
One of the things that the COVID pandemic taught many people is that they rely on the internet more than they think. More people had to work from home and take classes from home than at any other time, which meant that internet connections have needed to be at a speed that supports the tasks performed. There are people who have already been working from home and are accustomed to the internet service speeds that are needed, but for many people, businesses have asked that workers make adjustments in order to prevent the spread of the virus. Aside from elementary to high schools, many colleges and universities have asked students to take classes online so that they aren't on school campuses. This has meant that instead of one person working from home and using the internet, multiple people could use the internet at one time. As more people use the internet, the speeds tend to slow, which can result in work not being submitted as quickly as it should.
What's Needed
Many internet providers started seeing the need for an increase in speed across the country. Most homes used the internet for basic school activities, playing games, watching movies, and general work throughout the week before the pandemic started. When the internet system is put under pressure, it can mean that the bandwidth that's available is stretched too far. This can result in internet failures or speeds that slow to a crawl. For many households, they've relied on fast internet in order to get paid or to make sure children pass their classes. Fortunately, there are some ways to speed up the internet connection in your home or office.
Bandwidth
The first piece of information to consider is the bandwidth. Use this bandwidth monitoring tool to keep an eye on your usage. It will also help you increase speed and get rid of any bottlenecks. Basic tasks that are performed online require a lower bandwidth than watching a lot of videos, participating in video calls, and all of the work that needs to be performed for an employer. When you subscribe with an internet provider, you'll likely see that your speed is measured in megabits per second (Mbps). Streaming a video usually takes about 20 Mbps. If there are a few people who are on a zoom call or who are watching videos for work or school, then this can pose a problem if you don't have high internet speeds. If you feel that your provider isn't telling you the proper speed that you're really getting, then one way that you can speed up your connection is by switching to another provider who is upfront about the speeds that are available. You should also look for a provider who offers fiber optic connections as this will be faster and more reliable.
Manage Usage
If you have children in the home, then you might not have a lot of wiggle room for when they need to log into their classes. However, if you know when you have to work or when children have to complete assignments, then you can make a schedule for when everyone uses the internet so that you're not online all at one time. Try to avoid getting online late in the evening as some providers tend to slow down their service at this time. Morning hours are often better as there usually aren't as many people using the services that are available within the overall network. While on your devices, close everything that you don't need as this can take away from the overall speed as well. Look at all of the equipment that you have to ensure that it's functioning as it should. A wired system can sometimes increase your internet speed as well. All you would need to do is connect an Ethernet cord to the router and your computer.