Internet is a blessing; we all rely on the internet and connected devices and gadgets for almost everything we do today. From our smart home devices to industrial IoT, the advantages of the internet are endless. However, when using the internet, some things impact our online experience, and internet speed is the most important one of them.
No one wants to stare at the loading sign of their browser, so we have come up with some fool-proof ways to boost your internet speed. Stick with us to know how you can improve your connection speed and make your online experience better.
1. Check Your Data Cap
If you are facing speed lags by the end of your month, chances are that you are facing throttling; many ISPs restrict the internet speed once the cap has reached. The straight-away solution is to sign up for a connection that doesn’t apply data caps. Spectrum Internet is one such connection that offers unlimited internet so that you don’t have to worry about exceeding your data limit every month.
If your ISP applies a data cap, the best thing to do in order to know whether or not you have crossed your data limit is to check your past bills and see if you have been exceeding your data caps in the past or not. If you happen to do so, it’s probably time to upgrade your connection plan.
2. Change the Position of Your Router
A router brings LAN to your house and connects your devices to the internet. The position of your Wi-Fi router matters a lot as it decides the speed you will be getting with your connection. If there are some sort of hurdles between you and the router, such as heavy concrete walls or electronic appliances, you will face speed lags. The best approach is to place the router somewhere in the center of your house. And if you are the only person using the internet, make sure that the router is close to your connected devices.
3. Clear Your Browser’s Cache
When you search for something on your browser, it collects bits of information about your visit and how you interact with the website for marketing purposes. Too much data collected and not cleared can cause the websites to load slowly, partially load, or not load at all.
Make it a habit to clear your browser cache. You can do it either manually, which might take some time if you are not habitual of clearing your cookies, or you can download a plugin to automatically clear the browser’s cache for you.
4. Update Your Device
Check for software updates on your devices to address any potential bugs and improve overall performance. Firmware and drivers power your devices, so make sure they are working as intended.
As said earlier, routers are responsible for your internet connection speed and overall performance; outdated firmware might be causing your router to work slowly. Updating your firmware to the latest version can keep your network secure and efficient. While most of the routers these days check for updates automatically, you should still manually check for any remaining updates available every now and then.
5. Check for any Unwanted Guests
There is an indirect relationship between the number of connected devices to your network and your connection speed. The more the number of devices connected, the more sharing of bandwidth will take place. Bandwidth directly impacts the speed of the connection. Thus, the more the devices are connected, the slower the connection speed.
If you haven’t changed your Wi-Fi credentials in a hot minute, chances are your neighbors are freeloading off your Wi-Fi. If you suspect something like that, make sure to change your credentials and then kick off any unwanted host from your network.
6. Get a Wi-Fi Extender
If your house is spacious, your Wi-Fi signals might not reach every single corner equally. If you have tried all other ways of improving your speed and still face speed lags, you might have to invest in a good Wi-Fi extender. A Wi-Fi extender increases or extends your Wi-Fi signals. Thus an extender will shorten the distance between your connected devices and Wi-Fi signals, improving their speed and overall performance.
7. Check Your Device’s Health
Viruses and Malware infections can cause a high bandwidth consumption, particularly while being downloaded onto your device. Make sure your devices are protected with antivirus software. There are many antivirus software out there, such as McAfee Internet Security, Kaspersky Total Security, Windows Defender Antivirus, and others. Your newly downloaded Windows also has an already installed firewall that you should make sure is turned on at all times.
To Sum Up,
We all love surfing the web for entertainment, work, and communication. But none of us like waiting long for a single web page to load. To free yourself from the frustration that comes with a slow connection, we have mentioned above some fool-proof ways to speed up your internet and use your service to its fullest.
