These days, a reliable internet connection is essential for homeowners and businesses alike. Unfortunately, getting the best speeds isn’t always so straightforward.
These are the biggest factors that can negatively impact your internet speed.
Geographical Location
Your geographical location is one of the first things you should consider when looking at your internet speed. Both physical and mobile internet providers offer limited bandwidth in certain areas. You probably won’t get very good network speeds if you’re in an area with limited bandwidth. You can check your current speed by doing an internet speed test, if it is slow and other faster internet providers are in your area, you may want to think about switching over.
You can check your ISP’s coverage map to see what they offer and where. Your signal quality often depends on the type of local infrastructure available. Satellite internet, for example, can give you much higher speeds in remote areas but also costs more.
Ethernet Cable
The type of ethernet cable you use can also significantly impact your internet speed. Cables come in various shapes and sizes. Ensuring yours are the correct length will prevent bends and kinks, which can cause data loss and decrease throughput.
You should also ensure you have the correct Cat rating for your needs. A Cat 6a rating should be sufficient for most use cases, offering up to 1,000 Mbps. However, businesses with data centers and server rooms may need Cat 8 for better connectivity. Knowing when to replace your ethernet cable is essential if you want the fastest speeds.
Number of Connections
Another factor influencing your internet speed is the number of devices connected to the router. Only so much bandwidth is allocated from your ISP at any given time. This must be distributed across all the connected devices. If too many devices are consuming data, it can slow down the entire network.
If you suffer from slowdowns or disconnections, you may need to limit the number of users. You can contact your ISP to increase your plan’s bandwidth. You may also need a new router capable of handling multiple connections simultaneously.
Client Device
One last thing you might want to look at when your internet speeds are slow is your client device. The quality of your connection largely depends on your equipment’s internal components. If they’re old or outdated, you may need to replace them.
In some cases, your client device may not support the type of network signal you’ve set up. Older devices often support the WPA protocol but not WPA2, which most networks now use. If you’re having trouble, you can usually change the protocol in your router’s settings.
Take the Steps To Stay Connected
There are quite a few things that can impact your internet speeds. If they’re left alone, you may suffer from disconnects and a poor-quality signal.
By dealing with the factors that can negatively impact your internet speed, you’ll have all the capacity required for your daily needs.