Slow Wi-Fi connections are agonizing because of how much we rely on the internet for everything from work to leisure. Here are a few typical reasons for Wi-Fi problems and solutions.
Don’t base your speed test on a smartphone (or a laptop connected to Wi-Fi). The speed of your internet connection cannot be accurately tested with a smartphone.
Therefore, run a thorough speed test on your internet connection to rule out any significant problems with your ISP or broadband modem before you blame Wi-Fi for your troubles.
Next, Wi-Fi speeds are sometimes misleading. There are differences between what your Wi-Fi gear claims it can accomplish in terms of advertising and labeling and what it can really perform.
You won’t obtain the claimed speed to your phone or laptop, even with a fiber connection that matches or exceeds the promised speeds of your Wi-Fi router.
Your Wi-Fi issue should not be approached from the perspective of “Am I getting the maximum capacity of my internet connection to every device? Instead of approaching it from the perspective of “Am I receiving expected performance depending on my internet connection and the technology I have?”, which is not how Wi-Fi operates. ” and “Has the quality of my Wi-Fi connection recently declined?”
Even with reduced Wi-Fi technology and a fiber connection, you cannot make a 5Mbps DSL connection quicker, and you cannot go beyond the built-in limitations of the Wi-Fi standard.
To rule out artificial bottlenecks that are causing a poor Wi-Fi experience, run through the list below if the performance is not what you would have expected.
Everyone despises spending money, and replacing serviceable, if underperforming, technology may be unpleasant. However, the truth is that Wi-Fi hardware has improved steadily over time.
You won’t have much fun if you’re still using an outdated router or the subpar Wi-Fi router that came with the router/cable modem combination box your ISP provided you. Furthermore, even while some of the advice provided here may be useful if you still have an outdated Wi-Fi network, nothing can really take the place of biting the bullet and purchasing a new router.
It makes sense to upgrade, especially for people who have otherwise new technology—newer cellphones, a new smart TV, etc. —because using newer gadgets with older hardware is hindering performance.
The only thing worse than having an outdated WiFi router is putting it in a bad spot, so if you have both an outdated and awkwardly situated WiFi router, things are going to go pretty awful for you.
You wouldn’t place your powerful LED work light in a basement corner if you needed brilliant task lighting in your living area.
In the same way, you shouldn’t install the Wi-Fi router in the basement next to the washing machine if you want extremely powerful Wi-Fi where you actually use your Wi-Fi devices—like in your living room and bedroom.
Changing your Wi-Fi router is a simple solution. Place it away from these Wi-Fi obstructing items and at a location where the signal is most essential to your everyday activities.
One of the most significant benefits of updated Wi-Fi technology is an increase in power and the number of devices that the Wi-Fi router can support, in addition to the enhanced speeds that come with each new Wi-Fi generation.
Even if you’re not looking for performance benchmarks to show off your new 2Gbps fiber line, a faster Wi-Fi router will benefit you if you have a slew of gadgets in your house.
We want to clarify that you should be concerned with the number of devices rather than the amount number of users. Even when not in use, gadgets have a relatively significant bandwidth overhead and create unexpected demands on your network.
Cloud-based security cameras, as well as a number of other smart home gadgets, consume a lot of data—you’d be shocked how many bandwidth vampires lurk about your house. People worry about exceeding their data quota when they consume a lot of bandwidth, yet all of those devices are generally utilizing Wi-Fi as well.
When you add up all of the PCs, tablets, smartphones, consoles, streaming devices, smart TVs, smart home accessories, and other gadgets present in a modern home, the list rapidly approaches or exceeds the capacity of older routers.
While we’re on the subject of having too many devices on your Wi-Fi network, we’d like to suggest that you consider removing devices from your Wi-Fi network. No, we don’t mean disconnecting your Xbox or smart TV from the internet—we mean switching all devices you can to Ethernet to free up airspace for your remaining Wi-Fi gadgets.
If you’re not a networking nerd, this one is easy to ignore. While the Wi-Fi router and the Wi-Fi capabilities of endpoint devices such as your smartphone or smart TV are important pieces of the Wi-Fi performance jigsaw, you shouldn’t overlook the basic physical components that connect your network.
If you have old Cat5 cables or an old 10/100 network switch mixed in with your network hardware, you are unintentionally slowing down your network speeds.
If you have a slower connection than 100Mbps, you may not notice the old switch interfering with your performance, but if you have faster broadband, the outdated wires and gear will restrict your maximum possible speed.
To prevent this, ensure that the physical network connections connecting different components in your network be at least Cat5E, preferably Cat6. Also, if you use network switches, update them from 10/100 to gigabit switches. These days, unmanaged gigabit switches and Cat6 patch cables are dirt low-cost.
Wi-Fi connection is slow when numerous Wi-Fi devices in the same air space use the same frequency or channel.
If your neighbor’s Wi-Fi router is set up similarly to yours, and you live near enough that your router broadcasts into their living area and vice versa, it can have a detrimental impact on your network.
It seems more like a problem for devices operating on the 2.4GHz band than on the 5GHz band, but you should be aware of it regardless of whether you live in an apartment or a heavily populated area. You must first determine which channels are the most crowded and then consult the manual for your specific router to switch to less congested channels.
If you’ve faced Wi-Fi difficulties like sluggish speeds or poor coverage, you’ve probably considered installing a Wi-Fi extender and may even have one in your house right now.
Although they have omnipresence, Wi-Fi extenders have a negative sales reputation when it comes to real network performance.
While they may undoubtedly increase your network’s reach when correctly implemented, they can also cause network congestion, delay, and lower speeds.
Unplug your Wi-Fi extender briefly to rule it out as a source of Wi-Fi network issues. Check your overall network performance using devices connected directly to the main Wi-Fi router when the extender is turned off. If performance improves dramatically, it is probable that two problems are at work, potentially concurrently.
To begin, your Wi-Fi extender may be improperly set up or installed; utilize these tips and techniques to improve performance. Second, even with the aid of the extension, the more coverage offered by the extender and all the new devices you join to the network as a result of that extended coverage may be too much for your primary router to manage.
In such situations, it’s probably best to ditch the router and extender setup and replace it with a more resilient mesh network. Updating to a mesh network is akin to upgrading your router while also connecting it to supercharged Wi-Fi extenders.
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