The real reason your internet is slow

We’ve been having a discussion recently about why our home internet sometimes isn’t what Charter/Spectrum advertises it as. You know what I’m talking about, right? They’ll say “120MB down” which means it should be pretty fast. Fast enough to handle streaming video/tv, social media usage, gaming console use, etc.

But for some reason, when there are a couple people using the Wi-Fi, it’s still so slooooowwww!

“Damn Charter,” the saying usually goes as we throw up our hands and give in because there’s not much we can do about it.

“Buy a bigger Wi-Fi router,” others will say, and then you go to the local big box store and pick up the latest and greatest router for another $120. “That will do it!”

Or will it?

There are a couple of problems with the above scenarios – neither of which will fix your slow internet issues.

First off, Charter’s speeds are pretty accurate to what they advertise. Yes, it’s frustrating that we can’t just take our business elsewhere, but if you have fiber and are told by Charter/Spectrum that you have high speed internet coming into your home, then chances are, you do.

“So, why does my speed test never register the speeds they say? Why does our internet always seem so slow?”

You’re probably actually getting interference in the wireless signal (not a slower connection speed into your home/office). Which means it’s your wireless router, not your internet connection.

Without getting into too much technical detail, slow speeds are likely because your wireless router is not configured properly (have you ever changed the default settings?). Most users of a wireless router aren’t familiar with the setting of the equipment, and may have been misled by retail clerks and equipment packaging that you just plug it in, follow the instructions, and off you go! But all you’re really doing is buying different equipment that’s going to have the same issues – default configuration settings and updates over time.

And – bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better if you are purchasing new equipment. You’re probably better off buying a router that serves a smaller area, and setting up a few different wireless access points in your home or office. That will help cut down on interference because the signals won’t have to go through as many walls, and won’t have as far to travel.

The other common thing we see is that the firmware on your router (the software that tells it what to do) needs to be updated. Just like a computer or your phone that goes through updates, other pieces of hardware need their software updates, too. We just don’t get notifications to remind us, and they aren’t set up to ‘auto-update’ like other software.

So – next time you find yourself yelling at Charter about slow internet, or yelling at the kids to get off the Wi-Fi, save your $120 on a new router and call us instead. We can help.