Why Your WiFi Might Be Running Slower Than Usual

This article is sponsored by Aussie Broadband.

There’s no worse feeling than coming home after a long day of work, going to turn on your favourite show to relax and then having it stutter the entire way through. You’ll spend minutes troubleshooting on your end, but no immediate fix seems to work. Eventually, you just call it a night and pray it’s fixed by tomorrow.

To most people, WiFi is witchcraft, because let’s be honest with ourselves, most of us have no idea what’s going on. Here are the most common reasons why your internet might be running slower than usual, and how to fix it. 

Note: If you’re having issues with your WiFi, it’s worth reaching out to your service provider. Aussie Broadband for example has a team of experts you can contact for support if you’ve been having issues with your internet.

Network Congestion

If your internet is usually okay but you’re having issues now, this might be why.

Network congestion is when a network is overloaded with traffic, which slows down everyone’s Internet temporarily until the traffic stabilises.

ISPs often see huge spikes in downloads whenever a popular game issues a major update. Call of Duty downloads can sometimes exceed 100+GB, which can be an issue when an entire country wants the update all at the same time.

Hardware Issues

Troubleshooting hardware can be complex, as your issue could be niche, making a fix hard to find. For example, if your computer is struggling to connect to your WiFi, but your phone has a perfect connection, there may be something wrong with your computer’s network card.

If your device connects to the internet through a wireless network, meaning your device isn’t connected to the internet through an ethernet cable, you most likely have a network card, or a motherboard with an integrated network card. A network card can struggle to connect to your WiFi for a variety of reasons.

This was a personal issue I had for a number of years. My computer would inconsistently disconnect from my WiFi and cap my download speed at around 4 megabits per second. If I tried to exceed this limit, my computer would disconnect from the internet until I reset it. A solution a tech expert gave me was that my power supply in my desktop was too low, and that sufficient power wasn’t going towards my network card to maintain a stable connection. Upgrading to a higher voltage meant that my connection wouldn’t randomly drop out, but I still couldn’t download files or games past that 4 megabits per second cap.

A solution to the problem (or at least one that worked for me) was that I needed a USB network adapter to connect my computer to my modem’s dual-band WiFi network. Because my network adapter was older and had not been updated to keep up with modern modems, my computer was struggling to maintain its connection.

This is a hyper-specific example and it’s one I hope you don’t ever experience, but what I’m mentioning demonstrates a point. If you’ve been holding onto hardware for a good number of years, it’s worth taking stock and considering upgrading to more modern gear. Hardware issues can be extremely difficult to fix on your own due to the amount of variables involved. That’s why it’s important to talk to experts who know what they’re doing and try to find a solution together.

Wireless modem issues

If your internet starts playing up, more often than not, it’s worth checking in on your modem.

In the past, a simple fix like moving your modem was a pretty neat solution. If your house or apartment has brick walls, those walls can disrupt your internet connection in other rooms. This means you might need to move your modem or purchase a range extender so you can get the quality WiFi you paid for.

Other times, it might mean you need to upgrade your modem.

If you’re rocking a modem that’s a couple of years old, it’s usually good advice to upgrade your modem to a modern one.

If you’re still using the modem you got from your internet provider over five to eight years ago, it most likely can’t handle the demands needed now. Buying a new modem that you’ve researched can offer faster, more reliable WiFi. It can also help provide you with a more reliable experience if you’ve been experiencing frequent drop-outs.

If you’re looking for a great and modern wireless modem to upgrade to, Aussie Broadband offers the eero Pro 6E modem to its customers, which they can add on to your NBN plan. The eero Pro 6E is a tri-band mesh WiFi router capable of supporting gigabit speeds throughout your home. That means if you love streaming movies in 4K or gaming online, you’ll have some of the best download speeds you can get.

Unsuitable Internet Plan

If you’ve stuck with the same internet plan that you’ve had for the past five years, then you’re more than likely due for an upgrade. With more smart devices becoming integrated into our households, you may notice more network congestion. If this is happening to you, it could mean you’re not on a plan that is high-speed enough to handle them all, and it might be worth upgrading.

If your WiFi is stuttering, be sure to chat with your internet service provider to help find a solution. For example, if you’re a customer of Aussie Broadband, they can connect you with someone on their support team who can provide expert advice. If it ends up that your internet connection isn’t up to par, they can help you get sorted with an NBN plan that won’t leave you waiting with an existential crisis while a video buffers.