what are the 8 solutions to follow?

With the widespread use of teleworking following the pandemicpandemic of Covid-19Covid-19more and more of us are relying on our home Internet connection. And yet, many Internet users know that a reliable connection is about as difficult to obtain as four weeks of paid vacation in September. And to make matters worse, it seems that even an expensive subscription is not a panacea for ensuring foolproof connectivity. At any time of the day or evening, slowdowns and jolts can therefore disrupt our Internet browsing, causing many frustrations within homes.

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A loading problem rather than a connection problem?

So, what to do? The first thing to do is to check that it is not the site you are trying to load that is causing the problem. You can try browsing other pages to see if everything is working normally, or better yet, for large sites such as banks or social networkssocial networksvisit services like isitdownrightnow.com or downforeveryoneorjustme.com to find out if the site you are trying to visit is currently experiencing difficulties. Loading a page can also be disrupted by extensions you have installed. If you use Adblocker or tracker blockers like Ghostery, some pages may not load fully or at all, or may be impossible to scroll through.

Check your connection with a speedtest

With these doubts out of the way, it’s time to check your vitessevitesse connection. To do this, you can go to an online speedtest, like those made available by the quechoisir.org site or Ookla, on the speedtest.net site. All you have to do is click a button, and after less than a minute you should get your speeds up to receptionreception (download) and sending (upload).

For reference, we consider that a speed of 0 to 5 megabits per second (Mbps or Mbs) is slow, 5 to 20 Mbs is fair, allowing you to steam videos in 1080 pixels; from 20 to 40 Mbs, we estimate that the connection is quite good, allowing 4K streaming and online games; from 40 to 100 Mbs, we have a very good connection, with 4K streaming and the possibility of playing online games in HD, then from 100 megabits per second, we enter into a competitive connection, offering the possibility of playing multi-player games in high definition without any problem, downloading very large files, etc.

Check the condition of the equipment

Note two things: the speedtest provides insight into your connectivity at a moment’s notice TT and moreover, this classification is relative, and depends largely on the use you make of the Internet. If you just log in to check your mailbox, scroll to FacebookFacebook and do some internet research, a low speed may be enough. The main thing is to make sure that the connectivity you have is in alignment with the subscription you have purchased. If you pay for a connection speed of 100 Mbs and your speedtest caps at 10, there may be a problem with your installation. Check the condition of your cables, in particular for an ADSL or Ethernet connection and make sure that no red light is flashing on your box.

What if the problem came from your supplier?

If in doubt, or if the problems persist in the absence of a fault, the best option is to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to ask them for help, and make sure that the problem does not come from their side. Indeed, just as with electricity consumption, the Internet network experiences its peak hours. In these circumstances, it is therefore possible that your supplier is restricting the connection. Although this practice is not considered illegal, it can sometimes be fueled by commercial and unfair motives, and is in any case considered to go against the principle of Net neutrality, according to which ISPs should guarantee equivalent treatment for all communications that pass through via the Web. In this case, you can try using a VPN which, although it may slow down your connection slightly, can help you bypass the restriction and find smoother browsing.

A question of bandwidth

So now, if your connection speed seems normal to you after the speedtest, make sure that it is not simply a problem of bandwidthbandwidth. Of course, you may have subscribed to an advantageous package to be able to surf without limits, but today, in many homes, thecomputercomputer family is no longer the only one pulling on the connection. You possibly have as many PCPC than members of the household who rotate simultaneously, the same for smartphones, then you must also consider connected objects as your vacuum cleanervacuum cleaner or your smart fridge, your smart TVsmart TVyour game consoles, etc. All it takes is for one member of your household to be watching a 4K series or playing Flight Simulator online for your browsing to slow down.

Choose the location of your box wisely

Another important point to consider: the location of your box WiFiWiFi. It is recommended to place it as close as possible to the rooms where you will use the Internet, to maximize the strength of the signal reaching you. If your home is large or the signal has difficulty circulating due to various obstacles in its path, you can purchase repeatersrepeatersvery useful little devices which will in some way play the role of a cash register resonanceresonance and amplify your WiFi signal. For my part, I use a TP-Link R200 repeater (not sponsored), which is very practical for guaranteeing a stable connection during team calls. Two important things to note if you buy a repeater: firstly, make sure you place it neither too close nor too far from your box, in order to obtain optimal WiFi coverage; and furthermore, note that, at best, a repeater can guarantee you 100% of the connection speed promised by your subscription, but not beyond.

Hacked network: what to do?

Last option to consider: your Internet network has been hacked by an unconscientious neighbor. The best recommendation to avoid this type of situation is to keep the passwordpassword provided by your ISP upon receipt of your box, instead of changing it to a password that is certainly easier to remember, but potentially weaker. If you are used to using a hotspothotspotalso remember to protect it with a strong passwordstrong password. If your problems persist, you can then change your passwords, access the online interface of your box to see the list of devices connected to it, or if necessary, contact your supplier.

Sobriety: the first step to preserving your connection

Finally, keep in mind that the first step to taking care of your connection (and at the same time, the Planet, your brain and your electricity bill) is to be sober. Ask yourself if you need to be constantly connected or if you couldn’t take a break to go for a walk, call a loved one or do a manual activity. Remember to unplug your box every evening to limit your consumption and allow your routerrouter to reset regularly. To avoid forgetting, you can use a programmable socket to automatically turn off your box during your hours of inactivity. Avoid opening fifty web pages at the same time to finally consult only one and close your pages and your browserbrowser when you have finished your research. Same for the applicationsapplications unused devices that communicate with the Internet. You can also install a data saver extension, like Save-Data:on, which will reduce the amount of media or the quality of images that are displayed on a web page, or a tracker blocker like Ghostery, which will prevent advertisers to collect your data and will make your navigation smoother.