How can I improve my Internet at Home?

Many times I get asked, “How can I improve my Internet at Home?”, and then I run through the following checklist to identify what might be the problem. In the future, I hope to send them a link to this post to see if this can reduce

• Is it Device specific? – Is it only one computer\tablet\laptop or is it all of them?
  • If it is a specific Device, how far is it from the Wifi Router? If its farther away, try moving it closer to see if the speed improves
  • If its a single device that is using a network cable, Have you tried a different cable?
  • If its a single device, you may want to identify how old it is and if
  • If its all devices, then answer the following questions
• What type of Router are you using (This is the box that shares your internet, Wifi Router\Modem)?
  • Is it provided by the Internet Provider?
    • How old is it? If its over 5 years may want to ask your Provider for a new one
  • If its your Router, what firmware version is it using?
    • FIrmware is the version of software its using from the manufacturer, sometimes they need to be updated due to new or revised internet protocols
    • To get it updated, lookup the instructions online and find the credentials to log in and perform the update (or Call us)
    • How old is it? If its over 5 years you may want to just purchase a new one
• Who is your internet Provider and what type of Internet are you paying for?
  • Find your Internet bill and review the service you are paying for
  • Use a speed test website to identify how fast your internet, such as www.speedtest.net
  • If you are paying for 10Mbps and you are only seeing 1 or 2 Mbps then you need to call your provider and let them know you are not getting the performance you are paying for

Sometimes I just install some software on our customers computers and then I can troubleshoot for them. This can be more efficient especially if the performance issues is costing you money.