We can all agree that slow Wi-Fi is the worst. But what are you doing that has contributed to your slow speeds? If you’re constantly battling with your internet to do what you love online, then it’s time that something changed. Here are five ways you’ve slowed down your Wi-Fi and how you can fix slow wifi. All these fixes are relatively low effort and don’t require a technical expert to do so let’s get started!
1. You Stuffed Your Router In The Corner
We know routers won’t win any home decor or interior design awards, but stuffing it in the corner of one room is one of the worst things you can do to your Wi-Fi coverage and signal strength. By stuffing it into a corner, you’re surrounding your router with signal blockers that seriously dampen it’s signal and could even create Wi-Fi dead spots in other parts of your home.
To fix this, you’ll want to place your router in the most central location of your home or where you use the internet the most to get the very best Wi-Fi coverage and signal strength.
2. You Didn’t Put A Password On Your Wi-Fi Network
Wi-Fi and it’s bandwidth isn’t an unlimited resource. The more people on your network, the less bandwidth and internet speeds you have to go around to every internet enabled device connected to your network. With a Wi-Fi network that has been password free, we can guarantee that you have some unwanted guests using your Wi-Fi.
You don’t want strangers who don’t pay your bill to use it right? To fix this, it’s time to kick those unwanted guests off of your Wi-Fi network for good by finally putting a password on it. A password will kick them off and make them stay off for good. If you have regular guests and would like to extend your Wi-Fi as a welcome gesture to your home, consider setting up a guest Wi-Fi network for them.
3. Your Router Antennas Are All Over The Place
Did you know that your router antennas are meant to be redirected? Most router antennas can emit your Wi-Fi signal in the direction you point it in and it’s general area. Letting them be as they are when you set up your router most likely isn’t helping your Wi-Fi signal.
To fix this, experiment with your router antennas. You might be surprised at how much you can improve your signal’s range and strength by moving one or all of them.
4. You’ve Pinched Too Many Pennies With Your Router
If you can’t remember when you purchased your router, it’s time to get a new one. Just because your Wi-Fi seems to be working just fine, doesn’t mean that it actually is. Using an ancient router is causing you to miss out on better Wi-Fi speeds, coverage, signal strength and ultimately wasting the money you spend on internet service provider because you’ve held onto your outdated router too long.
To fix slow wifi, purchase a new router in the current Wi-Fi standard; 802.11ax or Wi-Fi 6. With Wi-Fi 6 you’ll experience faster internet speeds, better network capacity and improved security over 802.11ac or Wi-Fi 5. Any routers before Wi-Fi 5 are seriously overdue for an upgrade and once you experience the upgrade for yourself, you’ll be so happy you did.
5. You Subscribed To The Lowest Tiered Internet Plan
Over time you’ve evolved in how you use your internet connection, but your internet speeds have remained the same. Sometimes your slow internet really is just slow and needs an upgrade to a higher tiered plan through your internet provider.
To fix this, call your internet provider. See what internet plans they have available at your address. If there’s better internet plans with faster speeds, choose one that fits your current needs the best. If not, it might be time to switch to a different internet provider that can deliver you faster speeds.
