Today, there are practically no people who do not constantly use the Internet. Through the Network, people communicate, play and receive a lot of useful information. Therefore, it becomes very disappointing when, for no apparent reason, the Internet connection starts to work too slowly.
In this case, any person begins to panic. However, not everyone knows that there are many options that will help solve the problem of too low data transfer. First of all, it is worth finding out why the speed of the Internet through WiFi is falling.
Causes
A number of malfunctions can affect the connection speed. First of all, you need to check that the computer or laptop is in close proximity to the router itself.
Also, sometimes the low speed of the Internet via WiFi is explained by the too low bandwidth of the router. And it often happens that several people use the network at the same time, each from their own computer. In this case, the volume of traffic increases too much, and accordingly, the data transfer rate drops markedly.
In addition, such problems may be associated with the operation of the router itself. Not everyone clarifies which WiFi router is best for the home, before buying it. This is a big mistake, since a lot will depend on the quality of the device. The best models are D-Link, TP-Link and ZyXel.
Before proceeding to fix troubles, it is recommended to pass an Internet speed test at speedtest.net. This independent service has long been on the web. There is no need to register on the site, just click Start and wait for the results to be displayed. First you need to close all applications and sites. If checking the Internet speed at speedtest.net showed that everything is in order, then the reason is the large number of running processes.
There are several ways that can help solve the problem of low speed Internet.
Using the accelerated WiFi standard
Until recently, there was only one indicator of data transmission of the router, which was 2.4 GHz. The relevant standards for this were prescribed as 802.N. However, today there are dual-band Wi-Fi routers that are capable of supporting a faster data transfer mode, which equals 5 GHz. In this case, make sure that the standard 802.AC is activated. To make the appropriate settings, as a rule, just go to the basic parameters of the module.
When entering the control panel of a dual-band Wi-Fi router, go to the “Wireless mode” tab and change the settings. However, it is worth considering that if the router itself supports the fast WiFi standard, but the computer does not, then nothing will work. Both devices should work in the same mode.
Therefore, when deciding which WiFi router is best for home, it does not always make sense to give preference to dual-band models.
Router Channel Width
In this case, everything is simple. As a rule, the Internet works much faster if the frequency is set to 40 megahertz in the 2.4 GHz band. If the router operates in the 5 GHz band, then you can use 40 MHz or 80 MHz.
As a rule, after changing these parameters, it immediately becomes noticeable how much faster the system starts to work. However, it should be borne in mind that it is recommended to set the maximum channel width for the router only if the signal quality is very good. Otherwise, you can completely lose the connection.
This is not the only way to increase the speed of the Internet (WiFi).
Disjoint channels
As a rule, in the standard 2.4 GHz band, the radio channel whose number is used can affect the connection speed. To switch to disjoint channels in this range, you must select the first, sixth or eleventh. In this case, the distribution of Internet via WiFi should increase.
If you use a router that operates at a frequency of 5 GHz, then in this case the number of disjoint channels will be more than 22. There is no point in choosing another channel, since the probability of intersection is completely absent.
WMM mode
As a rule, providing quality service when using a wireless network is called prioritizing traffic. In short, you can replace this word with the acronym WMM.
In order to solve the problem of low speed Internet via WiFi, just enable this option. To do this, go to the parameters of the radio module and connect the corresponding standard in it.
Wi-Fi Signal Strength
It is possible that the power of the transmitter of the router is simply not enough to ensure a high-quality and long-term connection. The fact is that these parameters depend on how close the computer or laptop is to the router. Accordingly, if you approach the router, then the transmitter power should increase. However, in this case, it is likely that the problem of low speed Internet via WiFi will not be solved.
On the other hand, getting closer to the router by more than one and a half meters is also not recommended. In this case, the opposite effect will occur. Therefore, it is recommended to experiment, moving around the apartment.
Protection
As a rule, in order to protect the network from hacking, encryption systems are used. They are constantly updated, but in some situations the old data remains. In this case, a security hole may appear. Keep in mind that standards such as WPA and WPE are out of date. Refusing them will be the right decision, since hacking of such systems is carried out in a few minutes even by those people who hardly know anything about it.
If you use WPA, then it makes no sense to expect speeds of more than 54 megabits per second. The most optimal solution to the problem of low speed Internet via WiFi is to use WPA2 encryption.
Router flashing
In some situations, this method really helps to speed up your Internet connection. The fact is that the firmware that is installed on the device in the factory, very often have a number of errors or even are raw. For example, Asus routers have repeatedly encountered similar problems.
Do not be afraid of the process of flashing the router itself, since it is quite easy to deal with it. Most models already have a feature that allows automatic updates. However, it is better to perform this operation manually. To do this, just go to the manufacturer’s website and download the appropriate firmware files. After that, you need to go to the control panel of the router itself and find the tab that will say something about the updates. In this case, it is enough to indicate the path to the file and perform a simple manipulation of reinstalling the program.
Driver update
The fact is that in some cases the software of the router itself may not be correctly recognized by the computer operating system. In order to correct this mistake, just open the device manager on your laptop and find the “Network Adapters” tab. In the list that opens, you need to find the router and click on it with the right mouse button. After that, just click the “Update” button and wait a few minutes until the drivers are updated.
Tariff Plan Change
First of all, it is worth considering that each Internet provider has several programs for connecting to the Network. If the video is loading most slowly, then it is entirely possible that the problem is precisely in too low data transfer. For example, if the maximum resolution of an online video is no more than 720x480 pixels, then this indicates that the tariff plan implies a speed of 512 kilobits per second. In this case, the problem is solved by changing the tariff.
Unscrupulous provider
This option also should not be ruled out. It is possible that at the time of connecting to the Internet the client was really provided with the highest possible speed. However, some unscrupulous providers over time begin to reduce the amount of data transfer. In this case, the speed no longer corresponds to the selected tariff plan. Checking the integrity of the provider is quite simple. To do this, just try using a different router and a third-party computer. If the work is just as slow, then in this case all questions should be asked to the particular company with which the service contract was concluded.
It is also worth checking the Internet through a cable. To do this, it must be connected directly to the computer and try to enter the network. If the speed is still low, then you should ask the provider a question.
What can affect the speed of downloading files via torrents
Today, almost everyone uses this service. However, some notice that sometimes when downloading certain files, the transmission speed of data packets decreases markedly.
In this case, everything may also depend on the provider. For example, if a tariff plan of 16 megabits per second was selected, then in this case the maximum speed of downloading documents cannot exceed 2 megabits per second. It is also worth considering that this service is a file exchanger, respectively, it works a bit according to other principles. In order to get faster downloads, you must also put files and documents in torrents.
It is also worth considering that the router could simply fail. As a rule, after 5-6 years of using the router, it starts to work much worse. Fortunately, new appliances are not so expensive, so a replacement can be quickly found. Now a quality router costs from 1 thousand rubles. For 3-4 thousand rubles, you can purchase a high-quality device.