Dealing with gradual web is a uniquely irritating expertise, particularly in case you’re gaming with mates, streaming a present or attempting to make money working from home. When I began experiencing gradual Wi-Fi at house despite the fact that I used to be paying for 1 gigabit speeds, I knew that there needed to be one thing I may do about it. Sometimes you may blame your web supplier or an outdated router, however in different circumstances, there may very well be minor points that may very well be simply resolved in a couple of easy steps. As somebody who writes about broadband each day, I’ve realized the worth of an excellent web connection and that troubleshooting your speeds would not need to be difficult. Here’s what I discovered. I used to be on Verizon Fios’ second-fastest plan, however was nonetheless getting insufferably gradual speeds. Tharon Green/CNET’Enough is sufficient’The purple flags are there for a motive, so do not ignore them: the buffering, the gradual downloads and the interrupted Zoom calls. I would not often have paid consideration to those indicators, since I had by no means had an issue with my web earlier than. A stable web connection has develop into important since I began working from house in 2024. My household and I additionally seen that streaming our favourite reveals, like the most recent season of Squid Game, had develop into a ache because of our fluctuating speeds. I lastly gave in, mentioned sufficient is sufficient and contacted my web service supplier, Verizon Fios. The Fios agent was shocked that I used to be experiencing web points since I used to be on the corporate’s second-fastest tier, the gigabit plan.”You shouldn’t even be experiencing fluctuating speeds with your plan,” the Verizon Fios agent mentioned over the cellphone. I used to be stumped. I did not need to make a hasty decisionswitching out my present supplier or shopping for a brand new router. So I turned to CNET’s recommendation for assist. What is gigabit web?Your web velocity is measured in megabits per second. In different phrases, your velocity is measured by how a lot knowledge might be processed over a community in a second. Gigabit web refers to 1,000 megabits. The extra knowledge processed over your community, the higher your connection performs. Here are a few of the prime ISPs that supply gigabit service: Top suppliers that supply gigabit web undefined Show extra (5 objects)
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As of June 2024, knowledge from the Federal Communications Commission present that over half of the US inhabitants has entry to gigabit speeds. Service usually ranges wherever between $50 to $90 month-to-month. You can discover gigabit service from web suppliers similar to Frontier Fiber, Google Fiber, Optimum, , AT&T and extra. Though cable suppliers like Spectrum and Astound Broadband’s gigabit plans are extra broadly obtainable nationwide than different ISPs, however is likely to be pricier down the road. You may find yourself paying double your preliminary worth after a yr, since most cable suppliers are infamous for mountaineering up their costs after a yr.Depending on the connection kind obtainable at your handle, most fiber ISPs like AT&T and Google Fiber will not enhance your costs after a yr and might provide symmetrical obtain and add speeds of 1,000Mbps, whereas a cable connection could solely prime out at 35 to 50Mbps. To study extra about the place you may join gigabit service, learn our evaluation on gigabit web and the perfect fiber web suppliers for July 2025. 4 knowledgeable tricks to enhance your internetAt the beginning of this journey, I felt like a child driving their first bike. It felt daunting as a result of I did not know the place to begin. Thankfully, certainly one of our pages particulars the best way to enhance your Wi-Fi connection in 4 easy steps. Here’s the way it went. 1. Take a velocity take a look at These speeds had been properly under what I anticipated from my gigabit connection. Something was fallacious. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETBefore you do anything, conduct an web velocity take a look at. I selected Ookla’s velocity take a look at as a result of that is the format I’m most aware of. CNET recommends Ookla for its consistency, and it additionally reveals you your velocity take a look at historical past when you create an account. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the identical father or mother firm as CNET, Ziff Davis.)This step was pretty simple. I performed a couple of velocity checks on-line. The picture above is a take a look at I took close to my workspace. Speeds of 248 to 275Mbps aren’t unhealthy, being on a gigabit plan supported by a fiber connection makes them stunning (and disappointing). I took it a step additional and went to an space of my house the place we skilled probably the most web hassle. I discovered a big velocity drop once I ran a velocity take a look at in my basement. