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Today, our lives and the internet are intertwined in such a way that fast and reliable connection has become a necessity rather than a mere luxury. With so many different devices and services using the internet, we need our connection to work at its best. After all, if the internet is not doing the singular job of providing us with our desired speeds, is there any other purpose it serves?
At times, you may feel like your internet isn’t working to the best of its abilities. It is either too slow, signals might be inconsistent, or something might come in the way. Regardless, underperforming internet can be dreadful and frustrating, to say the least. There are many reasons why the internet doesn’t work well but luckily, this article will try to find a way for you to solve these issues.
Before we move on to discuss ways to boost your home internet speed, it would be wise to check your internet speed online. You must make sure you are getting the speed you are paying for, and also if the speed you are subscribed to is enough for your needs.
The best way to check internet speed and determine if you're making the most of your internet subscription is by using an internet speed test. All you need for the purpose is an internet speed test tool. The results displayed will tell you about your download and upload speeds as well as latency or ping time.
Remember that speed tests won't do anything to change the speed of your internet connection, but they are a great way to check how the performance of your home network in various spots around your home. You can even opt for a provider-specific speed test tool for effective results. For example, if you’re an Optimum internet subscriber, take the Optimum Speed test to see how your connection stacks up.
Let’s finally discuss useful tips and tricks to improve internet speed of your home network. These tips are a combination of short-term and long-term solutions, each of which can enhance the performance of your home network connection.
As long as we can remember, any time an electronic item stops working, our first instinct is to turn it off and on. When it comes to your internet, there are two parts: the modem and the router. The modem is how the internet comes into your home, and the router is what spreads the signals across your home. Sometimes, this is a single device called a gateway.
Turn off your modem and leave it that way for 30 seconds. This will clear out any glitches that it may have in it, solving your problems. For your router, follow the same steps. Turn it off, leave it for 30 seconds, turn off the Wi-Fi on all connected devices, and wait. After 30 seconds, turn it back on and it should be in working condition.
It is often recommended to do this every month or two, even if your internet is working fine. Think of it as cleaning your drains every few weeks to prevent any clogs from building up.
It is common for Wi-Fi signals to weaken as you go further away from the router. Internet signals can be obstructed when they have to pass through walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, and other household appliances. Gadgets such as Bluetooth speakers can also make it difficult for Wi-Fi signals to travel through the air and to your device.
To counter this issue, you can either place the router at an elevation where the signals have a minimal intrusion. One of the best approaches is to place the router as centrally in your home as possible. This puts the router closer to all devices around the house. When doing so, ensure that your router isn’t kept in the basement or somewhere in a closet because it will be obstructed right from the get-go and you will presumably not get a worthwhile signal at all.
Assuming your Wi-Fi router comes with external antennas, make an effort to reconfigure them. This is akin to antennas on old TVs that needed to be adjusted for a better signal. Traditionally, internet router antennas are largely omnidirectional i.e. the signal is sent perpendicular to the antenna. The signal will propel upwards or down if the antennas are configured horizontally. If the antennas are configured vertically, the signal will propel sideways.
For larger rooms, your routers should be configured vertically for sideways signal deployment. If you are doing this in your home and there are multiple floors i.e. basement, first, and second, then configure the antennas horizontally for better signals.
Think of this as using a speaker so more people can hear you sing. For you to extend your Wi-Fi network, there are a few ways to go about this.
First, you can use Wi-Fi boosters or extenders. These devices redistribute Wi-Fi signals to extend coverage in the dead zones of your home. A Wi-Fi booster will wirelessly connect with your router and the signal will be sent to it and subsequently amplified to an area where the router wasn’t reaching before.
Second, wired access points. Similar to Wi-Fi boosters, a wired access point is plugged into a power outlet and creates a wireless LAN. This will get your signals to where they need to be i.e. dead zones or any other areas where you get weak signals.
Third, mesh Wi-Fi. As the name suggests, a mesh Wi-Fi network uses multiple devices to create an expanded network that spreads around your network. You can have your mesh Wi-Fi devices in different corners of your home and they will combine to create a Wi-Fi blanket that will envelop your home. While this is the most effective of the bunch, it also costs the most. As you add more devices to the mesh, the price goes up. Ideally, this is for larger spaces with multiple unavoidable obstructions, such as in an office.
Wireless routers use one of two frequency bands, 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Depending on which band you are on, the strength and speed of your connection will act accordingly.
A 2.4 GHz band is great if you want to have your signal spread across a larger space. However, this same frequency band is also used by other wireless signals—resulting in overcrowded signals. Hence, speeds may be slower. 2.4 GHz is optimal when being used with smart home technology such as lights, speakers, sockets, and appliances. If you prefer range, this is the pick for you.
A 5 GHz frequency band is often used when speed is a priority. When using this band, you find that there is less intrusion from other devices such as routers or other wireless devices. Using a 5 GHz band is better suited when your usage is in an area with several devices working at the same time. If you have an office, 5 GHz is the way to go. If you need speed nearby, this is the way to go.
However, it is important to note that most modern routers use both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These routers are known as dual-band routers and they are a two-in-one delight for anyone using them. You can get range and speed at the same time.
The internet is no longer a luxury, it is a need of the times. There are thousands of different ways it can be used, which demands it to perform to the best of its abilities at all times. If you suffer from slow, laggy, or irregular internet, follow the steps in this article and your problem should be solved. However, if there is damage to cables or some other technical issue at your provider’s end, get in touch with your ISP and let the professionals do the job.