![]() ![]() If after running the speed tests your WiFi just isn’t kicking the way you’d like it to, it might be time to diagnose the problem. They also offer mobile carrier coverage maps and claim to be the “only internet connection test capable of accurately measuring 5G.” Like their web-based app, their mobile app can log your speed tests and track both download and upload speeds. But which one is the right one for your needs?Ī good, broad-scope app is the Speedtest by Ookla app, available for both iPhone and Android. There are dozens of mobile apps available in the iOS and Android app stores. Here’s a list of web-based apps that provide free at-home WiFi speed testing: On average, speed tests take anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute and transfer roughly 40 MB of data or more, so keep that in mind if you have a data-based usage plan through your ISP. Then, while you're in there, change that password as well.The easiest way to test your at-home WiFi speed is through a free web app, usually provided by Internet Service Providers (ISP). The instructions for doing so change from brand to brand and router to router, but you should be able to find the instructions and default password for yours with some cursory Googling. ![]() That's a setting you can adjust by going to the admin page for your router. If you live in a densely populated area, you can look at what channels your neighbors' routers are using, and set your router to a different channel, where you'll get slightly less interference. You should also look at what wireless channels are being used-I use a free app called Netspot for this. Like before, check the specs and see what kind of WiFi it can handle. Devices can slurp internet as fast as their internal radios allow, so if one old laptop or computer in particular is sluggish, it might be on that gadget and not your router. The most recent and peppy wireless standard is called 802.11ax, or "Wi-Fi 6," and if your router doesn't support it, you aren't getting the fastest speeds available. If all your devices are equally slow, check the capabilities of your router. The technology that undergirds WiFi has improved over the years, and older routers and gadgets are simply incapable of dishing out or receiving the fastest signals on the market. Namely, your router may be too old for your newer devices, or older devices might be too old for your new router. If your wireless speeds are much, much slower than the wired speed, there are a couple of possible culprits. (If your home internet doesn't have a password, set one right now before someone more nefarious than a neighbor decides to get on board.) For anyone who wants more geeky numbers, I use Network Analyzer Pro ($4).Īmong its functions, that app will show you all the devices on your wireless network - useful for figuring out if any specific devices are hogging your bandwidth, or if you think a neighbor is mooching. has a free app by the same name that is just as great. If your wired connection speeds are good, now you can measure the wireless connection speeds. Leave that alone, and plug your laptop into one of the other ports, which should be marked like this: That's the router's connection to the outside. There might be an Ethernet cable already plugged into the router-usually a port that's white or marked with a globe/sphere logo. Second, the router is probably somewhere under a table or behind a couch, so you'll probably need to crouch down to reach it. If you have a modern MacBook, you'll need an Ethernet adapter. All you need to do is find an open Ethernet port in either box to create an unbroken connection chain from your computer to the wall. ![]() One of those is likely the modem, which feeds into a router that broadcasts the wireless signal. In the long run, it's probably worth it to purchase your own home router. It's worth noting that if you do use a branded router from your internet service provider, it's not free you're technically renting this device and your monthly internet bill will reflect that fee (usually about $10 to 15 per month). ![]() Typically, that's the black box with a coaxial cable going into it, and the Verizon or Comcast logo somewhere.
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