How to Maximize Internet Speed at Home?

Internet problems can be menacing. Your games lag, your streams buffer, and life just doesn’t make sense. Well, you don’t have to deal with sluggish internet speeds anymore.

Learn how to maximize your internet speed and improve the quality of Wi-Fi around your place!

We’ve compiled a list of ways that you can use to achieve maximum output from your internet connection.

Why Is Your Home Internet Slow?

Your home internet can be slow due to several reasons. Here are some of the culprits:

Tips to Maximizing Internet Speed at Home

Now that you know about the possible causes of slow internet, it’s time to learn some tips that you can use to maximize internet speed at home:

1. Get a Good Router

The reason why your internet is slow is because your router is outdated. An outdated router cannot process the latest transmission protocols, limiting the flow of the data packets through the connection.

Considering this, if you’re experiencing slow internet speed, then it’s high time you get a new router. You can either get your own router or contact your local internet provider to get you a new one (if you are renting from them).

2. Choose a New Wi-Fi Channel

You might be thinking ‘maybe a new router can wait’, but a new router does so much more than you expect. For instance, the latest internet routers come with multiple frequency bands. These bands communicate on different frequencies, eliminating interference issues caused by nearby appliances where your Wi-Fi router is placed.

For starters, the 2.4 GHz band uses the same frequency that most appliances such as wireless phones, cameras, etc. use. A router operating on 2.4 GHz frequency faces interference if it’s placed near such devices or appliances. However, 5 GHz uses a frequency level that isn’t used by appliances, resulting in low interference.

Modern routers come equipped with dual-band and some models with tri-band technology, making it easier to get less interference and streamlined speed. You can change the band of your router, and then test the internet speed to check if it helped or not.

3. Reboot Your Router

We often hear that simply rebooting your devices will solve most of the problem, and it’s true! If you’re experiencing slow internet speed, you can just reboot your internet router, and hopefully, it will resolve the issue.

This happens because rebooting the router clears the cache and minimizes infrequent Wi-Fi coverage. It also resends data packets, connection becomes streamlining the connection and bringing you higher speed.

4. Install Security Updates

A good reason why you need to install pending updates is to improve the overall functionality; whether it’s your device or your internet router. These updates, also referred to as ‘patch updates’ have fixes to bugs, security loopholes, and other elements related to the router and network functionality.

In case the router doesn’t have any pending updates, it can be a sign that the router’s model is outdated. We suggest you check with your provider regarding the matter get a new one if you’ve not rented it.

Security loopholes are one of the major ways that hackers can infiltrate any network. You can check out the stats of security loopholes and potential consequences below:

Hence, it’s imperative that you put utmost focus on installing any pending firmware updates for your router as well as for your devices to avoid becoming a victim of a .

5. Resetting Your Router

You must have heard that ‘when the router gets tough, you need to toughen up’. Router resetting is actually recommended for several reasons, including:

• Optimizing router performance
• Removing minor software glitches
• Install pending updates
• Minimize memory leaks
• Re-establish a connection with the provider

Just find and hold the reset button on your router for 30 seconds. In some routers, the lights will blink, switch off completely, and then turn on again. Once it’s done, you can reconnect your devices and run a speed test to see if things are working or not.

6. Setting the Wi-Fi Antenna Position

Wondering what those standing rods on your modem are for? Well, those rods are antennas that are used to emit Wi-Fi signals optimally. Routers have different kinds of antenna placements:

• Omni-directional antennas: emit electromagnetic waves equally in all directions.
• Semi-directional antennas: emit electromagnetic waves in a specified pattern.
• Directional antennas: emit electromagnetic waves in one direction only.

Apart from this, each Wi-Fi has different antennas:

• Indoor Wi-Fi antenna: small antennas used by mobile phones, laptops, etc. placed inside the home.
• Outdoor Wi-Fi antenna: large antennas mounted on rooftops and used for devices with long-range connection needs.

Since we’re considering home internet, you need to set the antennas of your router according to your desired signal strength. For instance, if you require more signals in the West corner of your home, you can set the antennas towards that direction, and vice versa.

7. Place the Router in an Elevated and Open Spot

Now, that doesn’t mean you should put your router on your rooftop, the sun will probably fry its brains! An elevated and open spot means placing it on a table near your gaming setup and away from appliances, as much as possible. Doing this will help the router emit signals properly and minimize coverage issues.

You can also set up the router near the devices that you’re using. This will minimize the interference in between, caused by walls, floors, doors, kitchen appliances, etc., and maximize Wi-Fi signal travel.

8. Use Ethernet Cables

Again, if you’re facing issues with Wi-Fi connectivity, you can always switch to ethernet. Since it connects your device directly to the router, you’ll face no signal or coverage problems. Your internet speed will also be smooth and seamless throughout the time you’re using it.

However, ensure that you have a good internet plan since the speed you’ll be getting will only be as good as you’ve opted for with your chosen package. You can look for high-speed internet providers in your area and get a good plan with high download/ upload speeds.

For more insights, here’s a breakdown of the speeds you need for various tasks:

9. Get a Wi-Fi Extender

Having an ethernet connection is a good idea, but that means you’re going to form a web of wires in your entire house. It’s only practical if you’re keeping the router in the same room as your gaming setup.

However, if you’re into Wi-Fi connection, then a Wi-Fi extender will help with signal issues. A Wi-Fi extender amplifies existing signals emitted by your primary internet router. In other words, it improves the overall coverage and provides connectivity even in the dead zones.

10. Optimize Your Network

This might need a little more work on your end but if you do it right, it will definitely improve the overall performance of your internet. So, let’s check out how you can optimize your network:

Minimizing Users

A good reason why you’re experiencing slow internet speed is that there are too many users. With too many users, you’re left with little to no bandwidth for your use. If someone is running a data-extensive task such as downloads, 4K stream, etc. your internet will most likely stop working.

Hence, reduce the number of users connected to your network. One way of doing this is by changing the default credentials of your network, and then, reconnecting all the devices. This way you can check the total number of devices connected to your network.

Once this is done, create a guest network. Connect all other users to this network while keeping your devices to the primary network. This will help eliminate the chances of other users consuming the speed and bandwidth of the entire network.

Use Airtime Fairness

Airtime Fairness (ATF) operates based on TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access). Confusing right? In simpler terms, when activated, the Wi-Fi becomes smart and dedicates a time slot for each process/ user active on the connection.

It then picks the tasks and assigns time-based on the activity. If the activity will be consuming a lot of time and resources on the Wi-Fi, it reduces the slot and dedicates the rest to other processes, completing all processes without remaining stagnant for a long time. The following visual will help us understand this further:

As we can see in Fig 1, the ATF isn’t active, and Process 1 is using the entire network. In Fig 2, we have ATF and equal distribution of the time slot showing that all processes are completed without any deadlock.

11. Close Background Processes

Too many background processes running will consume your internet and will leave nothing to run anything. If you’re gaming, streaming, etc. then ensure that you’re closing unnecessary background processes as much as possible.

This will leave room for your current processes and the internet speed will be best accommodated. You can head to the task manager, and check for the processes running as well as their impact on the performance. You can check and disable programs accordingly.

12. Clearing Cache

The cache stores frequently used processes. However, in order to keep these processes active for reuse, the cache uses the internet as well as memory and processing power. Hence, if you’re experiencing lags in the overall performance, it’s time to clear the cache.

When to Contact Your Provider?

If the above tips and tricks have not shown desirable results, then it’s time to perhaps to contact your provider for assistance. Sometimes your internet can be slow due to issues from your provider’s end. Contacting them will make you aware of the situation as well as get remedies other than the ones mentioned above.