Why is my WiFi experience slow?

• interference inside your house from your building and your electrical appliances
• interference from outside your house, including your neighbours’ WiFi
• your router or your router’s software is not up to date
• your router is not secure and open to WiFi hijacking
• you have many applications and services accessing your router at once
• you are trying to access popular content at peak times
• you are trying to access the internet at peak times

How can I boost my WiFi signal?

Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your router…

• find the perfect spot for your router
• optimise your WiFi range with HomePlugs
• use the latest router and keep its software up to date
• find the right wireless channel for your router
• remove interference from other appliances
• make sure your device is secure to avoid WiFi hijacking
• control applications that could be hogging your bandwidth

 

Quick fixes

 

• Some of these may seem obvious, but some of the easiest remedies for fixing home broadband are often overlooked. Here are some tips to make sure that you’re getting the most range out of your router.
• place your router in the optimal position in your property
• hiding your router out of sight alongside other electrical devices or placing it beside a load-bearing wall will reduce your WiFi signal.
• use HomePlugs to increase your in-home WiFi coverage
• if you can’t re-position your router, then extend your coverage using your mains electricity circuit
• upgrade your router regularly
• your ISP will usually provide a router – each time you renew your contract the opportunity to upgrade your router. Always keep your router software up to date.
• avoid WiFi interference from neighbouring networks
  choose the right channel for your WiFi network with tools like inSSIDer.com. You can scan your wireless environment and check to ensure you have the best channel, reducing interference from neighboring networks.
• don’t stream on all of your devices at once
• if all of your devices are streaming content at once, you’ll soon find that your speed will slow down significantly – disconnect devices that you’re not using.
• avoid peak times if you can
• when you, your family and everyone else are using the internet at the same time, there’s likely going to be some slow down!
• upgrade your broadband speed
• speak to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) about increasing the speed available to you – this will improve speeds delivered to your home but will not change your WiFi coverage. If Fibre-to-the-Premises broadband is available in your area check for availability to your property.
• protect your WiFi with a password to prevent hijacking
• prevent others from accessing and using your WiFi by applying a strong password.

Information kindly supplied by Manx Telecom