everything I have tried doesn't seem to work. So any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

I have a DIR-655 box and 3 computers (and 1 iPhone) connecting wirelessly. Here's what the wireless status page gives me right now:

1) HP dv2000 with Atheros 802.11g - Always connects at 54 Mbps
-> Always at 100% signal strength.
2) D-Link DWA-140 802.11n USB Adapter on Desktop PC - Always connects at 300 Mbps (or 130 Mbps in 20 MHz width mode)
-> Always at 100% signal strength.
3) Apple iPhone with unknown wireless chip - Always connects at 54 Mbps
- Stays within 80-90% signal strength.
4) Apple MacBook Pro (2.33 GHz 2nd Gen) 802.11n (Atheros AR5008 802.11n chipset - same as the DWA-645 Rangebooster N, whose Windows driver is compatible with the MBP when running Windows) - Varies between 11 Mbps and 117 Mbps.
-> Always at 100% signal strength.

I have it running without WPA or WPA2 - I am using MAC filtering and I have turned the "good neighbor" setting off.  As I understand, the theoretical max (on 20 MHz) is 130 Mbps. I shouldn't be getting 802.11b speeds at 100% signal strength and 15 feet away. The MacBook Pro is running OS X Leopard 10.5.1 on a clean full-install a week ago and the wireless status page on the DIR-655 lists the connection at 802.11ng. I am currently running the DIR-655 1.10 firmware and I have tried 1.05, 1.04, and 1.03 and found all to be slower "feeling" than 1.10 on all the computers, although 1.04 is better than the other two. Firmware 1.10 improved my connection strengths from about 90% to 100% of most of the computers, which is nice.

This is my current configuration which has afforded me the best connection rate stability:

Wireless Network Configuration:
802.11 Mode: Mixed 802.11n and 802.11g (Not all of my devices are N)
Auto Channel Scan: Disabled
Wireless Channel: 9 (It had the most room between other channels used around me - use a utility like KisMAC to scan around your area)
Transmission Rate: Best (Automatic) - I tried setting MCS 15, but the disconnects and slow transfer speeds came back in a fierce way.
Channel Width: 20 MHz - There is speculation that the Auto 20/40 MHz causes the DIR-655 to jump between 20 and 40 MHz erratically in areas with other wireless networks around. This will, however, limit your 802.11n speeds to 130 Mbps. The 40 MHz width is required for 300 Mbps operation.
Security Mode: None - I am using MAC Address filtering (increases transmission speed, decreases probability of issues, and is makes connecting to the network easy - few people know how to, let alone put forth the effort to, spoof MAC addresses)

Advanced Wireless:
Extra Wireless Protection: Disabled

[rydude]

You've got 2 devices that are running on G mode and your mode is 802.11NG mixed.

Just a thought, but the more G computers you connect to your network, the better the chances are that you will affect the overall speed of the network.

Do all of these devices connect at the same time?  Why not take the G compatible computers out of the equation, connect only the N computers and see where that gets you.

[zok2000]

Yeah, I tried that as well.  When just the two N devices are connected I get the same behavior.  The USB device connects at max (130 or 300) and the MacBook Pro will always fluctuate between 11 and 117 (it rarely gets the full 130).

[rydude]

Assuming the macbook pro is running on the same atheros chipset:

Have you tried maybe looking into a specific atheros compatible driver for your macbook? 

Also, have you tried taking the G out of the equation and just using N only on the router with the 2 N compatible computers?

I've found that atheros specific drivers give better performance.

[zok2000]

I tried to say that in my previous post - taking G out of the question still left me with the issue.  However, I can't simply "install" a new set of drivers for my wireless card on OS X - it doesn't work like that.  I also do not have Windows installed natively.  I run it under a virtual machine when I need to use the occasional Windows application - rebooting to get into Windows is a pain in the ass.

So, no one has a solution for this?

[heckeljohn]

My Macbook c2d is very sensitive to placement in any given room.   While the Leopard network utility application always says I am connected to the Dir-655 at 130mbs, the status page on the 655 web interface will say anything from 11mbs-130mbs as I refresh the page.  I adjusted the 3 antennas and it seemed to fix the problem...   The mac's airport antennas on the wireless chipset are supposedly very close together, and are apparently very sensitive to the geometry of the signals from each of the dir-655 antennas. 
Even though you get a 100% signal, you might not have the necessary additional multipath stream(s) to the router to get the full 130mbs.  I believe the airport extreme on current macbooks supports three simultaneous streams in N 2.4ghz mode for a maximum of 130mbs and 3 streams in N 5.8ghz mode for a maximum of 300mbs. 
After experimenting extensively with the position of the antennas and the placement of the router in the room, I consistently stay above 100mbs on my macbook, but even that fluctuates based on the angle that the macbook faces while it is sitting on my lap.

Hope this helps, although my theory is more voodoo than it is scientific ...

[Dynaxfl]

I have had a lot of problems with DIR-655 router from my MBP... I downgraded the firmware to 1.02 and it fixes everything, at least there is no more drop connections.  I'm wondering if my MBP is supporting N Draft 2.0....

[spock]

I have had the same issue also seen mac filtering drop devices out of the filter.
I have tried 1.4,1.5 and 1.10 N mode only WPA as described by the sticky nothing best i get is 130 and evey once in while I loose connect then look at the network filter and see it drop the mac out of the filter.

So two issues with this router compared with my dgl-4300.

1. Firmware sometime corrupts or drops mac address from the filtering.
2. DIR-655 does not have  interoperability with MacOsX  in N. (100% signal I get 130 seen from mac and the router perspective).

Starting to look at other vender's products now, I may need to replace this thing if I can't get N working correctly.

[rydude]

It sounds to me like the Macbook Pro doesn't have the option to change channel width to 20/40mhz which would limit it to 130mbps.

A new driver may fix that, but that's up to Apple.

[Lycan]

If the router is locked to the 20Width, does the erratic behavior stop?

[mfronk]

A quick question:
Do you have a Windows partition on the MBP?
If you do, does Windows experience the same problems as OSX 10.5?