Having good Internet speed is a very important factor. It is essential whether we mean going down or up. However, on many occasions we can have problems. Errors may arise that cause the speed of the connection to be limited and even much lower than what we have actually contracted. We are going to talk about the main reasons why this happens and we will also give interesting tips to improve connectivity.
Have a good connection, key today
If we think about the Internet speed that we had a few years ago and compare it with the current one, we will see that the difference is abysmal. There have been very important changes and more than notable improvements, but this has also been linked to an increase in user needs, especially with the rise of mobile devices.
We have more and more connected devices in our homes. Many of them are part of what is known as the Internet of Things, which are basically devices such as televisions, smart light bulbs, video players ... The fact that there are more and more connected computers also implies the need for higher speeds.
For all this we can say that nowadays it is really important to have an Internet connection that is stable, that offers good quality and of course a great speed both for downloading and uploading. Only then can we connect more devices without seeing how problems appear.
But of course, this does not always happen. There are many factors that could alter the proper functioning and lead to loss of speed, outages and other typical errors that we see when browsing the Internet in our day-to-day.
Why the Internet is slow and the maximum speed does not reach
It is always important to know the cause of a problem. Only then will we know how to correct it later. We are going to see what are the main reasons for the Internet speed to be lower than the one we have contracted. This is something that happens to many users and it will not always be the operator's fault.
Bad router placement
Undoubtedly one of the most common reasons for Internet speed problems is having a bad router placement. Nowadays most users connect via the wireless network. This makes it essential to have good coverage that allows us to connect in the best conditions.
Now, on many occasions, users make the mistake of placing the router anywhere. Perhaps for convenience, because the installation is simpler or because of simple ignorance. This causes it to be too far from where we are really going to connect and create dead zones or spaces where the signal reaches very weak and, consequently, the Internet speed is bad.
We are using the wrong Wi-Fi band
As we have mentioned, the use of the Wi-Fi network is really common nowadays. But precisely because of this speed problems can arise. We have the opportunity to connect to both the 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. Each has its positive and negative points. Basically, we can say that the first is the one that offers the best speed, but is more sensitive to distance. The opposite with the second.
Therefore, if we have Internet speed problems and we get much less than what was contracted, it could be because we are using the wrong band. We could try connecting to the other alternative and see which one offers better performance under the circumstances.
Channel saturation
Another point to keep in mind is that the channel is saturated. Here we must indicate that the 5 GHz band has more channels available and therefore we will have fewer problems in this regard. However, it is a problem that could be present in both cases. There could be interference with neighboring routers.
It would be interesting to analyze the saturation of the channels and see which one is freer and be able to connect to it. This will help us improve the performance of the connection and not have stability and speed problems.
Using an old cable
If the problem comes from being connected via cable, it may undoubtedly be because we are using an old one. Don't we get more than 100 Mbps and we have a lot more contracted? We may be synchronized with the router at 100 Mbps or, what is the same, that we are connected via Fast Ethernet.
It is important to use cables that are compatible with Gigabit Ethernet and can offer us great speed. In this way, we can reach up to 1 Gbps and have maximum speed symmetric fiber optics without limitations. We must use at least one Cat 5E network cable.
Card firmware problems
The network card is a fundamental piece for our connections. It does not matter if we are using a Wi-Fi adapter or via Ethernet. It is very important that we rule out problems with the card drivers. This could be the cause of slow or even continuous outages.
Sometimes updating Windows can cause conflicts with connected devices. The drivers could become outdated and this results in continuous failures and problems to use them normally.
Malware on the system
Of course, mention must also be made of malicious software. There are many threats on the network. Many types of viruses that in one way or another can put our computers at risk. This is usually the cause of many problems that we encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Therefore, if we see that the Internet speed is slow, that what we have contracted does not reach us, we should make sure that there is no type of malware. We can run a system scan and see that everything is fine.
How to achieve the best internet speed
After seeing the main causes that can cause the Internet speed to be slow, we are going to give some interesting recommendations with which we can improve the connection. In this way we will avoid problems, but we can also correct errors that may be affecting at any given time.
Have the router in the right place
The main thing to achieve maximum speed, and also taking into account that wireless connectivity plays such an important role, is to place the router correctly. It must be placed in a central location in the home, away from walls and walls, as well as avoid placing other electronic devices that may interfere with the signal nearby.
The goal is to avoid the dreaded dead zones. We must ensure that the signal reaches where we really need it. In the event that we are only going to connect from a small space in the house, it would be interesting to put the device nearby and thus make the most of the coverage.
Use network amplifiers
If we are connected by Wi-Fi and we have speed problems, a very interesting option that we can take into account is to make use of a device that improves the signal. We have different options, such as repeaters, Mesh systems or PLC devices.
These teams will help the signal to reach better. The objective is to mainly cover the areas from where we are going to connect and even give the possibility of offering connectivity via cable, something that many amplifiers offer.
Keep everything up to date
It is essential to have our equipment updated, as well as to have the latest version of the firmware of the network card, be it wireless or Ethernet. To do this in Windows we must go to Start, we go to Device Manager, Network adapters and there we select the one that interests us. We have to right-click and click Update driver.
We must do the same with the operating system itself. It is essential to achieve maximum performance and avoid problems that may affect us. We must always have the latest versions available for our devices.
Always have the equipment safe
In this sense, we have a wide range of options. We can install antivirus and other tools, such as a firewall or even extensions for the browser. It is something that we must apply to any type of operating system or device that we are using.
Keep in mind that there are many threats on the network and many of them can also affect Internet speed. This means that we must at all times preserve the proper functioning of our equipment.
Use suitable hardware
Are we using an old network card or does it have a problem? Are the network cables and the device we use in good condition? All of this can play a role. We must always use hardware that is in good condition, up-to-date and meets the requirements to achieve the best possible connectivity.
We have talked about the different factors that can influence us to connect to the network and really have the contracted speed. One of them is going to be everything related to hardware. The whole set of devices that are necessary to navigate.
In short, if we have Internet speed problems and what we have actually contracted does not reach us, we can take into account these tips that we have given. The objective is to ensure that the navigation is correct and not have any type of failure.
