How to Find Out Why Your Private Wi-Fi is Lagging

In today’s tech world, your home Wi-Fi network is a life-saver: it prevents you from using endless data on your smartphone and driving up your cell phone bill at the end of the month; it provides you with a secure network for online banking, shopping, and communication; it allows you to look for a new job or home, or to even work from home — the possibilities are endless. However, we have all had issues with maintaining optimal Wi-Fi speeds while at home. Here are a few reasons why you might be experiencing trouble with your network and how you can fix it.

The first step is to officially check your connection speed. Use DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check feature to check the speed of your network. This feature will perform a connectivity test, allow you to check your download speed, and provide you with information on your DNS security and network security. Click here to test your Wi-Fi connection:

Wi-Fi Moochers

If you leave your Wi-Fi network public — i.e., without password-protection — then there will be a huge freeloader problem. Too much traffic on your Wi-Fi network will significantly reduce its speed, as there is only a finite amount of bandwidth available for your network. Be sure to make your Wi-Fi private, and closely monitor who is using the account. This will also make your network significantly more secure.

To do this, you’ll need to make sure that there is a viable security setting present on your Wi-Fi. Otherwise, your Wi-Fi will likely be slowed down, since open networks make it easy for people to steal your Wi-Fi. According to USA Today, WPA2 with AES is your best security option for Wi-Fi.

Old Equipment

Like all other technologies, Wi-Fi instruments are continuously evolving as the years go by. Thus, older Wi-Fi equipment is bound to be slower than the new, more developed equipment. Check the model of your Wi-Fi router to ensure that you have the latest and greatest version. Otherwise, your Internet will likely be slower than it should be.

Out of Range

Proximity is key when it comes to the strength of your Wi-Fi signal. As a result, it is imperative to ensure that you are relatively close to the Wi-Fi router. Too much distance from your router can result in incredibly low speeds and lag time. Make sure to move your router around the house a few times to find the optimal spot for its range.