Nothing is more frustrating than having your internet connection slow down to a crawl, especially when you’re doing something important. With that in mind, we want to cover four things that can cause slow internet speeds, so that you can troubleshoot the problem yourself or prevent it, and hopefully get what you’re paying for, instead of being one degree removed from using a carrier pigeon.
Your Wi-Fi card
It would be a good idea to secure your network so that not everybody can access it at any time. The reason for this is that your internet speed will drop significantly if too many users are on your Wi-Fi. If you share the connection with someone and they download files or play a game online, the network may be too crowded which gives you snail-like internet speed. To make sure this doesn’t happen, secure your network with a password, and if you’re still sharing it, let other users know that they should limit their download speeds when saving large files, or lower streaming quality when their watching shows online.
Your Local Area Network
If you want your computer connected directly to the internet, without the use of a cable, then, a wireless card is the best solution for you. By doing this, your connection will be more stable. On the other hand, a downside is that you will have cables going through your home especially if you don’t have an outlet that is nearby. There are three types of cards, and you distinguish them by the letters B, G, and N that follow the numbers “802.11.” The strongest connection is marked with a G and weakest with a B, but new improvements and standards come out from time to time. Keep in mind that you have to get the card that matches your router. If you have an R router, even the strongest G card will not
make your internet speed higher. On the contrary, your downloading speed will be even slower.
Your Location
If you are experiencing slow internet speed or a lousy connection, one of the reasons may be that the router is far away from your computer. The other possible reason is that your internet provider doesn’t offer high internet speed in the area you live in. However, to make sure, check with the provider and see which location gets the best service.
Your Choice of Internet Plan
When getting an internet plan from a provider, get information about what each plan entails. Dial-up internet, for example, is a terrible option, and no one who has other options uses it, because even the worst DSL internet should be much faster. Also, know that if you get the less expensive plan, you will probably get slower downloading speed too. As mentioned before, if your area doesn’t offer high-speed internet then there is no point in getting the best internet plan. In this case, check what is the maximum speed for your area to make sure you are not overpaying for the service you can’t even have.
