What Could Be Slowing Your Internet Connection?

If you're struggling with a slow internet connection at home, don't jump straight to upgrading. There are a few cheaper things to try first.

12:40 14 July 2020

Slow internet is a drag. It's frustrating and can also be a major obstacle to productivity, especially with so many of us working from home now thanks to the outbreak of COVID-19. Suddenly, many of us are doing far more than streaming some TV shows in the evening and checking out Instagram likes when we wake up in the morning.

 

Now, people are working, holding virtual meetings, taking classes, streaming TV or movies, and more – all at the same time on one internet connection. It could mean that you need to upgrade, but you could also try out these steps first before you pay for anything new.

 

1. Move Your Router

 

Where your router sits in your home will impact the signal strength in each room. In the home, people tend to set their routers up in places that are out of the way so that they don't have to look at them. This is not the best idea because your strongest signal is then going to be in an out of the way part of your home, like the basement or the attic.

 

Instead, try placing your router in a central location. It might not look so pretty, but you will get much better signal strength all over your home. You could also think logically about where there are the most devices being used and set your router up closer to that area of the house.

 

2. Plug A Few Things In

 

It's great to be wireless because you can move around. If you don't feel like sitting in your room, you can go work at the dining room table or on the couch in the living room or even outside. However, the wireless network in your house can get clogged up with too many devices trying to connect to it all the time, and this makes the connection a lot slower.

 

If you have devices like a smart TV or a desktop computer, plug those into the router. It takes a bit of work to get the wires through your home but is worth it to free up some of your wireless bandwidth. You can also try fitting connecting wires throughout your home. This way, anyone in need of a stable, secure connection for a period of time can just plug their computer into the router for the time they need. Once they're done, they can go back to being wireless if they want.

 

3. Go Mobile

 

When you know you have a big meeting or someone in the house is on an important deadline, switch to your mobile data. You can either put just the person with the greatest need onto mobile or switch everyone else to mobile – this will depend on your plan and how much data the person most in need will require.

 

This is a temporary fix, but it is very effective in a time of need, especially if you don’t want to mis out on your favourite Australian sports betting or TV series. Another temporary solution is to disconnect any devices that don't need to be online during the day in order to reduce the load on your internet connection.