5 reasons why your Wi-Fi network may be slow | Technology News
Wi-Fi is one of the best ways to connect your smartphone, tablet or other devices to the internet. While it works flawlessly for the most part, sometimes you might experience slow internet connectivity. From network congestion to router position, here are some of the main factors that might be making your Wi-Fi slow.
Router position
One of the most common reasons why your internet is slow on Wi-Fi is the position of the router. When it comes to wireless routers, proximity is key. This means the further away you are from your router, the slower your internet speed will be. If your wireless router is two or more rooms away, you might experience connection drops.
While newer Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 6 is better at bypassing walls compared to previous versions, every object between you and your router will lead to a decrease in signal quality.
Ideally, you should place your router somewhere in the centre of your house, but if that’s not possible, make sure you place it on a table or shelf instead of putting it in a corner as doing so will significantly improve the quality of your connection.
Using the 5GHz band when away from the router
Most modern Wi-Fi routers operate on two bands – 2.4GHz and 5GHz. While the newer 5GHz band offers a huge increase in speed and reduces latency by a bit, it generally has a low range compared to the 2.4GHz network.
So, if you are using Wi-Fi when away from the router, like in another room, chances are you might experience network drops. To fix the issue, make sure you switch to the 2.4GHz band, as it covers more area compared to the newer and faster band.
Apps taking up bandwidth
If you notice that your Wi-Fi network becomes slow at a certain point in time like when there are too many people using it, chances are the network is getting more traffic than it can handle.
These slow-downs are temporary and your speed might get back to normal when someone stops using the internet, so if that’s the case, you might either want to reduce the number of connected devices or upgrade your internet plan to one with more speed.
Slow or outdated router
Sometimes it’s not you, but your router. If you recently upgraded your internet connection to a much faster plan but are still unable to enjoy the new speeds, chances are that it is your old and trusted Wi-Fi router at fault.
If you are using a router that is more than five years old, likely, it isn’t able to operate at full speed. If you have a lot of devices like tablets, laptops, phones and smart devices connected to an old router, maybe it’s time to invest in a new router.
Signal interference
Wi-Fi is a form of radio signal, and as most of us know, it interferes with almost everything between you and them. If you are living in an apartment complex or a densely populated area, your Wi-Fi signal may be interfering with other Wi-Fi networks. Also, most Wi-Fi networks operate on the same channel, so if your Wi-Fi is on the same channel as other’s, it is natural to experience network slow downs.
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