Slow WiFi: What Causes It and How Can You Fix It
How Come My Wi-Fi Is So Slow?
1. The wireless signal cannot be transmitted by the router far enough.
2. The router cannot handle the volume of customers connecting to the internet at once because there are too many of them.
3. The router transmits on a channel that is overused, which results in signal interference problems.
4. The router is not in the best location, which prevents the signal from spreading evenly in all directions.
5. It hasn’t been updated and restarted in a while, or the router is too old.
How to Fix a Slow WiFi Network in 5 Steps
1. Find a better WiFi channel: Your first step should be to identify the WiFi channels that are most commonly used in your area and stay away from them. Consider yourself lucky if you can locate a WiFi channel that doesn’t overlap with any other networks and isn’t in use by any other networks. If not, choose the second-least-used available non-overlapping channel.
2. Optimize router placement: If your router is placed in a corner, far from your gadgets, you can expect your WiFi network to function well. Create a WiFi signal heatmap first if you’re unsure of where to put it to better understand the WiFi coverage in your neighborhood.
3. Kill bandwidth hogs: Like vampires, bandwidth hogs are sucking the life out of your WiFi router. Use a strong password to prevent human bandwidth hogs from accessing your router. Install a trustworthy antivirus program to stop viruses from using your internet connection for malicious purposes.
4. Upgrade your router: In some cases, troubleshooting an old router with outdated wireless technology and low transmission power is simply not worth the effort. Instead, purchase a new one to enjoy faster download and upload speeds as well as better signal strength.
5. Change your ISP: Your internet service provider might be at blame if your WiFi is consistently slow. You should do an internet speed test using a wired connection and compare the results with the speed you’re paying for to ensure that it actually is.
