Low speeds or inconsistent connections may be caused by circumstances unique to your home Internet connection. Do things seem to move slowly? To test your connection, go to a website like fast.com. Here are some suggestions for people to try at home to improve their performance:

Boost your Home Internet Speed in 5 Ways

1. Activity that has an impact on your home internet speed

• Have multiple devices connected to your home internet at once. Every connected device in your house consumes some bandwidth.
• Streaming, gaming, videoconferencing, and downloading large files are all activities that consume a lot of bandwidth at the same time.
• Wi-Fi connection established. A wired connection is usually faster.
• Other Wi-Fi networks’ interference
• There are too many people connecting to the same website or app at the same time.
• The amount of VPN traffic you send can cause your local bandwidth to be consumed. Global Protect is typically only required when accessing LC-hosted services such as LC Files. If you do not require VPN services, disconnecting from Global Protect may increase your security. Performance

2. Methods for potentially increasing internet speed:

• Transfer messaging and social media apps to other devices.
• When using conference apps, turn off the video.
• Every now and then, restart your router. The router, also known as the gateway, is the device that receives the “feed” from your home internet service and distributes it to the computers and devices to which it is connected. Although the router may have a reset button, unplugging it for 5-10 seconds is recommended to ensure that the router’s cache is cleared.
• Keep your gateway and devices away from metal objects and common sources of interference like baby monitors and microwaves.
• Bring Wi-Fi devices closer to the router. The greater the distance between them, the weaker the signal and the slower the speed.
• Place your Wi-Fi gateway in the center of your home or office. It provides better coverage if it is kept upright and off the floor. Here’s a video that shows some things to think about when positioning your router.
• Install a Mesh System in your home, which uses multiple connected pieces of hardware to increase the range and signal strength of your Wi-Fi signal.
• Wi-Fi should only be used with devices that lack wired connection ports, such as smartphones and tablets.
• If necessary, use a Wi-Fi extender to improve coverage and signal strength.
• Upgrade your broadband plan with your internet service provider or file a complaint if the speeds you see on a speed testing service are lower than what you’re paying for.

3. Hardware tips

• Turn off internet-connected devices when you’re not using them.
• Clear the cache and cookies from your browser.
• After watching a video or listening to music, exit the streaming app.
• Regularly restart devices.
• Turn off the app, gaming console, and computer auto-updates.
• Anti-virus software, drivers, firmware, and computer and device software should all be updated.
• Replace old Wi-Fi devices with newer, faster Wi-Fi technology.

4. Software tips

When using Zoom videoconferencing with a VPN, the performance of your home internet connection may suffer. Only use Global Protect/VPN when accessing files and applications that are only available on the Lewis & Clark network.

Charge your laptop battery or plug it in. When laptop batteries run low, performance suffers as a power-saving measure.

If you have poor audio quality when using Zoom, you can reduce your bandwidth usage by using the phone numbers provided by the meeting host to access audio via telephone rather than your computer.

5. Use an Ethernet cable

We forget that wires still exist! Wi-Fi is not required. In most cases, a wired connection to your router is preferable to a wireless one. It’s more stable and faster, and it’s not affected by other devices or large fish tanks. The disadvantage is that it restricts the location of your devices and makes them less convenient.

Still, for hardware that requires the fastest internet possible—say, a gaming console, desktop PC, or streaming box—running a wire is often well worth the effort. The router will have plenty of Ethernet ports, so all you’ll need is a cable.

You’ll need some cable management if you want to do a really neat job and avoid having wires trailing across your floor. Small brackets like these ($11 for a pack of 40) hold the Ethernet cable in place. These walls mount ($10 for a pack of 50) work well if you have several cables running in the same direction. It may be worth the extra setup for one or two gadgets.