Your router is the box that connects your computers, phones, and tablets to the outside world. If your router is old or undersized for the number of devices you have, it can create a bottleneck. Here are a few essential things to keep in mind when assessing your router. These rules apply to home users or businesses alike, so read on!
It’s not uncommon for me to hear a complaint from a client about slow internet connection speeds. When I plug my testing equipment directly into the Internet Service Provider’s device, I often see the full speed they are paying for. So what’s the reason for slow speeds beyond the provider’s gear?
It’s often a fault of the Internet Router. The internet router is responsible for blocking unwanted/unrequested traffic from getting into your devices. A router provides basic firewalling services at a minimum. Simply stated: nothing gets in unless it was requested from the inside. This means that the router is VERY BUSY processing all the packets of information and deciding which ones should be let in and which ones should be dropped.
You can visit http://www.speedtest.net and see if you are getting the speed you are paying for. If not, here are the possible reasons:
- Your “off-the-shelf” router and not built for the number of devices you have connecting at once
- Your router is too old and can’t communicate at the speeds of your internet connection
- If Wi-Fi is slow, you may have a 54g network which is about 1/2 the speed of a 100MB speed modem
Need help to figure out network performance problems? Reach out to me at the contact info below, and we’ll be glad to help!