08/13/2023
I'm paying for 500 Mbps internet service from ###XX, but I only get 300 Mbps on my laptop/phone. Why?
Well, there are a whole slew of varying reasons, but let's focus on the most common:
1. Wi-Fi speeds will not consistently give you access to the full potential speeds of your internet plan.
2. Being on any internet service, other than fiber optic, is subject to to network congestion and slow-downs in service.
3. If your device is older than 5 years-old, then the hardware within may not support the speeds you pay for you
Allow us to explain.
- Wi-Fi Inefficiency -
First question we have is are you on wi-fi when testing for speeds?
"Why the heck does that matter?"
While wireless networking technology (wi-fi) is an incredibly convenient technology that allows us to interface with the internet, it is generally an inefficient technology.
Most internet service providers advertise download speeds as "up to ###X Mbps". That speed guarantee only applies at the ethernet port off the back of the modem or PoE adapter your service provider uses (Desert iNet and AirFiber).
Going into a wireless (wi-fi) router, this signal is converted into a radio wave for broadcast across your home or business. Depending on the capabilities this router has, there is a natural loss of speed in accordance with the technologies the router uses. Basically, the lower quality the wi-fi router, the more inefficient the translation of speed to radio wave (speed loss).
Another factor is age of the wi-fi router. A wireless router is, for simplicity sake, a miniature radio broadcast tower. As the internal transistors, resistors, and capacitors age, they become less efficient at their job. General rule of thumb here is after 5 years the router is outdated and after 8 years it is obsolete. Blame the speed of advancing technological innovation for these useful lifespans and not the quality of the product.
Another reason we ask if you are testing off of wi-fi is there is a general misunderstanding that wi-fi extenders and mesh routers give a false sense of speed proliferation across the home. While an extender or mesh system does increase the wi-fi radio wave coverage in a home, it does significantly drop speeds to end-user devices. The exception to this is ensuring tri-band technology is built-in to your wi-fi system. To understand tri-band better, see our post on the subject from July 29, 2023 "Do you need a stronger wi-fi signal or...".
- Network Congestion -
If you are on cable internet or DSL, network congestion is a widespread annoyance. This occurs when everyone gets up in the morning (5:30 to 9:00am) and everyone gets home (3:30 to 7:00pm). If you see consistent lags in speed during those time-frame, then there's no real fix unless you can switch your service method to fiber optic.
However, you can setup a service call with your service provider to come assess that the radio frequency signal is optimized to the modem (BEWARE, they charge for this). This takes a special testing meter, so it is not something that just anyone can do for you. You have to have your service provider conduct this. Although, a technical support team, such as us, can identify if a problem truly resides with the internet service and not the devices within the home.
- Device Age -
Also, if your modem, gateway, or device is from before 2017 then the technology might not support speeds above 100 or 300 Mbps.
Recently we went into a Tramonto home where a family was having issues with slow page loads, video buffering, and other internet performance issues. Upon inspecting the modem, we found that the service was DSL technology from 5 years ago and at very best, the speed was 15 Mbps during testing directly off the gateway. The customer called CenturyLink to see if they were able to update their service plan. Unfortunately CenturyLink was unable to provide speeds above 50 Mbps to this home in this specific circumstance.
To compound the issue, the wireless gateway (modem/wi-fi router combo) only broadcasted a 2.4 GHz wi-fi network which only supports internet speeds up to 110 Mbps in most cases.
Our fix is we had them switch to broadband internet service provided by Cox with speeds up to 250 Mbps. Additionally, we had them invest in a Tri-Band Mesh Wi-Fi Router system to really push the speed across the home. Happy people living in 2023 now.
So to recap:
1. Wi-Fi speeds will not consistently give you access to the full potential speeds of your internet plan.
2. Being on any internet service, other than fiber optic, is subject to to network congestion and slow-downs in service.
3. If your device is older than 5 years-old, then the hardware within may not support the speeds you pay for you
Our preferred speed test interface is the one at Fast by Netflix.
Play around and ask us any questions you have regarding this post.
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Tenacity Tech Solutions of AZ, LLC provides a variety of in-home technical support and installation services at a price point that make high-quality, high-value help accessible for everyone.
