You’re watching the season finale on Netflix, the villain of the show is about to be revealed and you are at the edge of your seat. Next thing you know the episode starts buffering or there’s some level of lag occurring. There goes your perfect moment. Your mood is now ruined as you try to fix the internet while your friends are texting you to discuss the final episode plot twist. Most of us have been there and those of you who have not, consider yourselves lucky!
A slow internet connection can ruin the mood in so many ways. For example, you might be singing in the shower along to the song being played and then the song keeps stopping thereby ruining your personal in-house shower concert. So we have talked about two scenarios where a bad internet connection results in things going south, but we don’t want anyone to have a bad time which is we have decided to share a list of tips and tricks to improve your internet speed quickly and easily.
1. Ethernet Cables are Back in Fashion
Sure, most of us consider Ethernet cables a remnant of the past, don’t we? After all, we live in the age of Wi-Fi. But did you know that using Ethernet cables can actually be quite advantageous? Using an Ethernet cable can ensure you get more reliable, stable internet at a faster speed since you’re connected directly via a wire. This makes Ethernet cable usage ideal for data-heavy tasks such as online gaming or streaming videos in 4K etc. As a result, we recommend connecting devices such as your gaming console, PC and TV to the internet with an Ethernet cable.
In the age of so many cybersecurity threats, Ethernet cables also allow for greater security and privacy than Wi-Fi in terms of protecting sensitive information such as one’s personal identification details and banking information. Perhaps the only disadvantage to this form of internet connection is the restriction on where you can sit. You would need to most likely be fairly close to wherever the router is.
2. Place Your Router Appropriately
It doesn’t take long for one to look at a router and think how ugly it looks with all its wires not to mention some of the new powerful routers look like large spiders. But who are we to judge if they get the job done right. Well, however much of an eyesore your router may be you simply cannot afford to hide it in some remote corner of the house or in a cupboard somewhere as doing so would hinder the reach of your Wi-Fi signals.
The more obstacles, such as walls, the signals need to travel through the weaker the Wi-Fi gets thereby reducing its coverage in the house. Hence it is best to place your router in a central location of the house. Yes, that means everyone will probably be able to see the router in the living room, but I am sure they won’t be bothered when they are too busy enjoying the better internet speed.
3. Antennas
Did you know that the Wi-Fi signals are transmitted at an angle perpendicular to the direction of your router’s antennas? That means you should make sure your antenna is upright so that the signals travel in a perpendicular direction across the same floor. However, if your router is on the first floor and you’re looking to get better coverage upstairs you should tweak a few of your router’s antennas’ positions such that they are horizontal as this will ensure the Wi-Fi signals travel upwards in a vertical direction to the second floor.
4. Limits on Your Data
If your internet works well at the start of every month and then suddenly drops towards the end of each month then you might want to make sure you do not have a data cap. Data caps are basically limits that ISPs place on customers about how much data can be used every month. The amount of data can vary according to the internet package you are subscribed to. Data caps can vary between hundreds of megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes. Once you exceed your data cap ISPs will significantly restrict your internet speed hitting you where it hurts the most.
Reading the fine print is crucial before signing up for any package. If you can’t remember whether you have a data cap then make sure to check your internet bill and read every line thoroughly. In the case that you may be regularly exceeding your data limit every month, you should upgrade your internet package to meet your needs.
5. Block Annoying Ads
When you load a web page on your browser isn’t it extremely annoying when some form of advertisement starts playing. The visual and audio data part of an ad can actually end up taking a toll on your internet speed. In order to prevent those pesky ads from both annoying you and slowing you down with all their gifs, images and auto-play videos you might want to install an ad-blocker. This can be done by setting up an ad-blocking plugin such as Adblock Plus.
6. Change Things Up From Scratch
Perhaps your current internet service provider is just not making the cut when it comes to your internet speeds which is why might need to make the executive decision to completely switch to a new internet service provider. There are many excellent providers out there that offer great TV and internet bundles at affordable prices such as Hargray bundle prices. So do not ever settle for less because the right internet package to meet all your needs is out there.
Long Story Short
The key to better internet speeds is not always a complicated solution. By implementing these simple measures you can likely improve your internet speed. However, if you’ve tried all of these measures and are still having issues then you can consider switching your internet service provider altogether. Some ISPs even offer contract buyouts to help you make the switch.
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