5 Reasons Why Your WiFi is Slow
Does it take forever for your WiFi connection to load a single web page? Is it annoying for you that you can’t get stable internet in the comfort of your own home? Or have you just given up and decided to use your mobile data just to have access to the internet? Well, we can explain why your WiFi connection sucks!
You don’t need to keep calling your internet provider for answers. In this article, we will elaborate what it is that keeps you from being online. Here are five reasons why your WiFi connection is slow.
1. Router Positioning
The router is a computer networking device that connects a local network to the internet. Some people underestimate the importance of placing your router in a good position for a stable WiFi connection. A lot of people just place their router in an area where it is most practical for them; on top of the computer, on a desk, near an accessible outlet. But router positioning really affects how stable your WiFi connection is. You must place your router in a high-altitude place. Leaving it on the ground or behind other objects results to low performance. You must also place your router in a central location in your home. This greatly improves the performance of your router as it reaches a wider coverage.
2. Wireless Interference and Noise
This is hardly ever noticeable, but there are lot of wireless signals present in your home. They are all around you, and they pass through you wherever you go. These wireless signals come from electronic devices, satellites, cell towers, and more. WiFi is usually on a different frequency from these kinds of signals, the amount of radio noise can still cause a negative effect on your WiFi connection. Microwaves can cause interference with your WiFi because the frequency of microwaves and WiFi are quite close from each other. So do not place your router near our microwave. Bluetooth devices are also come in a similar frequency which is why they lso interfere with your WiFi connection. Try turning off the Bluetooth devices in your home and see how your WiFi connection performs. Oddly enough, Christmas or fair lights also affect the stability of your WiFi connection. This is because these lights emit an electromagnetic field that interacts with your WiFi band. Now that explains it!
3. Your Neighbor’s WiFi
Today, almost every home in the neighborhood has a WiFi network. This creates a channel overlap that causes negative effects on your own WiFi. Multiple routers in a small area causes a great deal of interference on WiFi in that area. Channel overlap is an issue for routers that broadcast a frequency of 2.4GHz because there are only 14 channels that transmit on. Two routers of this kind can greatly affect each other.
4. The People Who Use Your WiFi
A lot of people benefit from the WiFi connection. Your family and friends that are connected to your network greatly affects how your WiFi connection is performing. Bandwidth-heavy activities like gaming, downloading huge files, streaming on Netflix are examples of activities that take quite a toll in your WiFi performance.
5. Your Router is Too Old
Yes, outdated equipment is another factor why your WiFi is so slow. Routers are not all created equal. You should expect a better WiFi connection from a better and newer router model. There are types such as the AC routers which are a step up from the B, G, and N models.
