With all the houses now equipped with Wifi connection, the only job to do is to configure it to obtain the maximum possible speed of data exchange on the Internet, to be able to watch streaming movies without interruptions, to be able to listen to music or download more quickly . So let's do a summary of all the causes of the problems of slow Wifi, if the Wifi seems to go slower, if until a few days ago it worked well and now the signal has become weaker or the download speed is slower.
1) The Router: typology, position and distance
The wifi connection in every room is provided by a router, that device with lights and antennas that connects to the modem or to the telephone socket (if a modem router is used).
Knowing how a router works we should already have all the information to be able to optimize the wifi connection it creates and feeds.
The first cause of slow wifi is therefore the router.
If you have been using the same router for a long time or a very inexpensive router, perhaps one of those given free by the telephone company, it is worth buying a new one and changing it.
In another article we saw how with an expense between 30 and 60 Euros it is possible to buy a new powerful and fast router, which not only guarantees maximum internet speed, but which manages to transmit on more frequent, avoiding interference and improving signal reception.
The location of the router is also very important, because if the signal arrives weak to the computer or mobile phone, the speed of the wifi can also be affected.
Ideally, a router should be placed in the center of an environment, not closed in a closet or between two walls, never left on the ground.
The higher the router is held, the more space the signal will have to spread evenly.
Cement and metals tend to block Wi-Fi waves more than other materials, but in general any impediment or wall attenuates the signal that must always have an opening to pass through various rooms.
However, if the router is particularly weak or if you have a particularly large or elongated house, you may need to use a system to amplify the wifi, buying a repeater that costs just 20 Euros.
READ ALSO: Have better coverage of the wifi router at home
2) Wireless interference
Wireless signals are everywhere and pass through us wherever we are and go.
They are transmitted by electronic devices, routers, satellites, cellular networks, antennas and many other things.
Although Wi-Fi works on a different frequency than most other devices, the amount of radio noise can still cause interference.
For example, the microwave oven causes interference with the Wi-Fi network, especially with older routers that only work on the 2.4 GHz band, a value incredibly close to the microwave frequency, 2.45 GHz.
Fortunately, microwaves are adequately shielded so their radio waves are not detected outside the oven.
Better still, however, do not put the router near the microwave.
The same goes for cordless phones, baby monitors and wireless speakers.
Bluetooth devices may also create small interference on the 2.4 GHz frequency, even if they use different channels.
In addition to these small interferences, more problems can occur if you live in a crowded apartment building, where each house has its own wifi network and a channel overlap can occur.
Basically it means that the data passes, both for my wifi connection and that of my neighbors, on the same road that becomes busy and slower.
In this regard, we have written a guide to avoid interference on wifi from neighbors' networks, explaining how to change channels or how to change bands.
3) Network congestion
Sometimes wifi is slow because too many people are using it .
This can happen at home or in an office, if on other computers other than ours someone is downloading very large files, perhaps using a Bittorrent program, or if he is watching a movie in streaming.
In other cases, the connection is slow due to congestion at the telephone exchange of the internet provider .
This is a problem that occurs especially with a certain type of non-direct connection (for example, WiFi VPNs or shared ones), at peak times when people use the internet, such as, for example, on Sunday afternoon.
It is easy to understand if the connection suffers from congestion; just measure your internet speed at different times and days to see if there are many differences.
To solve this problem, you just have to call the support of the telephone company to which you are subscribed or change supplier.
In addition to these three, there are also other considerations to make regarding the causes of slow WIFI.
For example, some devices may be faster than others because they have a better network card.
Another important thing to know is that the cable connection is better than WiFi, so if possible, always better to use a cable between router and computer.
In other articles we have deepened the subject by also providing advice on some simple configurations to modify to have a fast wifi:
- What slows down your network speed and internet connection
- Why the internet is slow and how to fix it
- Solve slow internet connection problems
