As we settle into the lockdown period – we seem to be hearing two conflicting reports about broadband in NZ. Lines companies like Chorus, are reassuring New Zealanders that although traffic has seen new peaks we are well within their network capacity. And frustrations from broadband users who are having problems connecting for work, or problems streaming and downloading content.
There are a range of factors that can affect your home fibre broadband performance. Your broadband connection may be performing great, but slowed significantly by factors within your house.
Here are some common issues that affect broadband performance that can be easily solved by making changes to your home environment or your network connection.
Wi-Fi modems work best when they’re in a central spot in your house, and high up in the room. Try to make sure your Wi-Fi signal isn’t being blocked by physical barriers like walls, large metal objects (fridges, desks, shelves), water cylinders or fish tanks, or even large glass windows. Learn more about finding the perfect spot for your modem.
The distance between your modem and your device can affect your Wi-Fi performance. If you’re working or studying from home, try plugging your computer into the router with an Ethernet cable, or set up your computer as close to the modem as possible.
Most broadband routers broadcast Wi-Fi around your house using two frequencies: 2.4 Gigahertz and 5GHz. You can find this by looking at your Wi-Fi network list. If your home network is listed twice, usually one is 2.4 GHz and one is 5GHz. The 5GHz connection offers faster connection speeds at shorter distances, whilst the 2.4GHz offers wider coverage further from the router, usually at slower speeds. So, choose the 5GHz connection if you’re sitting close to your Wi-fi router, or the 2.4GHz connection if you’re further away.
Older devices, or having outdated software on your devices can impact on fibre broadband performance. Try optimising your electronic devices by running your updates and removing any unnecessary apps or software. If you still have performance issues you may need to consider investing in upgrading to a new device.
Hopefully some of these changes will give your broadband connection a boost during lockdown. If you’re still looking for a faster broadband plan, in most cases you can still upgrade to a faster connection type if the upgrade can be handled remotely. Although, installations of new fibre connections are on hold for most people during the lockdown period. If you want to know more about changing broadband plans during lockdown our customer support team are ready to take your call and chat about your situations.
