Few things are more frustrating than buffering videos and laggy video calls. Before you blame your internet provider, check these common Wi‑Fi killers.
1. Router placement matters
Wi‑Fi signals degrade through walls, floors, and large furniture. Place your router centrally, elevated, and away from metal objects (like filing cabinets or mirrors) and appliances (microwaves are notorious).
2. Interference from neighbours
In densely populated areas, dozens of Wi‑Fi networks overlap, causing congestion. Modern routers can automatically switch to less crowded channels, but sometimes manual selection helps. The 5 GHz band is usually less congested than 2.4 GHz.
3. Outdated router firmware
Router manufacturers release updates to fix bugs and improve performance. Log into your router's admin page and check for firmware updates — it takes five minutes and can make a noticeable difference.
4. Too many devices
Every phone, tablet, smart speaker, and IoT gadget competes for bandwidth. If you have 20+ devices on an entry‑level router, it may struggle. Consider upgrading to a mesh Wi‑Fi system for whole‑home coverage.
5. Old network cables
If you're using wired connections, old Cat5 cables can bottleneck your speed to 100 Mbps. Upgrade to Cat5e or Cat6 for gigabit speeds.
Still having issues? Computer Technical Solutions offers Wi‑Fi surveys and network optimisation — we'll get you back to full speed.