How Wi-Fi works
There are a range of factors around the home that can influence your Wi-Fi speed.
Common causes of slower speeds:
- Dense objects: If a dense object is located between the modem and your device(s), this will interfere with (or severely weaken) your Wi-Fi signal. Examples of dense objects include refrigerators, filing cabinets, televisions, brick / marble walls, copper plumbing and mirrors.
- Bodies of water: Radio signals from wireless or cordless devices cannot properly penetrate through bodies of water. They can be distorted by the presence of common household items such as a fish tank or hot water system.
- Wireless interference: Interference can be caused by any electrical device but most commonly microwaves, base stations of cordless telephones, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices and car door remotes.
- Multiple users: The more devices and users connected to your Wi-Fi, the more likely your connection speed will slow down. You can see who’s connected to your Wi-Fi by following these steps
You can find out if there are issues impacting your Wi-Fi by connecting a device, like a laptop, directly to your modem via an Ethernet cable. Check whether the device is getting a strong connection speed by performing a speed test.
If your Wi-Fi is running slow while you’re using the Ethernet cable, try these troubleshooting tips:
If you’ve tried the troubleshooting tips above and your speed is still slow while connected using an Ethernet cable then it’s unlikely to be a Wi-Fi issue. If this is the case, you can also try these options: