Are you experiencing slow internet speeds, buffering, lag, or frequent disconnections? Here are a few tips to try and resolve common internet problems:
Check your internet speed to see if there’s a significant gap between the speed to your router and the speed of your internet plan. Learn more about internet speeds.
You can test the internet speed to your router using the MyFrontier app. You can also test the Wi-Fi speed to your device using speedtest.frontier.com.
Before testing your speeds, it’s best to turn off all other connected devices. If you’re testing a wireless device, move the device closer to your router. If you’re testing a device connected to your router with an ethernet cable, you’ll get more accurate results anywhere in your home.
After you’ve tested your internet speed, the next step is to check your home network and how it’s set up. Here are some common home network issues and how to fix them:
1. Too much distance between your router
The distance between your Wi-Fi router and Wi-Fi-connected device is important for signal strength. The farther you are from the router, the weaker the signal becomes, which can lead to slower speeds and connectivity problems.
Try to keep your router in a central place in your home. Depending on your home’s size, layout, and construction, you may need to add Wi-Fi extenders to expand your network coverage. Learn more about Wi-Fi extenders here.
2. Signal interference
If your Wi-Fi network uses the same channel as nearby Wi-Fi networks, wireless channel interference may slow your connection. This can be fixed by occasionally restarting your router by turning it off, waiting a moment, and turning it back on. After it’s restarted, your router will scan for the least congested channel to optimize your wireless connection.
Your Wi-Fi signal could also experience interference from physical objects like large appliances and electronics, and your home’s wall and floor composition . Signals can weaken as they travel through these obstructions, so keep your router in an open, unobstructed area.
3. Outdated devices
Devices like your smartphone, tablet, or connected TV may not support the latest Wi-Fi technology. For example, some older devices can only operate on a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi connection and reach average speeds of 150 Mbps or less, even if you have 1 Gig internet or higher.
If you live in a larger home or experience Wi-Fi dead spots, you’ll need Wi-Fi extenders to expand your network’s coverage. Learn more about setting up and optimizing extenders in your home.
If you’re adding extenders to your home network, consider upgrading to a high performance mesh Wi-Fi network with the fastest, most reliable Wi-Fi technology.
Another cause of slow internet, buffering, and lag is an internet plan with low bandwidth. Bandwidth is the maximum rate that data can be transferred over an internet connection at any given time. If you have a lot of people using the internet in your home on multiple devices, you need a plan with high bandwidth that can handle all of those users and devices.
Here are some more considerations when evaluating your internet plan:
Learn more about what your internet speed is capable of. Or, chat with us to explore a new internet plan.
If you tried all of the tips above and still have internet issues, please visit our troubleshooting page. Troubleshooting can rule out problems like an outage, or an issue with your router or equipment.
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