Slow internet speed has become one of the most frequent complaints received by broadband service providers. Studies show that most consumers currently experience Wi-Fi speeds that are only about 50% of their router’s maximum bandwidth.
The reason Wi-Fi speed does not meet expectations is related to these six factors.
1Wi-Fi Signal Congestion
When users access the internet through Wi-Fi, it’s like tuning into a radio station, using a fixed frequency wireless band. Therefore, the number of similar signal transmitting and receiving devices in the surrounding area significantly impacts the Wi-Fi experience.
“If you live in a central apartment building in the city, and there are hundreds of wireless networks within that building, this is almost the worst Wi-Fi environment.”
Even if your phone shows full Wi-Fi signal bars, the actual Wi-Fi signal may still be very slow, and devices like mobile phones, cordless phones, microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, and even wireless baby monitors can all affect Wi-Fi signal quality.
2Devices Cannot Send and Receive Data Simultaneously
Because Wi-Fi signals cannot send and receive data simultaneously, this access method produces more data latency than other methods. Additionally, many people using the same Wi-Fi channel simultaneously can greatly affect the Wi-Fi signal strength.
Moreover, if you are in an area with strong network signals, your router will continuously search for the best network channel, which can also cause network latency, and this is not a problem that broadband service providers can solve.
3Inherent Limitations
No matter how much Wi-Fi technology improves in the future, wireless connections will still struggle to surpass existing wired internet access modes.Wi-Fi will not completely replace wired internet connections; it is merely a more convenient networking solution.
4Background Processes
If Wi-Fi speed remains unimproved after excluding all the above factors,you might want to check if your software is auto-syncing data and photos, as this can significantly affect your Wi-Fi speed. Moreover, since these applications usually run silently in the background, many users might not even think of their existence.
5Router Placement
The placement of your wireless router has a significant impact on signal strength. For example, if you place the router next to a concrete wall, its signal strength will be greatly reduced.If possible, the best placement for the router is in the center of the room, on the ceiling(of course, many consumers do not have such conditions).
6Differences in Connected Devices
If your iPhone 4 Wi-Fi connection speed is not as fast as that of an iPhone X, do not be surprised, as the Wi-Fi connection speed is also greatly related to theinformation processing speed of the connected devices.
1. Upgrade your router to one that supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies. However, it should be noted that the 5GHz frequency signal has weaker wall penetration than 2.4GHz, and many older devices do not support this Wi-Fi frequency.
2. Use a channel viewer to check the Wi-Fi channel usage in your area and then choose a less congested channel.
3. If you have an unused wireless router, consider using it to extend or amplify the indoor Wi-Fi signal strength.
4. If your router has different power usage options, such as high and low power, usually the low power option will have better Wi-Fi signal strength.
Source: People’s Daily
Intern Editor: Liu Huiling
Editor: Yang Guihua
