There are very few things as frustrating as being stuck in a traffic jam, misplacing your keys, or stubbing your pinky toe. But do you know what infuriates me the most? A poor internet connection that doesn’t work when I need it the most.
A solid internet connection has become an integral part of our lives in this hyper-connected world. From gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and laptops to activities like communicating, playing games, working, and streaming, most things around us require a top-notch connection to work.
So, I believe it’s totally natural to get irked by a spotty connection. But that’s not the point. The point is how to make your slow connections go faster, and in this article, I will share a few surefire ways to increase your internet speed.
So, let’s start:
Switch to Fiber Internet Connection
Fiber internet is capable of delivering the fastest speeds among all internet connection types. The technology behind fiber internet, fiber optics, delivers internet signals in the form of light. This not only reduces the travel time for internet signals but also makes fiber internet an exclusive connection, capable of delivering similar upload and download speeds.
That being said, fiber internet is restricted to metropolitan areas. And, if you cannot find a fiber internet provider near you, choose a high-end plan by cable internet.
Even though cable internet does not offer symmetrical speeds, a top-tier plan should offer sufficient speeds to smoothly engage in different online activities.
Prefer Ethernet Cable Over WiFi
It’s true that Ethernet cables can be messy. However, Ethernet cables are a much better option than WiFi when your goal is to increase internet speeds.
In a wired connection, the internet signals move inside the Ethernet cable. One end of the Ethernet cable is attached to a router, and the other end is connected to your device.
Since the internet signals do not move via radio waves, they can effectively avoid different obstacles that can significantly dent their strength, and as a result, lower your internet speeds.
Reposition Your Router
You might need to reposition your router if you don’t want to opt for an Ethernet cable. The internet equipment, specifically the router, is incredibly important in our connection setup. It is responsible for delivering the internet signals either via the Ethernet cable or WiFi to the connected devices.
Now, it’s crucial that your router is ideally placed so that it can seamlessly deliver the internet signals. As mentioned above, internet signals emitted from a router move through radio waves. And, objects like heavy furniture or thick walls, and radio waves from electronic devices like refrigerators, sensors, or security cameras can interfere with internet signals.
When internet signals collide with such objects, they might lose strength, which can ultimately affect the internet speeds as well.
So, it’s best to place your router somewhere away from thick walls or electronic devices to ensure that internet signals reach connected devices without any interference.
Update or Bring in a New Router
Just like smartwatches, tablets, smartphones, or laptops, routers are also electronic devices. Therefore, they also receive periodic software and firmware updates.
Such updates are essential for the efficient working of routers. From improving the router’s security to installing new features and fixing loopholes, such updates ensure that your router works efficiently.
However, if your router doesn’t receive updates anymore, then it might be outdated. In such a case, it’s best to replace it with a new one.
Here, I would suggest you purchase a router with a Quality of Service (QoS) feature. With QoS, you can allocate a specific amount of your connection’s bandwidth to different tasks.
Limit Connected Devices and Disable Background Apps
Subscribing to one of the fastest internet plans can increase your connection’s bandwidth. However, it will still be limited and can be exhausted if you perform several bandwidth-intensive activities simultaneously.
Every new activity, user, or device connected to the same network consumes its bandwidth. A time comes when the bandwidth depletes completely, and your connection fails to offer top speeds.
Also, most people might believe that inactive devices or background applications do not consume bandwidth. However, it’s not true that devices connected to the internet receive social media notifications even when they’re idle.
So, it’s best to limit the number of devices and users on your connection and disable the background apps to save bandwidth and use it for more important tasks.
To conclude, you might notice that increasing your internet speed is not a complex process. You can make your slow internet go faster in a few simple steps.
Lastly, I have one more suggestion: switch off your router, and restart it after a few minutes. Doing so clears the cache stored on your router and can help it deliver faster internet speeds.
