Try my tricks before you purchase new gear or improve your internet subscription.

I’ve lived in a few different locations in Los Angeles over the past ten years, and each one has had its own problems with internet connectivity. Regardless of my ZIP code, wrestling with different speeds and service dependability helped me figure out how to increase my connectedness.

I’ve occupied a Santa Monica beachfront condo with an exclusive contract with a slow internet provider, as well as a Faraday cage concrete building in downtown Los Angeles. I consider my current residence in Hollywood to be lucky, at least that’s how I feel. I have the freedom to select my internet service provider, and there are no impenetrable construction materials. And I don’t have many issues; it’s fairly nice.

Unfortunately, the majority of my friends and relatives in Los Angeles have poor internet, which is absurd because you would assume that a city like LA would have readily available, high-quality internet across the whole city, not just in certain areas. Furthermore, I can only image the difficulties that smaller areas in the US have when it comes to ISPs.

No matter how shaky my internet connection is, I’ve developed a toolset of free techniques to make the most of it across all my movements. The majority of these solutions don’t involve spending money, which is always a good place to start, even though you can throw money at the issue (for example, by installing a Wi-Fi extension).

These are my suggestions for increasing internet speed that you may utilize for free or very little before, immediately after, or where you now reside.

Prior to moving, get better internet service.

First of all, congrats if you’re relocating. Secondly, I apologize. Even with careful planning, moving is a pain in the ass (just ask me about my big move in 2023). There can still be unforeseen circumstances even if you start packing your belongings weeks in advance, make a list for moving, and hire movers.

Internet service providers are a sometimes disregarded aspect of relocating, particularly when comparing locations. Until we actually sign the lease or mortgage and relocate, many of us don’t give ISPs much attention, in contrast to things like space footage, the number of bathrooms, or nearby schools.

1. Start by asking questions

Do your research online and speak with the realtor or landlord when you are considering a new location. Even better, find out from your prospective neighbors if the local internet alternatives are dependable, quick, and reasonably priced. See if they have any methods or workarounds for enhancing their internet.

2. Make use of internet resources

If your state has a broadband map online, you may use it to view all of your internet alternatives in any place. The California Interactive Broadband Map is available in California. You may filter to display just fixed broadband and mobile choices for ISPs after entering an address. Although some websites boast upload and download speeds, be cautious because the maps could not be current. Sites like these provide you a good idea of what you’ll be able to pick from, even though they don’t include reviews for local ISPs.

CNET has a thorough list of all the top internet service providers in the nation if you would want more of our advice. To assist you in locating the top ISP in your region, each story is arranged by state, city, or municipality and offers insightful evaluations and comparisons.

3. Examine the specifics of the materials used to create your house.

Examine the construction materials of the house you are considering before moving. To link all of your gadgets to the internet network in your house, routers send radio waves over the air. However, these signals might be interfered with by the materials in your home (as I found out in my old concrete-and-brick loft apartment).
Even with a fast and dependable internet connection, your physical home might interfere with your signal and restrict your connectivity since Wi-Fi signals have a particularly hard time passing through materials like brick, concrete, and metal. Denser materials have a greater effect on your Wi-Fi signal than common construction materials like glass, plywood, and drywall.

Improve your internet service as soon as you relocate.

It’s time to select an ISP now that you’ve officially moved into your new house. Use websites like ours or the FCC National Broadband Map to find out which ISPs are available in your region if you are unsure of your alternatives. To view comparable data, you can also enter your new address into the websites of AT&T, Spectrum, or Xfinity.

4. Determine the real speed you require.

Start by estimating your needs before choosing an ISP. That will provide you with a brief overview of topics such as data caps, upload vs download speeds, how much internet you use, and what fast internet is.

Regretfully, you may still experience problems with connection speed and strength after installation and after you begin using the new service.

5. Give it a try before committing completely.

The majority of ISPs, including Spectrum, Verizon, Cox, and others, provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. This often implies that you can discontinue your internet connection within 30 days and receive a complete refund (less any potential installation or restocking expenses) without having to pay an early termination charge. Refund guarantee rules vary or are nonexistent for other ISPs, such as AT&T (2 weeks) (Frontier).

I used this opportunity to test out three ISP services at my new residence. The three claimed speeds varied once the connection was connected.

6. Avoid using your provider to rent a router.

Using merely the modem that your ISP provides instead of their equipment is another option to increase your internet speeds. Although renting a router from your ISP is handy, the alternatives are restricted and might not be the greatest fit for your house, and the cost may increase over time.

Realizing that you have been paying for faster speeds that your ISP-provided router isn’t even capable of providing can be annoying. Additionally, use the appropriate cables to connect your router to your devices and your modem to your router. Cat5 and older connections might not be able to support your quicker speeds. (In general, consumer internet speeds are supported by Cat6e and later.)

Improve internet access at your present residence.

Perhaps you’re staying put and have been having trouble with your internet service at your existing residence for some time. You can increase your internet speed regardless of how long you’ve lived there.

If you have slow internet at your long-term residence, you may need to think about paying extra. I want to stay on the topic of not spending money to gain higher internet connections.

7. Do some shopping

Examine your internet service contract to determine whether you can terminate early without incurring any early termination costs. This is the only reasonably priced option available to you. After that, you may compare and check out several ISPs that could be more suitable.

8. Upgrade your apparatus

However, upgrading your router is one of the simplest methods to increase your speeds if you’re locked into a contract or want to keep your current ISP operational. It is a one-time investment, unlike paying extra for your monthly plan, but it could be the solution to your internet problems.

I’ve owned a Netgear Nighthawk R66700 router for a long time; it’s regarded as a decent brand overall. I had a high-speed plan, but I wasn’t receiving very fast speeds at home.

I made the decision to change my home setup to a mesh router system (more precisely, the Eero 6 Plus) after speaking with a few CNET coworkers. Compared to standard single-unit routers, this solution offers more dependable Wi-Fi coverage in larger homes or residences with dead zones, which is an issue in my present apartment.

Several routers are positioned around your house, depending on the mesh router technology, and they all function as a single unit to keep you connected in any location. Although mesh networks are expensive, there are less expensive alternatives, such as Netgear’s Orbi AC1200 and Google’s Nest WiFi.

I am aware that Wi-Fi extenders may appear to be the solution to improving your home’s speed, particularly given their low cost, but mesh networks outperform extenders, and they usually don’t function as a single, integrated system across your house.Unfortunately, as I previously stated, every home has different issues, thus a mesh network won’t be the magic solution for everyone. A defective Ethernet cable or a firmware update for your modem may be the solution. Your router might even need to be restarted. That occasionally works, as we are all aware.

Doing a few diagnostic tests, such as a speed test, connecting to other devices, accessing Wi-Fi near your router, and restarting your various internet gadgets, is the greatest thing you can do without spending money to identify the weak point in your setup.

Naturally, you may try all of these ideas and discover that none of them will work for your specific circumstance. Unfortunately, upgrading to a higher service tier and paying more for quicker internet is always an option.

Disclaimer :

The tips and suggestions shared in this article are based on personal experience and research. They are intended for informational purposes only and may not guarantee specific results. Always consult with your internet service provider or a qualified technician for solutions tailored to your specific situation. This article may contain references to third-party products or services. We do not receive any compensation for mentioning these and are not affiliated with any providers unless stated otherwise.