The internet has become an integral part of work, study and leisure. However, sometimes the internet does not work well for us, making it difficult to use. Who among us has never had problems with slow internet and wondered “Why is the internet so slow?”, “How can I make the internet faster at home, possibly as fast as as a 1000Mb/s Fibre Broadband from Atlantek Computers?”?
We have probably all been confronted with the problem of very slow loading of web pages or videos. Why is the internet slow? Poor internet performance can have several causes. Find out why your internet is slow and how you can speed up your internet at home.
Why is the internet slow?
A slow internet can be frustrating, especially when you are pressed for time and websites load slowly. Why is our internet so slow? There are several main reasons why an internet connection is slow, and both the sender and the user can be responsible.
Sometimes there are technical problems with the operator that cause the internet to be slow. In general, however, we should look for the causes of slow Internet at home.
Too high network load
One of the main causes of slow internet performance can be network congestion. This occurs when too many devices are connected to your home or office Wi-Fi network, resulting in overload. The result is a slow internet. It is worth checking which devices are accessing the network and limiting the number if necessary. These days, phones, laptops, TVs, tablets, smart home devices and more are all connected to your home router. Add to that a neighbour with a wild connection, and slow internet connections are no longer a surprise.
What is WiFi and how does it work?
What is WiFi and how does a wireless network work?
Slow Internet – Router configuration is important
Another cause of slow internet can be an incorrect router configuration. This may not seem like a big deal, but the wrong placement of this device can make a big difference. If the signal is blocked by walls or furniture, it cannot reach all parts of your home.
A router placed on the floor in the corner of the room will not work as well as one placed in the middle of your flat. If you live in a building, the router’s signal may be masked by your neighbours’ equipment. In this case, it is also useful to change location. There are special programs that measure the signal strength and make it easy to find the ideal location.
More advanced users may be tempted to configure the router settings themselves. In summary, a home Wi-Fi signal is transmitted on one of many channels, i.e. on several frequencies. Routers usually look for the least saturated frequency themselves, but devices in neighbouring flats may behave in the same way. As a result, the Internet will continue to perform poorly. In such a situation, it may be better to manually set the channel to a channel that is not used much by the neighbours.
Or is a high PING the cause?
Computer speed and polluted Internet
Sometimes we slow down the internet ourselves. If you download large amounts of files or visit unsafe websites, your computer can become infected. Some viruses that infect your device significantly affect the quality of your internet connection. If your computer doesn’t have enough RAM, using the internet may become slower even if you open several tabs at the same time in your browser.
Poor internet connection
Other causes of slow internet can be an outdated contract with your service provider. Contracts signed several years ago may no longer be up to date. The bandwidth provided by your connection provider should be sufficient.
It is also possible that the internet from a certain provider may not work in a certain location. This is especially true for mobile phone companies that offer fixed internet access. In this case, it may be worth checking the offers of other providers and changing your offer.
You can share your mobile internet connection with a laptop or PC – how? Take a look here!
How can I get faster fibre internet at home?
To speed up your internet connection, it’s a good idea to find out what might be causing problems with it. Changing your router settings, cleaning your computer or updating your drivers may be enough.
If that’s not enough, investing in an external signal boosting device may be a good solution.
Modern routers are an excellent solution with features that allow you to extend the connection to a much larger area, such as your home or office, and improve the quality of the connection.
Another good solution is signal boosters (repeaters) which improve the quality of the connection in areas where the signal from the router is very weak.
Network systems that can cover even high-rise buildings with a strong signal are also becoming increasingly popular.