What is a connected device, and how many do you have?
Speaking of multitasking, let’s talk more about devices and how they affect your Wi-Fi. First of all, let’s determine how many connected devices are in your home (Wired and wireless). The obvious examples are smartphones, laptops/desktop computers, tablets (iPad), streaming devices (Roku), and gaming consoles (Xbox/PlayStation). The not-so-obvious devices are wireless printers, security cameras, baby monitors, any Wi-Fi enabled appliances, smart TVs, thermostats, lightbulbs and speakers (Amazon Echo). These devices are always connected to the internet and running in the background, so they are easy to forget about!
Now that we’ve cleared up what is exactly considered a connected device, let’s talk about how it affects your internet signal and speed. How well your Wi-Fi performs depends largely on the number devices that are connected, but also what you are using the internet for. Streaming, gaming, homework, work from home, shopping, surfing, the list goes on; your internet is working overtime these days!
In order to ensure your connection is working up to par, here are three things you can check:
1- The location of your router
Chances are your devices are used all around the house, heck, maybe even on the patio! Make sure your router is centrally located to reach all of those nooks and crannys. If you find it’s having a hard time reaching, you may need an access point to extend the signal. Give us a call and we can help you determine the best solution!
2- The age of your router
While you’re at it, it would be a good idea to make sure your router is up-to-date. If you aren’t sure how old your router is, you should be able to look up the model number to find out.
3- The actual speed you are getting- do a speed test!
If your device is directly plugged in with an Ethernet cable, you should be close to your subscribed speed. If you are connected via Wi-Fi, you should be getting around 80% of your subscribed speed. So, if you subscribe to 100 Mbps, you should get around 80 Mbps when connected to Wi-Fi. If you have multiple devices streaming and gaming simultaneously, they will all have to share that speed.
If you feel like your internet service isn’t able to keep up with your devices and usage- it may be time to upgrade your speed! Start a chat or give us a call to speak with a team member!