Wireless technologies are constantly improving. Yet, many of us still experience slow internet speeds at home. A poor connection and slow speeds can be caused by any number of issues. So, in this article, we’re going to talk about some common problems that cause a slow internet speed and poor connection and discuss ways to get your internet speeds up to par.
The first thing you need to find out is what internet speed you pay for and whether your Wifi connection enables you to take full advantage of those speeds. Take a free, online internet speed test over at speedtest.net. This will tell you your download and upload speed. You can revisit this website throughout this process to see what effects your speeds.
A good process for finding the problem with your internet speed is to start with the most common issues. First, eliminate speed as the factor. Restart your router and bring your laptop or tablet into the room where your router is located. Retake the speedtest to see if you get better results.
Note: speed tests may vary greatly at different times throughout the day. This is because internet providers experience different loads depending on when users are home, at work, asleep, etc.
If you found that the problem is the distance to your router you have a few options. First, you could simply move your router to an area that makes more sense for your usage. A router that is hidden in a basement or tucked away in a closet might not perform as well as one that is located in your home office or living room.
Another option would be to install multiple access points. This option is ideal for bigger houses because it allows you to disperse the access points equally. That means no poor connections in the basements or in the top floor bedrooms.
If location isn’t the issue we’re going to have to rule out other problems. First, you’ll want to make sure your router is a recent model that is able to handle the internet speeds you are paying for. If the router is relatively new, try checking for firmware updates that may be affecting your connectivity.
If all of the above are taken care of, it could be a good idea to change your WiFi password or add one if you don’t currently have one set. This is especially important if you live in a city or have a lot of neighbors close by who might be using your WiFi, be it intentional or not.
A final solution would be to change the frequency and channel of your router. If your neighbors’ routers or an electronic appliance is using the same frequency or channel as your router they could be interfering with one another.
