Sometimes, movies play at a slower rate than normal and people experience freezing during video conferences or websites that take ages to load. Among the most frustrating things anyone can come across when they have to spend hours working or playing on the Internet is a slow link. But do not worry; you will have to Fix Slow Wi-Fi all the time. Below are some measures that should be taken in a bid to solve the problem with a home Wi-Fi link. Explaining each of these things is the purpose of this guide.
Before you engage your internet service provider, here are some contributing factors to slow Wi-Fi you can address at your home. In addition to that, your home Wi-Fi wireless link will be faster and steadier.
Why Is My Wi-Fi So Slow?
Getting to the fixes first, let’s know why your Wi-Fi is slow in the first place: Here are some of the most common reasons:
- Distance from the router: Unless you are near your router the signal that you receive will be poor and your internet speeds will be lower.
- Interference from other devices: Interference with your connection can be your neighbor’s connection and your appliances such as your microwave, your cordless phone, and other Wi-Fi networks.
- Outdated equipment: If you have a router today, and there exists in the market a newer version of Wi-Fi standards, then your router might be outdated and cannot cater to those new standards hence you may be limited in the speed you can start achieving.
- Overcrowded network: One annoying thing about having many devices connected to one network is that too many devices can lead to a lot of congestion and slow speeds.
- ISP issues: If you are continuing to experience the problem during peak hours then one can deeply conclude that the issue may actually be with the internet service provider (ISP).
Well that’s it, some potential causes so now let’s check out how it can be solved.
Fixing Slow Wi-Fi at Home
1. Move Your Router to a Central Location
The simplest method of achieving faster Wi-Fi coverage is to put your router in the center of your house. It does this to reduce the signal dead spots throughout your home in the quest of ensuring that the signal reaches every corner of the home. The router ideally should be located in an open area, far from walls, metal objects, and massive appliances that could interfere with the signal.
The best place to have your router is on a shelf, or a high table if possible this assists in signal dissemination. Specifically, avoid placing it in the basement or closet when possible because limiting to Wi-Fi cage severely.
2. Upgrade Your Router
Your router might be a little old and this is as good a time as any to replace it. As we watch our favorite videos in 4K or use multiple devices simultaneously, traditional routers are unable to cope with it, let alone now.
You should look for a router that operates with the latest Wi-Fi standard, the Wi-Fi 6. The Wireless 6 will be more efficient, with even faster rates, and with better performance in areas with a high density of users. If you are still in doubt as to which router suits your home, be able to determine if it is big enough for your house size and effective internet usage.
3. Change Your Wi-Fi Channel
Unfortunately, most Wi-Fi networks use the same channels, making it common for them to get congested and reduce speed. Your router will auto-select a channel, but it doesn’t have to pick the least crowded one.
Then you can manually adjust the WiFi channel to help solve this problem, The Wi-Fi channel is the frequency on which your Wi-Fi operates. Routers have a web interface, for example, for most routers, one can type their URL and get in to change some settings. Some of the tools that you can use in this contained include a WI-Fi analyzer where you can get the best channel in your region. If you have many neighbors who are also using Wi-Fi then it’s recommended that you switch to a different channel.
4. Use a Wired Connection for High-Demand Devices
If these devices require the fastest possible speeds, it’s worth ditching your wireless connection and using a wired Ethernet connection instead. High-demand tasks require wired connections because their speeds are more stable and faster than Wi-Fi connections.
If running cables throughout your home isn’t an option, you can try using Powerline adapters, which communicate your data using a house’s electrical wiring. If you require a fast and secure connection but don’t want to bother with Wi-Fi dead zones, then this can be a good solution.
5. Limit Devices and Bandwidth Usage
If your network is crowded with too many connected devices to your network, it means your connection will lag. Heavy bandwidth usage happens quickly if several people in your household stream, game, or video conference at the same time.
Instead, try to reduce the amount of devices connected at once, and focus your bandwidth on things that are more important. Some routers have Quality of Service (QoS) settings, which allow you to define that some devices or some types of traffic are more important, like video calls or streaming.
6. Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal with Extenders or Mesh Networks
If your network is crowded with too many connected devices to your network, it means your connection will lag. Heavy bandwidth usage happens quickly if several people in your household stream, game, or video conference at the same time.
Instead, try to reduce the amount of devices connected at once, and focus your bandwidth on things that are more important. Some routers have Quality of Service (QoS) settings, which allow you to define that some devices or some types of traffic are more important, like video calls or streaming.
7. Keep Your Router Firmware Updated
One of the router items of information is that manufacturers usually download new firmware for routers that can make your router work much better, fix the bugs, and improve the security of your network connection. Open your router’s firmware and look for an update in the firmware, if there is any, update it immediately.
Normally, routers are capable of updating themselves but now and then it’s wise to check if the current software being used is the most current.
8. Check for Interference
Despite having Wi-Fi in your home, there is the likelihood that your Wi-Fi signal may be jammed by other gadgets within the premises. Wireless baby monitors and Bluetooth devices, microwaves, and short-range cordless phones are known to cause Wi-Fi issues on the same frequency range that their router uses.
To minimize this issue, you should move other devices closer or away from your router or perhaps switch the frequency range of your router. Nearly all contemporary routers have both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz bands. But 5 GHz is faster and less crowded but farther away. However, coverage is better in the 2.4 GHz band because some issues that are associated with interference work in favor of it.
Conclusion
You don’t have to survive a slow Wi-Fi at home. If we understand the causes and solutions above, we can very easily boost our Wi-Fi speed and reliability. Simple, even if you have to move your router, buy your new equipment, or cut down on interference, these fixes can make a big difference.
I know, Wi-Fi problems are common and with a bit of troubleshooting, you will have faster Wifi in a matter of seconds. Get rid of buffering and slow file imports, and watch smooth streaming, play games, and browse without headaches from home.