How to Boost Your Internet Speed when EVERYONE is Online
Here are a few tricks to optimize your bandwidth when you, your spouse, your kids, and your neighbors are ALL using the web.
We're all staying at home. Work and school happen here. We're streaming movies, jumping on TikTok, going to school and having meetings, all online. It's a reality that we have to live with. This has placed greater demand on our network infrastructure, reducing the bandwidth available for each user, and is leaving people frustrated with slow internet speeds.
While internet service providers may not be able to instantly respond to these changes, there are a few tricks you can use to boost your home internet’s speed.
Why is the Internet soooooo slow?
There may be many reasons why your internet speed is slow. Internet use requires a reliable connection between your device and the destination, which may be a server that is physically located on the other side of the world.
Your connection to that server could pass through hundreds of devices on its journey. Each one of these is a potential failure, or weak point. If one point along this path isn’t functioning optimally, this can significantly affect your internet speed.
While you may not have control over these things from your home network, that doesn’t mean you don’t have options to improve your internet speed.
What can we do?
There are things you can try to improve your wifi signal. If your router supports 5GHz wifi signals, switching to this can provide a faster data rate, but over shorter distances. Reposition your router for best coverage (usually a central position in your house).
The difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi signals is they have different data transmission speeds. 5GHz can transfer data faster, 2.4GHz provides a wider range. If you want speed, go for 5GHz. For better coverage, choose 2.4GHz.
Some domestic appliances can cause interference with your router. It’s worth checking if using your microwave oven, cordless phone or baby monitor affects your connection. My wife turns on the microwave and my connection to MLS is paused. Crazy, but it's using the same frequency as my router.
Make sure you regularly check for updates on your operating software and use antivirus software. It’s also worth rebooting your router to clear specific malware. They could be hanging out in there and you would never know it.
Plan your online activities around peak times. Instead of streaming, download movies or shows and watch them while disconnected. Download this content or other large files overnight, or outside of peak/business hours, when there is less traffic.
It’s important to remember that when using the internet, we’re sharing a limited resource. Just like buying flour or toilet paper, there are many who need it just as much as you, so use it wisely.