Wi-Fi has become so ubiquitous that some of us can no longer make money if it goes down. So it’s frustrating when such an important service is interrupted. So why does Wi-Fi slow down? Let’s take a look at what the problems might be.

Why does Wi-Fi slow down? We explain

1. Location of your Wi-Fi router

Where your Wi-Fi modem is located can directly affect your connection speed and performance. Putting your modem in the wrong place can lead not only to slow speeds, but also inconsistent performance and connection dropouts. Wi-Fi signals, especially Wi-Fi 6 and newer, are great at traveling through walls, but every object between your connected device and the modem causes a small reduction in signal quality.

For best results, place your modem on high ground and never leave it on the floor. Wall mounting may not be for everyone, but placing your modem on a table or shelf can have a significant impact on signal quality. Avoid placing the modem behind a TV or in a cabinet surrounded by sheets of metal.

2. Check your software settings

If you’re not careful when setting up the modem for the first time, you can end up setting up with some settings that sabotage your Wi-Fi performance. The first thing you should check is the 5GHz bandwidth, which is usually set to 80MHz by default. On Wi-Fi 6, an 80MHz connection can offer a connection speed of 1201Mbps, while 160MHz increases that speed to 2402Mbps. Coverage may be slightly reduced with 160MHz, but the extra bandwidth may be worth it for some.

If you have QoS settings enabled, you should also check these settings. QoS is designed to keep performance consistent to maximize speed. Enabling QoS can therefore cause a measurable drop in overall speed. Finally, when checking your settings, check for a firmware update, which may include performance fixes.

3. It may be time to replace the old modem

With more people watching videos on social media, making large downloads of games and watching 4K movies, we’re all probably using more data than ever before. And that includes many smart devices. Older modems can struggle to cope with all these connections, leading to poor performance.

While smart home devices only require a small amount of data, they can still slow down your network if there are too many of them. If you have a lot of smart home technology or a lot of people in your home, getting an AX5400 connection or a faster Wi-Fi modem can give you enough capacity to meet your needs.

4. Check your computer’s internal internet hardware

The connection speed of your Wi-Fi device may also be limited by outdated or cheap Wi-Fi technology in your computer. You may have bought an older model, or the manufacturer may have cut some corners; some PCs and motherboards unfortunately come with mediocre Wi-Fi solutions. Most desktops can be upgraded with something like the Asus PCE-AXE59BT, and some laptops still have an upgrade path too.

Another important point is that the antenna design in cheap or compact Wi-Fi adapters is not ideal. For example, a compact USB Wi-Fi adapter doesn’t have enough space for a large antenna, and because it is plugged into the USB port, the PC itself can block the signal. If you’re upgrading your desktop PC, using external antennas is the best way to go, even if they don’t look as neat in appearance.

Game consoles also often try to save a few bucks in this area. The PS5 includes Wi-Fi 1201 with a maximum speed of 6Mbps, while the Xbox Series X makes do with a Wi-Fi 5 module instead. Waiting a little longer for a game to download may not be the end of the world, but it is objectively slower than the PS5 in this area. Fortunately, you can cable all modern consoles with Ethernet to give them the best speeds.

5. Your internet can be really slow

Even if you get the speeds you pay for, they may no longer be enough if your needs have increased. A faster connection is needed to support multiple users, as this top speed will be split between all devices trying to get online.

A 100Mbps connection might be enough for a single person, but when two or more people start sharing, you can push the limit, especially if you are gamers downloading large files.

So you may need to switch to a tariff that gives you more download and upload speeds.