Slow internet at home?

With the recent shift of business now asking staff to work from home, the reliance on internet connectivity has grown furthermore towards business continuity. Whether simple email correspondence, or a bandwidth demanding video conference, having a stable internet connecting is essential.

At the same time, more people working from home means more people sharing the internet connection which will result in  slower speeds.

Due to COVID-19 the NBNco has increased capacity by approximately 40%, and have started posting transparent reports on their website.

There are several things you can do to help improve home internet at these times with these simple steps:

Check your internet speed

The first thing to know is what speed and plan you are getting with your current internet service provider (ISP). The most common connections in Australia are NBN, ADSL2+, Cable, and 4G. Megabits are commonly used for measuring internet speed.

There are many websites you can use to check your internet speed over the web. Speedtest by Ookla is the most widely used speed testing tools.

Most ISP’s advice is that their connection will slow down during evenings, which is referred to as peak time (when most people are at home, streaming content or playing games) between 7pm – 11 pm.

Upgrade your plan accordingly if you experience slowness but make sure you are getting the speed you are eligible with your plan.

Restart your router

A simple fix like switching your router OFF then back ON again could do trick sometimes. Make sure to wait for at least 5 second before turning it back ON.

It may not work all the time, but it is worth a try before checking other things.

Optimise router location

It is very important to find a suitable location to place your router where it visible and without any obstruction, especially if connecting via Wi-Fi. It is recommended to place it in an open location where devices have line of sight. Always sit the router upright as it is intended by the manufacturer.

Use a wired connection

It is best to use an Ethernet cable to connect your computer with the router to get the best speed. A wired connection provides faster transfer of data and it is less likely to lose connection.

If you would like our help reviewing your home connection to make sure it’s meeting your working from home requirements – please contact us on 1300 735 926 or email us at support@pkcg.com.au.