It’s not uncommon to struggle with your internet connection, unfortunately. A recent Uswitch survey revealed that speed is one of the most pressing issues for UK broadband customers, second only to cost as a factor in people looking to switch providers.
The reason for slow internet speed varies between connections. Infrastructure issues, heavy usage in multi-person households, and how rurally you’re located can all play a part. It’s therefore sometimes impossible to get better speeds without changing providers but, in most cases, there are tweaks you can make to get a faster connection.
The rollout of what is considered ‘decent’ broadband (10Mbps) to everybody has been going well in other areas of the UK but has stalled in England over the past year.
| Unable to receive 10Mbps download and 1Mbps upload speeds | September 2021 | January 2022 | May 2022 |
| UK | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| England | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Northern Ireland | 2% | 2% | 1.2% |
| Scotland | 1% | 1% | 0.8% |
| Wales | 1% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
And even those with a connection reaching these speeds will struggle to carryout more intensive online activities, like gaming or streaming their favourite TV programme.
So, if you want to improve your internet speed, here’s what you should try.
Speak to your ISP
Before attempting anything else, the first step is to check your current speed and see if you’re receiving what’s agreed in your contract. If you aren’t, then you need to speak to your internet service provider (ISP). There could be an innocent issue that they’re not aware of and all it takes is a simple phone call to fix.
But if you are receiving the agreed speeds and your internet is still too slow, then it’s time to enquire about an upgrade. At this point, it’s also a good idea to compare deals from other providers who might have more competitive offers.
Move your router
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to increase broadband speed is to move your router. The ideal placement for optimum performance is off the ground and in as central a location as possible. Try to avoid thick walls and don’t camouflage your router with ornaments or other objects that could obstruct the signal. Keep it away from devices with the potential to interfere, such as those that emit wireless signals.
Upgrade your router
If you’ve moved your router and yet you’re still having problems with slow internet, it might be time to get a new one. Old models can be clunky or simply stop working over time, even if they used to do the job well. There’s great variety between the efficiency and cost of different routers, with some being designed especially for large homes that struggle with dead WiFi zones, so check out what options are available to you.
Check it’s not a different problem
The reason for slow internet isn’t always the internet itself. Simple issues such as not having the latest version of your web browser installed can affect how fast your internet is perceived to be. Another example is if you’re connected to WiFi on your mobile phone and notice that the connection seems slower than on your desktop. If this is the case, then it could be that your phone’s software needs updating.
To ensure that these issues aren’t affecting your speed, it’s a good idea to carry out a full refresh on all of your devices. Clearing any caches and making sure that your antivirus and other software are up to date will give you peace of mind. And if this isn’t the root of the problem, a refresh will at least give you the benefit of improving the general performance of your devices.
Get rid of extension leads
Although they’re undeniably useful, phoneline extension leads aren’t preferable when using with a router. They can cause interference and so plugging your router straight into the main telephone socket is the best way of avoiding this. But if you do have to use an extension cord, keep it as short as possible and make sure there are no coiled or tangled cables.
Use an ethernet cable
Connecting to the internet via an ethernet cable instead of a wireless signal can provide a more stable, reliable connection. Interference is circumvented with a wired connection and can improve your internet speed if you’re struggling with WiFi. However, using an ethernet cable does limit your mobility, so this is best as a short-term solution.
Get a WiFi extender
WiFi extenders take an existing WiFi signal and extend it across a larger area. This means that if the signal received by the extender is slow, then the signal that it sends out will be too, so WiFi extenders won’t work for everybody.
Those who want to improve the internet connection in specific ‘weak spot’ areas of their home might find a WiFi extender to be a valuable solution, though. It won’t change the speed that you receive from your ISP but it will shorten the distance between where the WiFi signal is being sent out from and the receiving point (i.e. your devices). This means the signal takes less time to travel, resulting in a faster internet experience.
Limit WiFi connections
So many home devices are WiFi-enabled nowadays that it’s hard to remember what is and isn’t connected. Doing an audit of everything that’s connected to the WiFi and turning it off on devices where it’s rarely or never used will help to save bandwidth and improve internet speeds. You can also do this on a use-by-use basis, for example, turning off WiFi on your tablet when it’s not in use.
Another good idea is to set up password protection on your WiFi if you haven’t already. Doing this will stop other people from being able to connect to your internet and drain your bandwidth without you realising.
Adapt your activity
If you’re sat googling how to improve your internet speed because it keeps interrupting your productivity, then there might be a quick fix way around the problem. Depending on what it is you’re trying to do, making some small adaptions could help to bump your speed up to a workable level.
We’re talking about things like audio calling instead of video calling, or letting a video buffer in advance while you carry out another task. This won’t make your internet faster, strictly speaking, but it will give you the same effect.
Find a new provider
If all else fails, it might just be that your current provider can’t offer the quality of connection that you need. There are many reasons why this might be but it’s more common in rural areas, where network coverage isn’t as strong amongst most of the big ISPs. In this instance, it could be best to reach out to a rural broadband specialist.
Choosing the right internet speed
Before launching into a new contract with a new provider, it’s best to figure out what internet speed you need. The way in which people use the internet varies drastically depending on factors like the number of people in the household, whether you work from home, and how internet-intensive your job is. Don’t be fooled into signing up for a shiny new package that has far greater speeds than what you actually require.
To find out more about the deals and speeds available with Wave Internet, contact us now by phoning 01254 377373.
