A lot of people think
that when their internet speed is down, it’s their provider’s responsibility to
do something about it. However, certain aspects and details about your
connection may impact the speed that you get whether you are searching an item
on your browser or downloading files on your computer.
More often that not,
your internet speed can be increased by paying attention to the tiny little
details about your connection; increasing it is definitely not an exercise in
futility.
Know
where your router is
Where your wireless
router is located can impact the strength of your broadband signals. Examples
of barriers to your internet’s optimum speed are walls, doors, the number of
floors you have at home and other household electronics that may be interfering
with your signals. A baby monitor, a microwave oven or a cordless phone can
impact your broadband signal strength.
Where should you
place your router, then? Put it in a central and elevated location. Put it at
the top of your stairs or have a high table and put your wireless router on top
of it. Avoid putting it in corners, near walls, near windows, in cabinets and
beside mirrors.
Check
your browser
While it may seem
like it is about your internet speed, the truth is, the version of your web
browser plays a significant factor when browsing the web. Always get the latest
version of the web browser you are using. Or better yet, try to switch to a
different browser to test which works faster.
Leeching
neighbours
Especially if your
network is not password-protected, it is likely that your neighbours are
piggybacking on your internet connection. Aside from slowing down your internet
speed, letting your neighbours use your internet connection freely is also a big
security risk on your part. Protect your network with a password. Create a password
that is hard to crack as well.
Cut
your bandwidth
Unless it is your
anti-virus software, turn off all background applications that naturally update
itself when an internet connection is detected. Some applications may ask your
permission first before updating, but a great majority of applications also
just proceeds with the update.
Examples of these are
updates on your Windows or media player, security scans, instant messaging apps
and weather and foreign exchange widgets on a website or a blog that is
currently running on your browser.
If you are on a
computer, check your task manager and see what applications are running. Check
your phone or tablet computer also for any background applications that
inevitably updates itself. Cancel them
to give your internet speed that much needed boost.
Expand
it!
If you are using a
wireless router, expand your coverage with an external equipment. Whether it is
a wireless extender, a repeater or a powerline adapter, it can increase your
internet speed as it bounces your signal all over your premises. While
expensive, investing on an external equipment can be an effective way to
increase your internet speed.
Since the quality and
speed of your internet greatly affects your productivity, work out on these
tiny details to give you a more satisfying internet experience.
