Nothing is more frustrating than slow Wi-Fi when you’re trying to run your business. Most, if not all of your daily tasks need to be completed online, and waiting for pages and apps to load will slow you down.
If you have an office full of employees, slow Wi-Fi will be a barrier to their productivity as well.
If you’re experiencing setbacks due to slow internet, a managed IT provider can help. If you don’t have managed services, try the following solutions to speed up your connection.
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Get Wi-Fi 6E
Not all Wi-Fi is the same, and sometimes it’s your choice of hardware that determines your speed. Standard routers used to be sufficient, but are quickly becoming obsolete in terms of current business needs.
In 2021, Wi-Fi 6 was rolled out and added new features to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, and in 2022, Wi-Fi 6E was deployed to run on 6 GHz. If you haven’t upgraded, doing so will greatly improve your experience.
Why upgrade to Wi-Fi 6? The short answer is that Wi-Fi 6E increases bandwidth, capacity, and security, all of which contribute to a faster internet connection for your business.
The more bandwidth your employees use, the slower the connection becomes for everyone. By increasing bandwidth, more people can use resource-intensive applications at the same time without sacrificing speed.
For example, you can have ten employees on separate video conference calls at once and each person will experience normal internet speeds.
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Hardwire employee devices
When your Wi-Fi is slow, but you don’t have the budget to upgrade your connection or hardware, your best option is to hardwire employee devices directly to the router. Cabled Ethernet connections provide a faster connection and are more reliable than wireless.
Depending on how many workers you have, you might not be able to hardwire everyone, since most routers only allow an average of four wired connections. However, you can prioritize an Ethernet connection for employees who need faster speeds than others.
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Upgrade your internet connection
If you’re currently using DSL for your business, your connection is slow. A DSL connection works through phone lines, and although it’s much faster than dial-up, it’s not ideal when employees need to download or upload files, stream videos, or join conferences.
Find out if you can get cable internet in your area. Even though cable internet has been around for many years, the infrastructure is still unavailable in certain areas. So, if you can’t get fiber optic cable internet, your next option is satellite internet like Starlink.
The downside to satellite internet is that you need to buy all the hardware and install it yourself. You’ll need to identify the optimal spot to mount the hardware and you might need to adjust it based on the weather or if there are any trees or bushes interfering with the signal. However, satellite internet can be as fast (or faster) than cable, and it’s great for rural areas.
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Use a VPN if you’re being throttled
Internet service providers (ISPs) are notorious for throttling speeds, despite the fact that customers pay for a plan that promises specific speeds. Unfortunately, this is legal, and the only way around it is to use a VPN in your office. When everyone connects via VPN, your ISP can’t see your IP, which means they can’t throttle your connection.
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Move your router
Did you put your router in a closet, a closed room, or somewhere with metal walls like a free-standing cabinet? If your router is in a bad location, it won’t produce a strong signal and can end up dropping the connection and being slow. Move your router to a more central location closer to the people who need to connect.
It’s understandable if you don’t want to look at your router with a bunch of cables, but there are ways to make it look neat and tidy. If you hide your router in a cabinet made of metal, it will act as a Faraday cage and limit the router’s reach. The further away your router is from devices that need to connect, the harder it will be to stay connected and use the full speed potential.
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Change your router’s channel
Just like any other radiofrequency device, other nearby routers using the same channel will create congestion, which slows down internet speeds for everyone. Every router has the option of switching channels, so try moving to channels 1, 6, or 11.
If your Wi-Fi is slow, your business is suffering
Slow internet hinders productivity and increases frustration among employees. If your team is experiencing slow Wi-Fi connections, prioritize boosting your speed. Fast internet will make your team more effective and will support your business in the long run.
