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Teleworking? 5 Tips to Improve Your Internet Speed at Home

Try these tricks from the FCC to enhance the performance of your Wi-Fi, router

By
Katherine Skiba
 
Comments
Published June 16, 2022
How to Increase Your Internet Speed at Home

For millions of Americans, working from home is here to stay even as many return part of the week to a central office.

If you’re among them, you rely on your home internet not only for telework but also to relax after work with video games and streaming video services. With all the additional traffic on your home network, has your internet speed suffered? Probably.

But before you look at upgrading your plan, take a look at five tips from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on maximizing your at-home network performance.

1. Check your internet plan

What speed of service do you subscribe to and is it sufficient to meet new demands? FCC consumer guides on household broadband use and broadband speeds may help determine your home internet-usage needs.

2. Test your speed

You can download broadband speed-test apps or visit speed-test websites to check your current broadband download and upload speeds, measured in megabits per second (Mbps).

If your speeds are slower than expected, contact your internet service provider for troubleshooting tips and to learn if a nearby outage or service disruption is affecting your speeds. A router reboot — power it off and turn it back on — may resolve a problem.

If those tips don't work, you may have an equipment issue, such as an outdated router. Search the router's model number to see if it's capable of providing your subscribed speeds. 

3. Assess in-home connectivity

Most households with internet service use the Wi-Fi (wireless) service on a router. When many wireless devices are using the same Wi-Fi network, it can create lag, or slower responses.

Modern wireless routers often have two or more Wi-Fi signals: one in the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band and one in the 5 GHz band. The higher a GHz number, the faster a processor can run and process data.

The 2.4 GHz connections generally offer broader coverage, but they process data less quickly than 5 GHz connections. And 2.4 GHz is also the frequency on which many household devices and most Wi-Fi routers operate. If you see a list of other Wi-Fi networks available in your router's Wi-Fi settings, your performance could be impacted by those neighboring networks.

Routers that use a 5 GHz connection are faster, but their signal covers a shorter range than 2.4 GHz bands. In addition to faster speeds, the 5 GHz band may be less crowded and offer more stable connections.

If you haven't upgraded your router for a few years, take a look at Wi-Fi 6, the latest standard. The technology was created to deal with the demands of 4K televisions and ultra-high resolution video as well as other devices associated with smart home technology, such as home security systems, video doorbells and Wi-Fi connected smart lightbulbs.

Quick tip: A direct ethernet cable connection between your router and a device that accesses the Internet—such as a cord connecting your laptop and router — will provide the highest speeds.

Consider dedicating the 5 GHz network on your router to your most important uses, such as telework or school work. Change the password or manage the devices that access your Wi-Fi network to keep nonessential devices from connecting. For more advanced network partition options, consult your router's manual.

To maximize Wi-Fi coverage in your home, place the router in a central location. A Wi-Fi range extender or a system of mesh network routers also can improve Wi-Fi signal strength throughout your home.

A direct ethernet cable connection between your router and a device that accesses the Internet — such as a cord connecting your laptop and router — will provide the highest speeds and alleviate Wi-Fi congestion issues. If your laptop or other Internet device such as a streaming TV or gaming system does not have an ethernet port, consider using a USB ethernet adapter.

4. Set up a schedule

Even the latest Wi-Fi routers with fast service speeds can get bogged down by a family trying to do multiple things at once: stream video, play graphics-intensive games, use virtual private networks (VPNs) and video conference.

Set guidelines with your family and discuss daily schedules to prioritize usage and avoid performance issues. If your job offers flexible hours, you may be able to work around high-traffic times on your home network.

Quick tip: Another way to alleviate home Wi-Fi network congestion is to disconnect your cellular devices from your Wi-Fi network.

5. Explore your options

If you get a good cellular signal in your home, another way to alleviate home Wi-Fi network congestion is to disconnect your cellular devices from your Wi-Fi network. You may be able to use your cellular device as a mobile hot spot through which you can connect noncellular devices, such as a laptop, to your cellular service.

But before switching any of your devices to cellular-only service, check your cellular data plan to make sure you won't exceed data caps and incur overage charges. You also can explore options for fixed wireless service or other cellular alternatives in your area.

Quick tip: Set guidelines with your family and discuss daily schedules to prioritize usage of computer devices. and avoid performance issues.

If you're not seeing congestion on your in-home Wi-Fi network, turning on Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi calling from your smartphone can conserve data and reduce potential congestion on mobile networks. It can also help prevent data overage charges on your mobile phone plan.

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