Wi-Fi. Ever wondered why does my internet suck? Even when internet service providers promise you the earth – blazing fast speeds and the ability to download entire movies in seconds – unless your device is plugged directly into the router, you’re unlikely to see those speeds. Why does my wifi suck, even though we pay for top-tier service?

The truth is – and you won’t like to hear this, but – your Wi-Fi connection was never designed to go that fast. Service providers advertise lightning-fast connection speeds and even talk of gig-per-second speeds in the near future. However, these speeds are unlikely to ever come into fruition while we’re all so dependent on Wi-Fi. The advertising is one big lie, as a recent article in the WSJ points out – connection speeds advertised are almost always for wired devices only.

Wi-Fi Sucks

But why does my wifi suck and why can’t it handle the speeds we have been promised? Well, there are several factors that can drain your Wi-Fi bandwidth, though the three biggest hogs are your router, interference and the fact that you have so many different devices all competing for air time.

Perhaps the biggest problem is the router itself. This is where the Wi-Fi signal originates from, but while your service provider is selling you a 300Mbps signal, your router simply can’t handle it – it turns out that the vast majority of them can only handle speeds of 54 to 90 mbps, severely impacting your internet speed.

The second problem is interference – things like your microwave, or other routers in the vicinity, can weaken your own signal, slowing you down even more. Then of course, there are physical barriers too, such as walls, water (like, the water in the radiator) and distance.

Image courtesy WSJ

Finally, the number of devices you have also plays a part. This won’t be a problem for everybody, but for the majority of Wi-Fi using households (who own an average of six connected devices) it is. Different devices essentially fight each other for what little Wi-Fi signal there is. This means that your already reduced bandwidth shrivels up into nothing when there’s an iPhones, iPads, laptops, PCs and a Smart TV all battling it out. If you’ve ever thought, “why does my WiFi suck on desktop PCs”, this could be the reason.

How To Give Your Wi-Fi a Kick Up The Ass

So you can see, Wi-Fi really does suck, BUT, there are a few things you can do about it.

The first problem is the router itself. It’s worth checking the router’s eco settings. Sometimes, when they’re installed, many are set up in “Power saving mode” by default, and unless you know about it it’s unlikely that this has changed. This might be a commendable aim, but the truth is that bandwidth is reduced somewhat disproportionately as a result. If you value faster internet speeds over eco-friendliness, check the settings on your router to check if the ‘Transmission power’ is turned off. If it isn’t, then do so now – you might be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Geography is another issue. You need to find the best spot for your router, and make sure there’s minimal interference from other devices, walls, water and so on. You can use a Wi-Fi heatmapping tool such as Heatmapper or Netspot for Mac, which allow you to ‘map’ the Wi-Fi coverage in your home depending on where the router is. Don’t forget that distance plays a big role in Wi-Fi performance. If your home is too big for effective coverage from your router, consider investing in a wireless repeater for $30-$100. That should give your signal a pretty big kick up the ass.

One final thing you can do is replace the antenna on your router. Weak antenna design is one of the biggest causes of packet loss – luckily for you, it’s possible to buy something far more powerful. Depending on how your home is set up and how many devices there are, you can choose from a directional antenna (one that points the signal in one direction), or an omnidirectional antenna (which scatters the signal in all directions).