It can be very frustrating to be slowed down by sluggish internet, and if you’re one of the many people now working from home, it can cause you to be less productive.

A slow intent can mean that your picture and sound are always the ones cutting out during video calls and can make it look like you’re getting less work done, even though you’re working more hours.

Most people enjoy the flexibility of working from home at least part of the workweek, and a problematic internet connection can make remote work more challenging.

97.6% of surveyed employees say they would like to work from home at least some of the time for the rest of their careers.

When you work from a home office, you may not have the same network support that took care of everything at the company office, but there are some things you can do to try to speed up slow internet at your home office.

Check Your Actual Internet Speed Against Your ISP Plan

First, take a look at whether or not you’re getting the internet speeds that you were promised by your internet service provider and plan.

You can check online through sites like speedtest.net or fast.com. Your ISP may also have an internet speed test page.

Compare that speed to the speed you should be getting according to your internet plan. If it’s slower than expected, call your internet provider to ask what you should do. In some cases, they may have upgraded their modems and lines, and swapping out your older modem for a new one can fix the issue.

Reset Your Router & Modem

If you haven’t reset your router or modem in a while, try unplugging and resetting both. This can sometimes improve speed issues.

Do the same for your computer if it hasn’t been rebooted in a while. Many people put their PCs to “sleep” each night, but that’s not the same as a reboot, which can clear out the memory and other resource-hogging items.

Reposition Your Router or Upgrade to a Mesh Network

Check the signal bars on your device’s Wi-Fi icon. It could be that your router is not well-positioned, your home office is too far from the router, or there is a solid object getting in the way of the signal (large furniture, solid block wall, etc.).

You want to have a clear path to your Wi-Fi signal to get optimum speeds. If you have a larger home or a home on multiple levels, consider upgrading to a mesh network. These networks use multiple Wi-fi nodes in addition to the main router to extend a strong signal throughout your home.

A mesh network can eliminate speed problems due to signals being blocked or signals that are too far from the main router.

Check for “Bandwidth Hogging” Applications

Certain applications or webpages can take up bandwidth causing your internet connection to slow down. For example, if you have a backup going on in the background or a large download or upload, this can cause all your other internet activities to become sluggish.

Another bandwidth hog is ads that are embedded in webpages, especially those video ads that often auto-play. Even an ad that is small in size can take up a lot of your bandwidth, especially when there are multiple similar ads on the same page.

Address things that might be causing you to slow down by scheduling backups or large downloads during non-working hours. For web page ads, try installing a reliable ad blocker in your browser.

Use Quality of Service (QoS) Bandwidth Allocation Rules

Is anyone at your home using an application that might be hogging all the bandwidth? For example, your video calls might be getting cut off because someone else in your family is streaming Avengers End Game in the next room.

Home networks can often get overcrowded, especially when everyone is home due to the pandemic. There is a way to put a “traffic cop” in place that can prioritize your work internet traffic over less essential bandwidth traffic, and it’s called Quality of Service (QoS).

QoS is a set of rules that you add to your router that tell it which applications or devices you want to have first priority when it comes to bandwidth allocation. Using QoS can often fix slow internet for your critical applications and speed your work up considerably.

Use an Ethernet Connection Where Possible

When you can connect directly to the modem through an ethernet cable, you free up the Wi-Fi demand. Plus, an ethernet connection is faster than a wireless connection because you don’t have any potential interference and you’re directly wired into the modem.

If it makes sense according to your home office arrangement, connect your computer to your modem through a wired connection and enjoy faster internet that doesn’t have any signal interference problems.

Get Help Improving Your Home Wi-Fi Network

Don’t suffer from slow Wi-Fi at home! GEEK911 can help your Silicon Valley area home office with optimized Wi-Fi solutions to ensure you’re getting the best speeds and security.

Schedule a consultation by calling 1-866-433-5411 or reach us online.