The internet has made our lives so much easier. Where it used to serve only as an online repository of information, it now touches all aspects of our lives. The internet is no longer a novelty or something for a select few.
Rather, we have become dependent on it for our daily lives. The problem is that when our Wi-Fi fails, we do not know what to do anymore. To ensure that you are connected all the time and that your Wi-Fi speed does not let you down, you can use this info to stay connected.
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Check the fine print (shaping/soft-cap)
Internet service providers are quick to roll out amazing specials and deals on fiber internet deals. In most cases, these deals sound too good to be true and that is because they usually are. The fine print of many contracts tells you that your internet is uncapped and unshaped for a limited amount of bandwidth.
Once you reach your cap limit, they throttle your connection and your internet speeds take a massive plunge. When you notice a sudden drop in internet speeds around the same time every month, then you should check the fine print.
Reposition your router
Wi-Fi signals are not the strongest signals around and are not fond of walls or obstacles. Depending on the size of your house, you should determine where the best position for your router might be. Determine where you need the signal the most and where the signal needs to be the strongest, like in the living room or in your office and work from there. Wi-Fi does not love walls, so the less walls the signal has to travel through, the better.
Use a wired connection
Although Wi-Fi is very convenient and makes the hassle of connecting devices almost non-existent, it cannot replace a wired connection. Wi-Fi signals are not as stable as ethernet connections and dips can happen even though you have a very fast line.
To ensure that your connection is as stable as it can be, connect devices like your desktop PC and smart TV using an ethernet cable. These devices are usually very bandwidth-hungry and require stable connections, especially when videos are being streamed.
Protect your bandwidth
Personal household internet is great, but many people struggle to get decent internet speeds because of their security. Freeloaders are all around us and they will use any opportunity to gain access to a router.
To stop anyone and everyone from using your router, secure access to your router with a complex password and WPA2 security. This is especially important if your home is automated. When too many devices are connected, your speeds are going to drop.
Get a new router
When you get a Wi-Fi router, it usually contains the most recent internet technology. The speeds are current and a certain standard is maintained. This standard regularly increases and people experience it when they are at work or other public areas.
Before long, they start to experience slow speeds at home because their hardware was never updated. When your internet quality goes down and you know that your router is a couple of years old, then investing in a new one is crucial. New routers also come with improved security and a wider range of devices that can connect.
Use an extender
Larger homes were not made for simple internet solutions. Wi-Fi signals can only travel a finite distance and when there are walls in the way, the signal gets weakened even faster. Luckily, there are devices like Wi-Fi extenders that enhance Wi-Fi signals and send them further.
These devices connect to a router and extend or repeat the signal beyond the router’s natural capabilities. This is a simple solution and viable for most people because it is easy to set up.
Cut unused devices
Household routers are designed to accommodate only a certain number of devices. The more devices are connected to the router, the more the bandwidth has to be split. Obviously, this will greatly reduce the speeds at which all the connected devices will operate.
If there are devices in your home that do not need to be connected, do yourself a favor and disconnect them. You would be surprised at how much faster the internet will be when there are fewer devices that eat away at the bandwidth.
Conclusion
The further we move in the 21st century, the more data-hungry we become. More and more devices require an internet connection to function properly. Not only that, but as internet speeds improve, so do the capabilities of connected devices. Depending on the amount of data that you consume every month, you could improve your Wi-Fi speeds by making some practical changes that do not cost a cent to buy new hardware.
