I am experiencing a slow Internet connection. What could be the cause of that?
A slow Internet connection may be caused by various factors. Here is an overview of the most common causes:
• Interference from other devices in the home or office.
• Interfering factors in the vicinity of the router, such as (certain) floors, walls, large metal objects, etc.
• Positioning of the router in such a way that the signal cannot reach the connected devices correctly.
• Positioning of the external antennas (if the router is equipped with them) in such a way that the signal cannot reach the connected devices correctly.
• The channel on which the router is transmitting is not sufficiently stable.
• The connected devices are not processing the transmitted signal adequately.
Interference from other devices
With a router, you create a network that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band. If you have a dual-band router, you can also establish a connection in the less crowded 5 GHz band.
The standard 2.4 GHz band is susceptible to interference, since many household appliances operate at the same frequency. These might include DECT phones, microwaves or baby monitors. Keep your router and any devices that you wish to connect wirelessly to away from devices that may cause interference.
Interfering factors
Since a wireless signal travels through the air, it may be impeded by obstacles between the transmitter (the router) and the receiver (e.g. a computer). These might include walls and ceilings. In particular, concrete with steel reinforcement may have an adverse effect on the range and quality of the signal. Metal objects (e.g. filing cabinets) may interfere with a signal in the same way. Bear this in mind when positioning the router.
Positioning of router
It is advisable to position the router as centrally as possible in your home or (home) office. This is because most routers transmit signals in a spherical pattern around themselves. If a router is located in a basement, attic or meter box, the signal has to pass through several walls and/or floors, which will adversely affect wireless performance.
Do not place the router too close to the floor. It is advisable to position the router high on a bookcase or to mount it on the wall. Furthermore, on account of interfering equipment, it is not a good idea to place the router in a meter box.
I am experiencing a slow Internet connection. What could be the cause of that?
Router with external antennas
Some Sitecom routers are equipped with external antennas that you can position yourself. It is important to position the antennas in different directions.
Viewed from above, each antenna transmits the signal in a circle, with the antenna being the centre point of this circle. If the two antennas are pointing at each other, the Internet signal will not be optimally distributed.
In addition, it is also possible to replace the antennas with stronger antennas. Sitecom has antennas that can be installed on routers (with external antennas) which can drastically improve the Internet signal. Click here for more information on the WL-031 Wireless Network Omni Antenna 10dBi.
I am experiencing a slow Internet connection. What could be the cause of that?
The channel on which the router is transmitting is not sufficiently stable
Most Sitecom routers communicate on the standard 2.4 GHz frequency, which has 13 different channels. Each wireless channel works on a different band, so the range varies.
It is not just network solutions, such as routers, computers and tablets, that use the 2.4 GHz frequency, but also other household appliances. These might include, for instance, microwaves, baby monitors, etc. It is possible that these devices in your home are all using the same channel, which will have an adverse effect on your wireless range.
In the event of a poor wireless range, it is advisable to change the router's channel. The range may then improve. It is impossible to say in advance which channel provides the best performance in any given situation. It is therefore advisable to try out all the channels one by one.
For more information, see How do I change the router's wireless channel?
Do you have a dual-band router that can transmit at a frequency of 5 GHz as well as 2.4 GHz? If so, we recommend you use the 5 GHz frequency. The 5 GHz frequency is less crowded, since there are fewer devices that communicate at this bandwidth. This will allow you to use a more stable wireless signal. Ideal for streaming HD videos and online gaming. Compared to the 2.4 GHz band, the 5 GHz band offers a less powerful range.
The receiving device is not processing the transmitted Internet signal correctly
It is possible that your router is working properly; the optimum channel has been set, the router is located in a central position in your home and interfering factors such as metal cabinets are not an issue. Nonetheless, your Wi-Fi connection is not stable (enough). In this situation, the problem is often related to the connected device (your laptop, PC, tablet, smartphone, etc.).
To determine whether the problem is with the router or with individual devices, we recommend that you connect the devices in your home to your router one by one and then check the connection.
Does one device have a good connection, but another does not? In that case, your router is probably working perfectly and the problem is associated with the device with the poor reception.
If the built-in Wi-Fi technology in your desktop PC or notebook is outdated, you can easily upgrade it by means of a wireless network adapter. Suppose you have a router in your home that is equipped with 300N technology, which can theoretically provide wireless speeds of up to 300 Mbps. If your notebook is equipped with the older 54g technology, which offers wireless speeds of up to 54 Mbps, then your notebook is the limiting factor. Make sure the connected devices can support your router’s speeds. For more information on wireless network adapters, click here.
