Frequently Asked Question
Should Upgrade my Internet?
Last Updated 6 years ago
So your internet is slow and you want to upgrade before you do you should do some test to see if other upgrades can help you more then giving your ISP more money.
Test 1: Baseline Speed Test
If you can connect a machine directly (hardwire) to your router/modem and run a speed test (http://beta.speedtest.net/) this will tell you the true speed you are getting from your ISP. As example I pay for 75 Mbps and i will get between 70-75 Mbps. If the number you get is far less then you are paying confirm no one else is on the network downloading content and if not then contact your ISP to have them work out the issue. When you are hardwired and the only person on the network you get around 95+% of the speed you pay for. If your ISP will not help you get the speed you are paying for then it might make sense to change ISPs.
Test 2: Wireless Baseline Speed Test
When doing this test if possible use a laptop machine rather then an tablet (ipad) or cell phone, laptop wireless card and CPU are normally better and you will get more accurate results. Right beside your wireless access point run a speed test on a wireless device (http://beta.speedtest.net/) this will give you the baseline of wireless access. In my case this give me between 60-75 Mbps, so close to the speed that i am getting when hardwired. Run this test 4-5 times and take the average as there are many possible interferences even if you are right beside . If this give you a number much less then the speed from Test 1 upgrades to your internet will normally have no affect of you as you are not using the bandwidth you have already. Look at upgrading your wireless access point, change the channel it is on or some other configuration.
Test 3: Wireless Speed Test
Using the same device as Test 2 goto the spot in your house where you primary use the internet and run a speed test. Depending on interference and distance you will get a number lower. In my case this give me between 60-75 Mbps, so the same speed that i am getting when hardwired and also right beside the access point. If this number is much lower then the number in Test 2 the look at moving your access point, change its channel, lower other interferences or upgrading your access point. Again if your number is much less any upgrades to your internet connection will normally have no affect of you as you are not using the bandwidth you have already.
Test 4: Wireless Speed Test 2
If you did not use a tablet or cell phone with the test above and that is what you primarily use then run a test on that. As example with my older iPad I only get 40-50 Mbps in the same place as my laptop in Test 2 and on my Samsung S8+ I only get 15-25 Mbps. Again any increase to the internet would normally have no affect as you are not using the bandwidth you have already.
Test 5: How many wireless devices
Most wireless networks are sequentially, what means is information sent down to each wireless device once at a time. While your tablet is getting data any other device will have to wait until it is finished before it gets it data. As example if a do a speed test on a sequentially network the results for my laptop, ipad and cell phone at the same time i will get 45 Mbps, 35 Mbps and 5 Mbps, lower then before as each has to wait for the other at times. If you have a lot of wireless devices upgrading to the 802.11ac protocol that offers downstream Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which is designed to provide bandwidth to multiple devices simultaneously will help immensely.
Test 1: Baseline Speed Test
If you can connect a machine directly (hardwire) to your router/modem and run a speed test (http://beta.speedtest.net/) this will tell you the true speed you are getting from your ISP. As example I pay for 75 Mbps and i will get between 70-75 Mbps. If the number you get is far less then you are paying confirm no one else is on the network downloading content and if not then contact your ISP to have them work out the issue. When you are hardwired and the only person on the network you get around 95+% of the speed you pay for. If your ISP will not help you get the speed you are paying for then it might make sense to change ISPs.
Test 2: Wireless Baseline Speed Test
When doing this test if possible use a laptop machine rather then an tablet (ipad) or cell phone, laptop wireless card and CPU are normally better and you will get more accurate results. Right beside your wireless access point run a speed test on a wireless device (http://beta.speedtest.net/) this will give you the baseline of wireless access. In my case this give me between 60-75 Mbps, so close to the speed that i am getting when hardwired. Run this test 4-5 times and take the average as there are many possible interferences even if you are right beside . If this give you a number much less then the speed from Test 1 upgrades to your internet will normally have no affect of you as you are not using the bandwidth you have already. Look at upgrading your wireless access point, change the channel it is on or some other configuration.
Test 3: Wireless Speed Test
Using the same device as Test 2 goto the spot in your house where you primary use the internet and run a speed test. Depending on interference and distance you will get a number lower. In my case this give me between 60-75 Mbps, so the same speed that i am getting when hardwired and also right beside the access point. If this number is much lower then the number in Test 2 the look at moving your access point, change its channel, lower other interferences or upgrading your access point. Again if your number is much less any upgrades to your internet connection will normally have no affect of you as you are not using the bandwidth you have already.
Test 4: Wireless Speed Test 2
If you did not use a tablet or cell phone with the test above and that is what you primarily use then run a test on that. As example with my older iPad I only get 40-50 Mbps in the same place as my laptop in Test 2 and on my Samsung S8+ I only get 15-25 Mbps. Again any increase to the internet would normally have no affect as you are not using the bandwidth you have already.
Test 5: How many wireless devices
Most wireless networks are sequentially, what means is information sent down to each wireless device once at a time. While your tablet is getting data any other device will have to wait until it is finished before it gets it data. As example if a do a speed test on a sequentially network the results for my laptop, ipad and cell phone at the same time i will get 45 Mbps, 35 Mbps and 5 Mbps, lower then before as each has to wait for the other at times. If you have a lot of wireless devices upgrading to the 802.11ac protocol that offers downstream Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology, which is designed to provide bandwidth to multiple devices simultaneously will help immensely.