When you first signed up to your internet service provider (ISP) you will have been promised super-fast internet speeds. But are you actually getting those speeds now you are connected to your home network? Many people often find that their Wi-Fi speeds do not live up to the speeds and service which they were promised. Is your ISP under-delivering at peak times or is your home network Wi-Fi over-loaded?
What determines your internet “speed”?
When you ISP talks about super-fast internet speeds it is actually referring to the bandwidth that it will provide to your home network. Bandwidth means the amount of data that can be transferred in a given time. When Du or Etisalat sell you a speed of 25 Mbps (Megabits per second) they are actually promising to deliver up to 25 Mbps to your home network. That is the connection ‘speed’ that your router will be getting. The more bandwidth, the faster your computer, mobile device or TV will be able to download data. This means that when you access the internet at home you will get a quick connection and fast upload and download speeds. These days this speed is just as important when you are browsing the internet as it when you are streaming High Definition movies.
Your bandwidth is controlled by your ISP at the point it enters your home. In the UAE that is generally the Du or Etisalat Fibre Optic box at your front door or in your network cupboard inside your apartment or somewhere near the service access on your floor. Your ISP controls your bandwidth at that point. You can download apps which test your internet speed but they only measure the bandwidth that that particular device is receiving at that moment. So, if you are measuring your bandwidth on your home PC which is wired directly into a Gigabit home network using Ethernet cables, it is likely to be showing the internet ‘speed’ that you have paid for. However, mobile devices using the Wi-Fi could show significantly less especially if they have poor Wi-Fi signal or there are lots of heavy users on the Wi-Fi network.
Are there likely to be other factors slowing down your internet?
As previously mentioned, the speed of your internet is determined by how much bandwidth you pay for. If you have many devices attempting to transfer data at the same time, you will reduce your bandwidth with each new device. During peak times, such as evenings and weekends, your home will be putting more demand on your bandwidth as you use more Wi-Fi enabled devices such as phones, tablets and TVs in the home. So, while you may get fast connection times during the day, mid-week, when it comes to the weekend your internet may slow down quite considerably. This is not the ISP bandwidth slowing you down but your home network struggling to cope with everyone being at home.
Are there any DIY fixes for slow internet?
The first fix for any home network is to use network cables to wire in anything that doesn’t move in your home. That could be Smart TVs, desktops or Music systems. Wiring these devices into the network will reduce the demand on your Wi-Fi network immediately while guaranteeing a data rate through the Ethernet wires in your walls. Although you can get great data rates from wireless – a properly installed wired connection will always give you a high speed and stable connection. This will ensure that they receive the largest proportion of the bandwidth when they need it so you can experience faster broadband.
How can Aquila Wifi help?
Aquila Wifi will conduct a bespoke examination of your home network and advise you on quick wins and fixes to improve the bandwidth of your home network.
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