Yes, we have a new router available.
Yes, we have a new router available.
Hello everyone, I'm seeking some guidance on why I experience such slow wireless connections at night. It's hard to stream a 144p video on YouTube when the speed drops significantly. During the day, my LAN connection is fast—100 Mbps download and 40 Mbps upload. On wireless, it drops to 20-30 Mbps, which should be much higher. At night, the connection becomes very unreliable, sometimes showing "internet unavailable." I'm frustrated with paying for such slow speeds and rarely get a good experience over Wi-Fi. Thanks, Karbzee.
You have a router ready to use. Your internet provider offers services like DSL, cable, fiber, and more.
I didn't realize I'm from Australia. My internet comes from a local company called "Southern Phone," which isn't the top ISP we could choose. I live with my mom, who isn't convinced to switch. They provide fiber plans (NBN) in Australia with speeds from 12/25 to 100/40. We have the 100/40 tier, but it's only available over LAN. Even though a small group got direct fiber connections at home, the router I'm using is a TP-Link TD-W8970 that can reach up to 300mbps.
ISP is the only one offering reliable wired connections. Wireless signals can be disrupted by various factors. Based on your location in Australia, it seems some builders use concrete structures, which aren't ideal for Wi-Fi. Wireless networks may also face interference from nearby Wi-Fi systems, microwave ovens operating at 2.4 GHz, walls (depending on construction), weather conditions, and other devices like Bluetooth gadgets, cordless phones, and baby monitors that use the same frequency. The distance from the access point also matters. For maximum performance, consider installing Ethernet cabling.
You can name it whatever you prefer. Usually, when wireless performance drops like this, it indicates some kind of interference is involved. It might be another router on the same channel or another device nearby. My suggestion is to switch to 5GHz if possible, as it’s less affected by interference. However, I remain confident in my earlier point. Ethernet offers a stable connection of up to 1Gbps over 100 meters (Cat 5e, Cat 6), whereas wireless performance varies significantly with distance and speed, which is what your ISP would say.
I share your view, but does the router model affect wireless performance and speed differences like 300nHz versus 750ac?
Perhaps. I've seen some discussions suggesting AC wireless gadgets might work slightly better and provide quicker connections. However, you'd also need compatible AC equipment. It's tough to say for sure. I didn't notice any noticeable signal change switching from a Wireless N 750 router to an AC 2600 model. If you own an Android phone, try installing a WiFi analyzer. Check the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz settings. Make sure you're using channels with minimal interference. On 2.4 GHz it could be trickier, so lean more on 5 GHz then. If 5 GHz is blocked, that's a problem. I'd think even a 5 GHz signal should manage to get through walls. My home is made of wood, plaster, and drywall, so I'm not confident. You might also want to place the router centrally and run a cable back to it. Consider mounting it higher for better coverage. If that doesn't work, explore using MOCA adapters if coax is already in place throughout the house.
No coaxial cable was installed inside the house; I'm very likely not using it here. My setup is limited in placement since I can only put the router where I can access it directly. The best option is to run a longer Ethernet cable, connecting it straight into the wall junction box at the base of the wall. I also used wireless extenders but gave them to someone else because I didn’t need them. Over time, I noticed the signal range my router could cover has shrunk. Previously, I got a strong signal over 20 meters away with a 2.4GHz device; now it’s much weaker. I should note that as well.