Since the beginning of the pandemic, the internet has been a real lifeline for all of us, keeping us connected to each other, our workplaces, friends, and families. If there’s something we learned during the pandemic, it is how to master live video streams, either work-related or family fun time. Even if people are now used to working remotely, many of them are still facing serious technological challenges, including slow internet speeds. So how can you maximize every bit of internet you have? Here are ten ways to improve your internet speed, whether you work from home or the office.
- Choose a Better Internet Provider
If you haven’t already installed a broadband connection, it’s worth exploring your options. Competition between providers is fierce and will only increase with the adoption of 5G. The speed you can get varies by region, but many US cities have gigabit connections now. An affordable provider that exceeds 100 Mbps is not a rarity anymore.
- Test Your Speed Regularly
One of the first steps to a better Wi-Fi connection is to make sure your internet speed is close to the Internet Service Provider’s (ISP’s) advertised speed. Run online Internet Speed Test tools. For the highest results, use a computer connected to your router via a wired connection. When testing over Wi-Fi, test next to the router with no walls or objects in between. After testing, you can then determine if the speed you’re achieving meets your needs.
- Determine if You Are Suffering From Network Congestion
ISPs can intentionally slow down high-bandwidth traffic, such as Netflix or YouTube if their system notices that certain activities are taking up a lot of bandwidth. Congestion can also occur if traffic grows faster than a provider’s ability to scale. The only way a user can overcome congestion is not to rely on a single provider. Also, a VPN tool can help you move through throttling, making it harder for ISPs to detect what you’re doing.
- Make Sure Your Devices Are Connected to the Right Networks
I know this might sound like an obvious consideration, but it’s something that is often ignored. If you have more than one network within range, you should quickly check that each device is set to the correct network. You may have a public Wi-Fi network nearby, or you may be connected to a slower network.
- Reset Your Connection to Avoid “Sticky Wi-Fi”
Once a device connects to a Wi-Fi network, it will stick to it, even if the connection is slow or non-functional. As speed drops and latency increases dramatically, you’ll probably encounter problems with file transfers, downloads, video calls, etc. One solution is simply to reset your connection.
- Upgrade to a Newer, Better Router
If you are using your ISP’s default router or a router that contains older standards such as IEEE 802.11n, b, g, etc., maybe it’s time for a change. Upgrading to a router with IEEE 802.11ac can improve both the speed and range of your Wi-Fi connection.
- Find an Open Channel
In addition to having different frequencies, routers have different channels they can operate on. Just like using a faster frequency, you’ll see an improvement in performance if you use a less congested channel. To analyze whether your router’s channel happens to be congested or not, you can use a network analysis tool like InSSIDer or Wi-Fi Explorer to search for networks in your local area. It will show you a graph of where networks fall along the 11 main wireless channels of the 2.4GHz band or 45 on the 5GHz band. Once you’ve found a channel that looks open, go to your router settings to change it. It may require a manual setting, but you’ll be glad you did.
- Add Wi-Fi Repeaters in Larger Spaces or Use Wi-Fi Mesh
If you work from home and live in a big house, there are probably many obstructions between your router and your device. A Wi-Fi extender, booster, or repeater can give you extra speed when you’re away from your router. The same solution works like a charm in a large office space. Check out our guide here on how to choose between a mesh network and Wi-Fi range extenders.
- Use Software That Prioritizes More Important Data Streams
Newer routers and VPN services have features that automatically prioritize certain applications over others. A good Quality of Service (QoS) feature should understand the most important applications to you while allowing you to prioritize real-time traffic, such as video calls, streaming, VoIP, etc., over less important traffic, such as application updates.
This means you can keep your Zoom call or gaming session running smoothly while other apps are deprioritized and put into slow mode, waiting for your important stream to complete.
- Adopt a Powerline Ethernet
Why rely on wireless alone? Speed will suffer if you stretch a wireless signal from one end of the house to the other. Powerline Ethernet means network data travels between computers on your home’s electrical circuit, offering faster speeds. Powerline Ethernet complements, rather than replaces, your wireless network.
Modern Powerline Ethernet adapters offer speeds of nearly 1Gbit/sec (500 Mbit/sec each way).
Many things can go wrong when it comes to Wi-Fi—from provider issues to router problems to not optimizing your connections, but if you follow these tips, you’ll have the best internet connection possible.
