Issue/Question
- My home Internet is slow or unreliable.
Environment
- Oregon State University
- Employees, Students or Associates
- Remote Access
Explanation
If your home Internet is slow or the connection is unreliable, this document contains some troubleshooting tips you can try.
Resolution
Conduct a speed test on multiple websites to determine if the issue is your Internet or just a particular website
- You can also conduct a speed test on your phone to determine if it has a faster connection
- Free speed test resource: www.speedtest.net
- We recommend choosing Peak Internet in Corvallis to test against.
- For best results, you’ll want at a minimum:
- 15 megabit per second (Mbps) or better download speed
- 5 megabit per second (Mbps) or better upload speed
- A ‘ping time’ of less than 75 milliseconds (ms)
Is your internet provider able to provide the speed you need? Depending on where you live there may be better options.
- Fiber and cable internet providers (Comcast/Xfinity, Google Fiber, Spectrum, etc.) usually offer the highest quality connection
- DSL service (CenturyLink, etc.) is usually lower-quality but may be the best choice for some rural areas
- Cellular hotspots (Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, etc.) may work but depend on the strength of the cellular coverage in your area
- There are often limits on how much bandwidth you can use before additional charges apply
- Satellite broadband (HughesNet, etc.) and dial-up internet options don't generally work well to access OSU systems
After your internet provider the next thing to consider is how you connect to your network:
- Connect directly to your router or access point using a wired Ethernet cable if possible.
- This will provide the best quality for audio and video (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom)
- No need to worry about WiFi coverage
- Limits your ability to move around the house
- The strength of your WiFi connection can affect internet quality
- More walls = lower quality. Try to avoid having more than two walls between your computer and your router or access point.
- Larger homes (> 1500 sq ft) may require multiple access points to ensure good coverage
- Consider upgrading your wireles access point or installing a wireless mesh network
- Access points provided with your internet service often provide average to poor coverage.
- The Wirecutter (https://thewirecutter.com/electronics/networking/) from the New York Times reviews and recommends WiFi access points, mesh hardware and more.
- Move to a spot closer to your wireless router
- Consider changing the frequency of your WiFi network.
- Wireless access points generally offer two frequencies: 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz.
- 2.4 GHz is older, more suceptible to interference and slower than 5 GHz.
- Switch your computer to 5 GHz WiFi
- Not all older computers support 5 GHz
- Disable 2.4 GHz on your wireless router
- Make sure to switch your other devices to 5 GHz first!
- Other things that may help
- Make sure your router isn’t overheating; if it is, relocate it to a well-ventilated, open area
- Disconnect and then reconnect your router and/or modem
- If disconnecting doesn’t work, try completely rebooting your router and/or modem
- Try disconnecting devices you aren’t using if you have many devices using wireless at the same time,
- Try turning off your phone's wi-fi if you aren’t using it to surf the internet,
- Try closing one or two high-bandwidth applications if you have more than one open simultaneously,
- Video streaming and online gaming are high-bandwidth applications
- Use your phone to call in to Zoom meetings — this helps split the bandwidth between your phone (audio) and your computer (video)
- Switch to using your mobile phone and cellular data if your plan allows it
For assistance, contact the IS Service Desk.