During these challenging times, we have been able to keep in touch with our family, friends, and colleagues, courtesy of the internet. It has been a practical tool helping us meet our daily wants while also bringing us much-needed entertainment.
Perhaps the change in lifestyle during these difficult times has influenced 76 percent of Americans into saying that internet services aren’t any less important than water or electricity in a survey by Consumer Reports on 2,514 Americans in February.
However, using the internet has often been a frustrating experience to many of us, with unstable connections disrupting video calls or a slow connection causing online viewing of videos to buffer like hell. Adding salt to your wounds are confusing bills and poor customer care. It’s not all gloomy, though. Many broadband issues are sorted out easily. We bring you certain tips that can help you fix common complaints with the internet.
Check your data cap
While ISPs choose to keep the data cap in their connections discreet, these can mess up your connection big time and are often the main reason why net connections slow down after you’ve used them for a while.
A data cap puts a limit on how much data you can use every month: from some megabytes to many gigabytes. If your internet usage exceeds these limits, you’ll have your speed seriously restricted. You may not know if your connection has a data cap, as it’s mentioned in the fine print. Opt for an internet pack with a higher data limit if you exceed the data cap very often.
Do not overpay
Having a robust internet connection can get pricy. While the prices Internet Service Providers offer might seem reasonable, they are not always so. For one, the costs differ worldwide, with netizens in some countries paying much more than others. However, you can try to negotiate a better price for a better deal. It won’t hurt to contact your ISP and find out your options.
One of the tips for getting a better deal is to call on a weekday. It is the best time to get in contact with higher-level consultants capable of offering better deals. Additionally, do not act hastily. Agreeing to the first offer is not a tactical decision. Try to see just how low the ISP can go. If there are other competitors, try to suggest that you might transfer to them. While it might not always work, it could motivate your ISP to beat the deal from their rivals.
Reset your router
Refresh your internet connection by resetting your router at regular gaps, say, every month. If you face serious speed issues, we suggest that you reset your router every day. To simulate your connection to your ISP, reset your modem regularly as well by switching it off and turning it back on again.
If that’s adding another thing to do in an already busy schedule, go for an outlet timer. Plug your modem and the router into a timer that’ll do the job of turning the system on or off without you having to break a sweat over it.
Change your router’s position
It is a very basic thing to do. If you have placed your router in some remote corner of your home, bring it over to a centrally located spot. If you keep your router in a remote spot, the Wi-Fi signals that manage to reach your device won’t be strong enough. Keep your router in the middle of the house on the floor where you spend the maximum time for the strongest signals to your devices.
You can also use Wi-Fi extenders to get access to the internet in spots that struggle to keep a stable connection. Of course, extenders do not offer the best speed possible, but it is a solution for having an uninterrupted experience.
Use Ethernet
While all of us use Wi-Fi these days, they aren’t the most stable or fast of connections. It’s the cabled connections through the Ethernet that are faster and always more reliable. With a cable, you’ll be sending signals to your device directly without having to rely on over-the-air transmissions.
You should connect the devices you use the most or those that need the fastest connections through Ethernet like the TV, the gaming console, or your laptop or desktop. Cable connections are most suitable when you are watching data-heavy stuff on your device, like videos. Ethernet also offers far more secure connections than Wi-Fi.
Block ads
Wherever you go online, you come across innumerable ads, pictures, GIFs, and auto-played videos as almost every content provider displays them. While you might not be too flustered by them, they slow down your internet connection significantly.
Get yourself one of those ad-blocking plugins that shall prevent those data-heavy auto-play videos from playing on your device, giving your internet connection some much-needed breathing space.
Download a Virtual Private Network
You often experience slower internet speed during rush hour. It happens because your ISP slows down the internet intentionally to limit the bandwidth and avoid overloading. To discourage you from being online, your ISP slows down the sites you visit most often. However, a more typical situation is that ISP detects bandwidth-heavy activities. Gaming and streaming are one of the heaviest. Thus, these activities are typically the ones to be slowed down.
To avoid this, it is suggested that you download a VPN. A VPN encrypts information about your internet traffic. That way, your ISP won’t know what you are doing online, and without knowing which services to throttle, it’ll refrain from throttling any. Hiding your IP address also enhances your online security and privacy as it prevents your online tracking.
Conclusion
A fast and stable internet connection has become even more important for all of us in recent times with the world moving online, both professional and personal. It helps us stay connected with the world outside, and having access to up-to-date information is important. Fast and reliable internet is our window to the world: something we can’t do without. Our tips to help improve your home internet connection helps you get a better performing one, both a necessity and a pleasure.
