The days of 512 Kbps and 1 Mbps internet connections are long gone. Most homes today use connections faster than 5 Mbps, with some even going up to 100Mbps and more! However, even after paying for faster connections, our smartphones or Smart TVs sometimes take time to buffer Netflix and YouTube content. Sometimes, the connection can be so slow that it won’t even load Instagram feeds. Many of us call our ISP to solve these issues, but they are rarely of much help.
We understand a slow internet connection can be annoying. After all, you should be getting what are you paying for, right? In this feature, we will try to find out the possible causes and how you can fix it.
Identifying the real culprit – ISP or router?
If you are facing frequent connection slowdown, it might be a problem with your ISP or your Wi-Fi router. You can identify the culprit by testing your internet connection using apps such as Speedtest by Ookla or Fast by Netflix on your mobile, tablet or laptop. We recommend running these tests on a PC or a laptop, connected to your router using a LAN cable too. Compare the results with your opted internet plan. If the speeds are lower than your internet plan, ask your ISP to rectify the issue.
If your internet connection is faster over the LAN than over Wi-Fi, your router could be the problem. Here are some fixes to solve your problem.
Keeping the Wi-Fi router at the right spot
Most of us place our routers in the corner of our room to avoid wire management. Corners are not the best place as they obstruct the router’s signal.
Ideally, a Wi-Fi router should be placed in the centre of your home, so signals can travel throughout your house. Wi-Fi routers have a hard time penetrating signals through thick or tiled walls so placing them away from them should significantly improve the signal strength. Also, consider keeping routers away from electronic devices, metal objects and kitchen appliances to widen your Wi-Fi router’s coverage.
While you are placing your Wi-Fi router at the centre of your home, you can also use free apps such as Wi-Fi Signal Strength Meter or Wi-Fi Analyser to gauge your Wi-Fi signal strength. You can check the signal levels in different rooms and place your router accordingly for the best wireless network coverage.
Setting up the right Wi-Fi channel
You have a well-placed Wi-Fi router and a faster internet connection, but are you still facing connection slowdowns? Then, you might need to check your router’s configuration. When your ISP installs a Wi-Fi router at your home, they only configure the basic settings. We overlook the Wi-Fi channel setting which could be the fix to your router’s sluggish wireless speeds.
Wireless networks exchange data over Wi-Fi channels. If your wireless router is running on a crowded Wi-Fi channel or is left on the default setting (Auto-mode), it can affect wireless network speeds. A 2.4 GHz router (commonly found in most homes) consists of 12 Wi-Fi channels. These channels overlap each other causing interference on your network which affects your router’s performance. However, a few channels such as 1, 6 and 12 don’t overlap each other and selecting them manually can improve your Wi-Fi router’s performance.
To manually select the Wi-Fi channel, log on to your router settings page by entering its IP (printed at the back of your router) on the browser. Login using the correct credentials and then enter the Advanced Wi-Fi setting. Look for the Wi-Fi channel option and manually select 1, 6 or 11, which should improve your router’s performance. Set these channels, run multiple internet speed tests and set the channel which offers the best speeds.
Most newer routers use the 5 GHz band, that has more than 50 channels which means, lesser interference. These routers are affordable too, and are widely compatible with all the latest devices.
Setting up QoS – Quality of service
Sometimes, even a neatly placed, well configured router can experience connection slowdowns. It could be caused when you have too many devices connected on a network. That’s where the QoS feature helps. You can prioritise the network traffic, manually allocate devices internet speeds and even limit their downloads. This means, you can prioritise your Laptop, PC or Smart TV to have faster internet speed than other devices.
To use the QoS feature, log on to your router settings page by entering its IP address on the browser. Login using the correct credentials and look for the ‘More tools’ or ‘Advanced tools option’. Some router models may have different ways to access the QoS feature, so check your router’s user manual for specific instructions.
Once you find the QoS option, select devices you want to prioritise. Some newer routers models also have a smart distribution feature, which measures your internet speed and automatically allocates bandwidth to devices.
Making these tweaks should significantly improve your Wi-Fi performance. However, if you keep facing frequent connection slowdowns, you might need to upgrade your router from an old 802.11n series router to a newer 802.11ac (also called WiFi 5) router. The latest smartphones, Smart TVs and laptops come with support for the newer 802.11ac routers. In fact, 802.11ac routers are at least 3 times faster than most older 802.11n routers. They are also more reliable and futureproof as they receive frequent security updates.
Fastest internet speeds will always remain by your side if you have the latest Wi-Fi router and if you are looking for one, head on to www.reliancedigital.in or visit your nearest Reliance Digital store. Also, do let us know whether our article helped and feel free to share your recommendation on our official Twitter handle.
