Summary
Your router/modem connects to the internet using nearby cell towers. Your internet speed depends primarily on the strength of your signal and, to some extent, tower congestion in your area. This guide will help you optimize your router placement for the best possible speeds and troubleshoot slow performance.
Optimizing Router Placement
To maximize your speeds, follow these steps:
- Place your router in the window facing the direction on your welcome card (or start with any window).
- Connect a device to the router’s WiFi and run a speed test at speedtest.net. Record the results.
- Move the router to a window facing a different direction, unplugging and plugging it back in each time.
- Repeat the speed test and record your results at each window facing North, South, East, and West.
- Choose the window location where you recorded the fastest download speed and keep your router there.
Troubleshooting Slow Speeds
If your speeds are still slow after optimizing placement, the issue may be due to weak signal or network congestion.
Identifying the Issue
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If upload speeds are equal to or higher than download speeds (e.g., 10 Mbps download, 30 Mbps upload), network congestion is the likely cause.
- Solution: Contact our support, and we'll see if a different carrier is available in your area. If there's an alternative carrier, we can switch you to that and it should resolve the issue.
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If download speeds are higher than upload speeds (e.g., 80 Mbps download, 10 Mbps upload), the issue is likely weak signal.
- Solution: Contact our support team first - we can research your location and identify potential alternative carriers in your area. We can switch your device to a different carrier to see if this improves your speeds without needing additional equipment. If carrier switching doesn't resolve the issue, we'll help you with installing a booster or external antenna to improve signal strength.
Next Steps
- If speeds improve after optimizing placement, no further action is needed.
- If speeds remain slow, reach out to our customer service and we'll help you troubleshoot further to optimize your speeds.