One of the things that annoys users the most when browsing the Internet is that, suddenly, when you want to watch a video, it stops for a moment. This happens even with fiber, broadband and super fast connections. The causes can be varied, so we are going to review them in this article. why the internet is sometimes slow.
There are many reasons why the Internet can be slow, from the structure of the house to the number of users who are connected at the same time.
First of all, we need to perform a speed test. In them, we will find two important results: the download speed (how quickly data is received from the Internet) and the upload speed (how quickly data is sent to the Internet), measured in megabits per second. If the test we do shows us that we have a download speed of 100 MB per second, we should not have any problem watching a YouTube video or a movie on Netflix.
These are the reasons why your Internet may be slow:
-Number of users: The speed that we enjoy will also depend on the number of users that are connected to the same network at any given time. For example, if at the same moment, at home there is a person doing an online class, another playing online with the PlayStation, another making a WhatsApp video call and a fourth watching a movie on Netflix in high definition, the most normal thing is that the network suffers.
In this sense, if we want to avoid “cuts” or “interruptions” when everyone uses the network, we will be forced to contract a much higher connection, which meets the needs we have at home. We must bear in mind that Netflix recommends a minimum of 15 Mbps to enjoy content in 4K or Ultra HD.
-Structure and installation: Another factor that can affect the speed of the Internet at home is the structure of the house and the installation, something that we do not usually pay attention to.
The highest connection speed should be on our main router. If we find a slow speed in it, we can try to restart (in case it was a specific problem, since routers also store information in their memory, so they can accumulate errors that are solved by restarting). In case the problem persists, the problem could be in the housing infrastructure.
On the other hand, the speed of the Internet will be lower as we move away from the main router. Even if we use network extenders, the speed will be reduced. In this sense, the ethernet network always offers a more stable connection, while 2.4 GHz WiFi networks are more congested than 5 GHz.
-Infrastructure: Another factor that influences the speed of the Internet at home is the network infrastructure. For example, the speed that we will achieve with an ADSL network will not be the same as with a fiber optic network and, at the same time, the distance to the point of emission of the network will also affect the speed.
The Internet uses different types of cables such as fiber optics, coaxial or copper cable, as well as wireless cellular networks. Each of them offers very different uploads and downloads. The fastest networks are the fiber optic ones, especially those that take the cable to the house, since those that take the fiberglass to the nearest node (which is located somewhere in our neighborhood), are usually faster. slow.
Finally, ADSL networks, which use coaxial or copper cables, are the slowest. In this sense, in Spain almost no operator offers this connection and ADSL offers have been relegated to certain isolated areas where fiber optics still do not reach.
In the case of ADSL, the distance between the house and the connection node directly affects the speed of the Internet, so the closer we are to the node, the more speed we will have.
