Here are 7 simple, cheap, and practical tips to help you connect to the Internet quickly without having to wait for your streaming videos to buffer.
Everyone wants faster internet. However, there is a lot of information and a lot of possible solutions to try, and not all of them work. Some tips are just fake and others are technical and/or expensive.
We are here to help you make your internet cheaper and faster without spending a million hours understanding how your router works. We have seen everything from your router to your browser and your internet provider. Let’s dig into it!
Consider Your Data Limit
Data limits are one of the biggest causes of slow internet speeds. Your ISP doesn’t advertise the data limit for obvious reasons, but it can seriously ruin your connection.
The data limit means that you can use a certain amount of data (hundreds of megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes) each month. If you exceed your data limit, your ISP will severely limit your internet speed. And you will notice the drop in speed.
If you’re not sure if there is a data limit, check your invoice. Maybe you will, and it is explained in fine print. If you exceed your monthly data limit, talk to your provider about a plan with a higher data limit.
Give Your Router a Break
Reset your router every month to give your device a break and update your internet connection. If you are experiencing serious speed issues, we recommend that you reset your router daily.
If any modem is disconnected from the router, reset it as well. Resetting your modem will stimulate your connection to your ISP.
Resetting your router and modem doesn’t magically turn your sloth of a connection into a cheetah. But it helps-and it’s a very simple fix.
Reposition Your Router
If your internet router is in a remote corner of your house, it is time to reposition it. If your router’s Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach you, you will be having trouble connecting to your internet. Place your router in the middle of your house, preferably on the floor where you spend most of your time. If you always spend your time in the living room on the ground floor, keep your router at the same height.
Hook Your Device(s) To Ethernet Cables
Everyone uses Wi-Fi these days, which is great. Wireless connections are great and convenient, but they are not always fast. Wired connections like Ethernet are always faster and more reliable than wireless connections. The cable sends the signal directly to the device rather than relying on wireless transmission.
Whenever possible, use an Ethernet cable to connect your most important devices to the Internet.
Connect these devices to an Ethernet cable:
- TV set
- PlayStation, Xbox, or other game consoles
- Laptop or desktop computer
Cable connections are especially suitable if you tend to watch data-intensive media such as video on your TV.
Oh, and there’s another bonus. Ethernet is automatically more secure than Wi-Fi. If you want to keep your banking information completely private, Ethernet is the best option.
Block Those Ads
Almost all content providers display ads. Everywhere online, you’ll find endless ads, photos, GIFs, and auto-play videos.
Even if you don’t mind seeing ads, your internet connection will. Advertising media slows down your internet connection and may be the easiest way is to block. Installing an ad-blocking plugin to stop these high data content auto-play videos will free up some air for your internet connection.
Use Streamlined Browsers
If you are like us, you always keep dozens of tabs and windows open in your browser. However, all of this open media can slow down your internet connection, so use a backup browser such as Opera.
Opera optimizes all the data on your website to provide a faster browsing experience. We don’t recommend using Opera daily, but you need to look into it if your Wi-Fi connection is particularly bad.
Install a Virus and Malware Scanner
We strongly recommend that you install antivirus and malware scanning software if you have not already done so. Viruses and malware lurking in your computer can seriously affect the speed of the Internet. In addition, you usually need to install protective software.
Summing Up
We can all benefit from speeding up our internet connection. These tips will hopefully help you to speed up your internet connection. However, before applying these tricks, you need to have a good connection. Sign up for Windstream Internet Service to enjoy browsing the web at breakneck speeds.