Charlie Osborne
for Between the Lines
| August 25, 2021 — 12:41 GMT (13:41 BST)
| Topic: Broadband
If you’re suffering slow internet speeds at home, these may be the reasons why — and this is how you can improve your connection.
Check your wiring
Something that may be overlooked but could cause connectivity or speed issues is the wiring linking your router to a switch, phone jack, or PC. If your wires are old, you may want to consider refreshing them and replacing older ADSL/Ethernet wires and see if this solves the issue.
Piggyback?
If you are suffering slow speeds, this may be because someone else is hijacking your internet subscription. Routers usually come with a randomized password set as default and printed on a sticker on your router, but if you have changed your password to something weak, are using an insecure protocol, or have a Wi-Fi hotspot open, this could indicate that others are using your network without your consent.
To lock your connection or change your password, head over to your router’s configuration page in a browser. You will need to check your vendor’s specific router address use — which is usually something comparable to 192.168.0.1 — or perform a Google search with your router type and this should provide the address you need to access router settings and boot out any unwanted users.
Crowded channels
Wi-Fi channels facilitate the sending and receipt of data. When you have too many connections, this may cause a bottleneck that slows down your broadband. Depending on which channels your router uses, you may be able to switch to less congested traffic paths.
There are different Android and iOS apps to analyze your Wi-Fi channels easily and reveal what devices are connected to your network. In order to change channels, you can sign in to your router’s configuration page and select from available options.
A slow VPN
A virtual private network (VPN) is software that adds a layer of encryption to connections made between your device and servers, as well as masks your IP address. Now that many of us are working from home, offices may require you to use a VPN to access corporate resources in the name of security.
Malware and nuisanceware
Another reason your internet may be slow may be nothing to do with your hardware or ISP. If your computer has been infected with malware, such as nuisanceware, it may be that the program is throttling overall performance by taking up memory reserves. Run an antivirus scan just to make sure.
See also:
Best antivirus softwareAntivirus software, explained
Check your background usage
Some mobile apps and PC programs with heavy resource demands or streaming requirements may take up bandwidth that you otherwise need without you realizing it. Shut down any software you don’t need to be active.
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Mesh networking vs. traditional Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office?
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Charlie Osborne
for Between the Lines
| August 25, 2021 — 12:41 GMT (13:41 BST)
| Topic: Broadband