Everyone wants to get the most out of their Internet connection. Sometimes there are factors out of our control, such as the speed from your Internet service provider. However, there are certain things you can do at home to get the fastest speed possible. Before you start, make sure you get a benchmark speed by using an online speed test.
Change Internet Service Provider
Before you try to improve your Internet speed, check what your current plan offers. It may be that your current ISP doesn’t offer the speeds you desire. If not, there are plenty of high-speed ADSL providers out there so shop around. Currently, ADSL2 can offer speeds up to 24Mbps, however, there may be faster alternatives in your area. Also, don’t think you can’t have good speeds just because you live in a rural area. You could sign up to an Astrea internet plan, as Astrea offers high-speed internet to those living in more rural areas in Michigan and Wisconsin. There will be similar providers for different states, as well.
Secure Your Wi-Fi
If you haven’t already, make sure you password protect your Wi-Fi connection to prevent unwanted neighbors using up your bandwidth. Nowadays, most ISP provides a router that is already password protected. If not, don’t fret. Setting up a password on your router is easy. You can open up your router settings by typing in the routers IP address (usually found on the router) into your address bar in your browser. From there you will be prompted to enter a username and password. Out of the box, the username is usually “admin” and the password is “password”. If not, check with your ISP. Once logged in you can setup and change the password as you please.
Move Your Router
Sometimes it can be as simple as that. There are many household appliances that may affect the quality of your wireless signal. Make sure your router is placed in a position where nothing is obstructing it. Avoid placing it near fridges and televisions and try not to hide your router under beds or couches and that may too decrease signal strength. If you are using a cordless phone, make sure that it runs on different frequencies to avoid further complications.
Get a Signal Booster
Signal boosters are small adapters that you the electricity power lines in your home to boost your signal from room to room. These adapters are very useful in black spots in your house where the wireless signal is weak. These are available through most ISPs or online.
Remove Unwanted Programs
There are many applications out there that could be using up your valuable bandwidth without you even knowing it. Programs running in the background may be automatically updating or downloading information discretely. Close programs such as Spotify and Skype when you’re not using them. To check what programs you have running in the background, open up task manager (alt, ctrl & delete for windows or search for activity log on OSX).
So there you have it, give these tips a go and give us your feedback. You may be pleasantly surprised with your current internet connection.