You’re here because your Wi-Fi sucks and you’re fed up. YouTube videos buffer, Mobile Suit Gundam kicks you from the lobby and uploading photos to Instagram takes forever. But what can you do about it?
There’s actually a lot and bad Wi-Fi isn’t forever; you just need to know where to look to fix the problem. As you already know, troubleshooting is essential to fixing your Wi-Fi problems. It’s often a lengthy process with your internet provider’s technical support team, but there are some things you can do from home first. In most cases it’s something silly that’s causing the problem. No matter your provider, whether you have Verizon, EarthLink, AT&T, or Frontier, here are five reasons why your Wi-Fi sucks and how you can fix it.
Your Wi-Fi Network Isn’t Password Protected
If your Wi-Fi network doesn’t have a password, we highly recommend creating one as soon as possible! Leaving your network without a password allows anyone within range of your network to hop on and more users mean less bandwidth for you. You don’t want strangers mooching off your internet right? So kick them off! Adding a password also keeps your devices and personal information more secure from random Wi-Fi thieves.
You Have Outdated Equipment
One thing that will surely stifle your internet speeds is an outdated router. We tend to forget about them even though they’re hard at work to keep us online twenty four hours a day/7 days a week. But if your router is more than two years old, it’s time for a new one. As technology progresses in time, so does the technology in our routers. With newer routers you’ll get better internet speeds, wider coverage and the latest security options. If you’re overdue for a new router, pinching your pennies too tight isn’t the way to go. You’ll want a more current router technology like ac or ax. It will provide a better experience and last longer than any previous generation router technology. Consider it money well invested.
You’re Slightly Out Of Your Network’s Range
Do you suspect that your Wi-Fi network is too small for the size of your house? If so and you’re using your devices close to the edge of its range, it could be slowing down your internet speeds.
Fortunately tere are a few things you can do to fix it. The easiest fix is moving your router to a more centralized location in your home. Avoid placing known signal blockers like on the floor, in a closet, next to the microwave or close by major appliances. If you still have coverage issues, a mesh system might work best for your home.
You’re Paying For The Cheapest Internet Plan
Is your Wi-Fi unbearably slow all the time with no relief? If your internet speeds are continuously at a crawl, it could be the internet plan you subscribe to. Call your internet provider and see what your options are. Most internet providers have more than one internet plan to choose from and if your monthly bill seems lower than average, you could be paying for the cheapest internet plan they have to offer. While the cheapest internet plans work for casual internet users, they usually don’t work for the average household.
Someone Connected To Your Wi-Fi Is A Bandwidth Hog
Does it feel like your bandwidth is being stressed to the limit when everyone is at home and online? If you have a family member who is an avid online gamer or a movie fanatic, they may be a bandwidth hog! A bandwidth hog is an internet power user whose activities slow down your internet connection to the point that it’s become practically unusable for everyone else in the household.
It’s easy to identify which devices are using up the majority of your bandwidth. Most router apps come with bandwidth usage monitoring. Simply download your router’s app and check within its advanced dashboard settings. It’ll allow you to see how much data is uploaded and downloaded through your router at that moment, right down to the individual device. You should see right away who the bandwidth hog is and luckily you have solutions that don’t result in difficult conversations or conflicts with your loved ones to restore your internet for everyone.
Within your advanced router settings look for a setting called ‘prioritization’ or ‘quality of service.’ From there you will be able to set rules that give priority to specific devices or activities. These rules will only be activated when someone on the network uses up so much bandwidth that it doesn’t leave much for everyone else. As for the bandwidth hog, they won’t know that their activities have been deprioritized. However they may notice a temporary slowdown in internet speeds from time to time. No one will be cut completely off from the internet with quality of service rules set up.