For the past two years, we have adjusted to working from home brought on by the onset of Covid 19. As more and more people work from home, they use their home internet connection for all office activities. However, most of our home network is not designed to handle high-end internet activities like daily video calls, large file uploading, etc. If you are looking for a fast and reliable ISP, click here.
Fortunately, we have found out some ways by which the internet speed can be boosted. This article will discuss some of the tips you can follow for boosting your internet connection while working from home.
Steps to upgrade your home internet connection and make your Internet faster
1. Run internet speed tests
If you are planning to make changes to your home network, you have to know about your internet and its connectivity. The easiest way to run speed tests is to connect to your Wi-Fi and use the internet speed test apps available for free use on the internet.
The process is quite simple; all you have to do is find the application, click on the go button and wait for a minute. After some time, you will get the results of your uploading, downloading speed, and latency measurement.
2. Shift your router
Is your router in a closed space or under the table? This is not a good position as walls and bookshelves can potentially affect the bandwidth strength. It is recommended that you shift your router to the center of your house. Place the router on an elevated platform to get good network connectivity throughout your house.
You may try mounting the router halfway up a wall. And if possible, try to keep it away from electromagnetic waves and other devices like microwaves, wireless devices, and baby monitors.
3. Try changing the channel or band
In most cases, Wi-Fi signals are divided into multiple channels. Your Wi-Fi router will connect to a specific channel to communicate with all the network’s wireless devices. Thus, if you have other routers of your neighbors nearby, the network can get congested. So it is high time you switch channels to solve the problem. It is recommended that you change the router settings to channels 1, 6, and 11, which will have the least interference.
Nowadays, most advanced routers have dual-band technology, so you can switch from 2.4 gigahertz to 5 gigahertz frequencies while broadcasting the signals.
4. Use a Wi-Fi extender
If none of the above solutions works, it is time that you buy some plug-in extenders. These devices are inexpensive and can provide surfing and download rates of up to 50 Mbps. As a result, your video calls, uploads, and website browsing will be uninterrupted.
However, it is always recommended that you buy extenders from the same provider as your router to avoid any compatibility issues.
5. Schedule large downloads and software updates for the evening
You may consider scheduling updates and downloads for the time when the internet usage is the lowest. In Windows or Mac, you can schedule updates for the night when the usage is less and the congestion is low.
6. Switch off idle devices
You may be the only one using your internet. However, your device is not the only device that has access to it. If you have a gaming station or PlayStation connected to the Wi-Fi, they can still do a lot of downloading even in idle mode. Therefore they may eat up precious bandwidth. So, shut down all your idle devices or disconnect them if speed is your priority.
7. Check your computer
This tip is especially important if you use the internet on your computer. If your computer or laptop internet is slow, but the other devices like smartphones and TVs are working fine, there might be a network connectivity issue with your PC.
You should start the task manager and check the background running programs. Some programs are also set for auto-update that does not need to be. So if these applications or programs are updating in the background, this could be the primary cause of slow internet.
8. Add a password to your Wi-Fi
Your Wi-Fi network must be password protected to prevent unwanted devices from connecting. Additionally, it is also important to keep hackers and neighbors from using your internet for free. Make sure you use WPA 3- Personal encryption, which is one of the most secure and speed-friendly security options available.
9. Use electrical wiring
This works as an alternative to Wi-Fi extenders. You can use a power line kit to pass the digital signals through your electrical wiring and power line devices.
First, you have to connect a power line plug to your router and then insert it into a wall socket. Next, you can add another powerline plug in any other room of your house. Now it can provide a wired or wireless connection to that specific room. There might be some drop in speed, but this is one of the simplest and most effective options.
10. Upgrade your router
The routers vary significantly in their price and functionality. However, if you have dead zones or slow zones in your house, it is time that you change your router. If you have a large living space such as a 4 BHK or 5 BHK, consider buying a Wi-Fi router that can easily pair with repeaters so that even the farthest corner of your house receives the signals.
Final Verdict
You can always follow these tips to boost your Internet speed while working from home. Moreover, you do not always need a wireless internet connection to work. A wired connection to your router is usually preferred over a wireless one. They are faster, secure, more stable, and cannot be affected by other wireless devices.
For devices like computers, laptops, and gaming consoles, it is often advised to use a wired connection or an ethernet data cable.