Are you getting the internet speeds you pay for?
Internet service providers often advertise internet speeds that are higher than the actual real-world speeds that consumers will experience. A lot of times, it can be done as a marketing gimmick to attract subscribers.
This discrepancy can be perplexing and frustrating, and it can make users indignant about getting less service than they’re paying for.
The rate at which data can be transferred across the internet is determined by the internet connection’s bandwidth. The ISP determines the speed of the connection either through their technical capabilities or by how much a user is willing to pay for superior packages that offer higher bandwidths and speeds.
When compared to advertised speeds, slower internet packages are more likely to be closer to advertised speeds than faster internet packages. In some situations, the internet speeds being experienced might be up to three times slower than those promised by an ISP.
For instance, in packages advertised at 300 Mbps, speed tests usually average around 240 Mbps. The higher the advertised package, the greater the discrepancy between real-world and advertised speeds.
Typically, when a user purchases an internet plan, especially a home user, the download speed is the one that’s prominently advertised, as the bulk of activities they do involve more downloading than uploading tasks.
There are several online tools one can use to measure internet speeds, such as Speedtest by Ookla and Fast.com, among others. While speed tests can be a way of telling whether you’re getting the speeds you’re paying for, they have to be conducted several times across varied days and at different times of the day to get the most accurate average results.
Why you’re getting slower speeds
There are several reasons why you might be experiencing vastly different speeds, some of which are beyond the control of the ISP, such as:
Marketing: aggressive marketing due to rising competition from service providers can often cause ISPs to offer incentives to entice subscribers, one of which is higher internet speeds, which they might not actually offer in reality.
Distance from ISP: The further one is from an ISP, the more likely they will be to experience slower speeds on average. This is especially true for rural users who are further from ISP infrastructure, usually located in urban areas.
Network congestion: a large number of internet users on the same network can result in network overload and congestion, with the end result being slower speeds for all users. This is particularly rife in populated urban areas, which have the largest number of internet users and applications with heavy bandwidth requirements, especially during peak usage times. Oversubscribed networks also tend to have much slower speeds than advertised, as the bandwidth is shared among many users and applications.
End-user hardware: users can have outdated or slow hardware and cabling infrastructure, and this is definitely a factor that can adversely affect the whole internet experience. Some types of cabling and hardware, like routers and access points, can act as bottlenecks since they cannot keep up with the incoming internet link’s speeds.
While still on hardware, proximity to access points and routers is also another factor. In a large home or office, additional access points might be needed to push the internet signal farther since devices further away from the router or access point would definitely experience slower speeds.
Fair usage policies: FUP is practiced by internet service providers, and it involves throttling or restricting internet speeds on unlimited plans to prevent excessive use of the provided bandwidth and further strain on the network.
Related to the fair usage policies, an establishment that has significantly higher bandwidth requirements can simply upgrade the current internet package to one with higher speeds and bandwidth allocations.
Is there a way to improve speeds?
While some factors may be beyond the control of a user, some measures can be taken to improve the speeds currently being experienced and get the most out of an internet connection.
Internet plan: contacting the ISP and confirming the internet package being paid for is the first place to begin. An ISP can shed light on whether the speeds being experienced are a result of user hardware or an inferior plan relative to usage and advise accordingly.
A plan upgrade can be the way to go if it’s determined that the current applications demand a higher bandwidth than what is currently being offered.
Wired connections: wired connections are invariably more reliable than wireless connections. Whenever possible, having devices wired to the router or switch will result in a better overall experience.
In cases where wiring is impossible, placing the router in the most optimal locations is another option. Ideally, the router ought to be in a central location away from obstacles where even the farthest devices are in good range.
VPN: In some rare cases, using a VPN on a congested network can result in higher speeds as the traffic can be routed via less crowded channels and servers.
Hardware: Simply rebooting hardware like access points and routers can sometimes resolve connectivity issues and potentially improve internet speeds. While still on hardware, upgrading hardware to newer, more capable options might help realize higher speeds. For instance, gigabit speeds are useless if the hardware is only able to handle megabit speeds. Investing in Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6 routers will definitely improve the general experience.
Other ways include regulating users’ online activities through specialty hardware and software systems to free up bandwidth for more critical applications.
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