Wi-Fi slowing down while working from home? Try these five fixes

Chennai: Higher day-time traffic on broadband internet due to work-from-home for professionals and study-at-home for students could be clogging up the network. Here’s what you can do to get better connectivity.

1) The first and simplest thing to do: Turn off your router/modem for 10 seconds and switch it back on.

This is not a gimmick. It works just as when you reboot a phone or computer. Any bugs that might have developed will be fixed by restarting the device.

2) Check if the router/modem is overheating

Unplug the device until it cools down a bit. This will obviously need more than a 10-second reboot.

3) Clean the device

The vents that cool the router could be clogged up with dust. Use cotton buds to clean the vents. With the vents unblocked, the router/modem is likely to perform better.

4) Move your router closer to your workspace

The network range may be limited. So, moving the router to a spot closer to your work desk could help. Or, add more access points. Newer routers let you do that so you can have stronger Wi-Fi signals in several spots in your house. You need to check with your internet service provider (ISP) to get this done.

5) Connect directly to the router with a cable

If things are desperate enough to make the wireless a wired connection, such as when you need to get on that important video conference, use an ethernet cable to plug in directly to the router for an uninterrupted session.

Alternatively, you could check how many other devices are using the Wi-Fi—your children’s tablets, everyone’s phones and laptops and the smart TV. For the duration of the Skype or FaceTime call, disconnect all other devices from the network.

If none of these fixes work, you might need to upgrade to an ISP that provides up to last mile connectivity using fibre-optic cables, rather than regular cables. Or you could upgrade your router.

Also, as you know, different broadband plans offered by internet service providers come with different speeds. A more expensive data plan will likely give you better speed. So, a plan upgrade is also something to consider.