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETI keep away from working within the basement most days as a result of the web is inconsistent. After conducting a velocity take a look at, I discovered our velocity dipped to 76Mbps in downloads and 19Mbps in uploads. This space is the farthest from my router, so it solely is smart that the sign is weaker. According to the FCC, the minimal mark for broadband speeds is 100Mbps obtain and 20Mbps add. My speeds had been lacking that mark. It needs to be famous that Ookla isn’t the one velocity take a look at you may strive. Just just lately, CNET broadband knowledgeable Cierra Noffke examined out the Orb web velocity take a look at. Noffke writes that it would not simply take a look at your obtain and add speeds. Orb, which was developed by the identical creators of Ookla, measures the general well being of your property community utilizing a number of metrics and steady velocity checks. On the opposite hand, in case your family makes use of largely streaming companies, Fast.com is a stable choice, because it measures your web’s capability to stream Netflix. M-Lab can also be on the prime of my checklist, because it has an easy-to-use program. You can at all times preserve it easy as properly by turning to sources out of your supplier. My supplier (and plenty of different ISPs) additionally presents its personal Verizon Fios velocity take a look at. 2. Move your router or your workspaceThis subsequent step requires you to experiment a bit along with your router’s location or your workspace. It wasn’t simple to uproot my total workspace, so I moved my router nearer to my present workspace space as a substitute. This step wasn’t a big change as a result of the router was already positioned throughout the room from my workspace. You ought to ideally transfer your router to a central location. Using an Ethernet cable is likely to be useful, particularly if the brand new location of your router is way from the modem. In any case, shifting your router too removed from the modem may show troublesome. You can attempt to increase your router as a substitute and mount it to the wall, if potential. That approach, you need not leap by means of all these hoops to put in an Ethernet cable. 3. Add a Wi-Fi extender If shifting your router isn’t an choice, strive contacting your web supplier for extra tools. After contacting my ISP, I found {that a} Fios Wi-Fi extender got here with my plan at no additional price to my month-to-month service invoice. The extender got here with a small information, and at first look, it appeared fairly easy.Obtaining tools out of your ISP isn’t the one choice — many Wi-Fi extenders at the moment available on the market assist Wi-Fi 6. CNET beforehand named the TP-Link RE605X as the highest choose for the perfect Wi-Fi extender because of its affordability and easy-to-use controls. Note: TP-Link routers may very well be banned someday this yr because of a latest authorities investigation. That mentioned, the following smartest thing is the Linksys RE7310, at the moment priced at $90, which tied in efficiency with the TP-Link RE605X once we examined them. Check out our different prime picks for the perfect Wi-Fi Extenders.Pair your extender to the router The extender got here with a coax cable, a coax splitter and a small set-up information that outlined 4 steps: verify the web connection, plug it in, pair it and at last transfer the extender to a chosen spot in your house. Seems easy sufficient, proper? I went by means of the primary three steps with out working into any points. I paired my extender to my router utilizing the coax cable.Placing your extenderThings took a flip with the ultimate step. After pairing, I unplugged my extender and moved it to the basement, the place the sign was weaker. The mild from the extender wasn’t the stable white it ought to have been. Instead, it was a yellow colour, which means the extender was disconnected from the router. Solving this downside took a while as I went again by means of the set-up information and coated my bases once more. During this course of, I additionally found Verizon Fios’ full Wi-Fi extender set-up information on-line. Some ISPs provide clients the choice of self-installation. Here are a few of the prime web suppliers nationwide which have how-to pages and guides devoted to putting in gadgets that enhance your web: The full set-up information talked about an Ethernet cable, however I used to be not offered one, so I questioned if that prevented my extender from connecting to the router. I contacted Verizon Fios to verify I used to be not lacking any elements. Per our dialog, Verizon Fios confirmed that an Ethernet cable is advisable however not mandatory. The coax cable works simply as properly. Ethernet presents a wired connection by means of cables, which you’ll be able to plug instantly into the router, and may present sooner speeds than Wi-Fi. CNET’s personal Hallie Seltzer examined this at her house. After pairing, place your extender in an space not too removed from the router. Trisha Jandoc/CNETI determined to pivot my method and positioned the extender a bit nearer to the router, close to my workspace. After a couple of minutes, I noticed a stable white colour — the signal of success.4. Prioritize your visitors Manage your work visitors at house by tweaking your router settings. Trisha Jandoc/CNETAfter putting in the extender, my web speeds surged, making this step non-compulsory for me. If you can not receive a Wi-Fi extender, you may strive managing how a lot bandwidth your family consumes by means of your router settings. For occasion, Verizon Fios permits clients to arrange parental controls, which might remove entry to sure web sites. Other routers may even schedule entry to the community for sure gadgets. This course of will look totally different relying in your web supplier and your tools. How a lot velocity do you want in your house? High-speed web could also be engaging, however you could not even want it. According to OpenVault’s first quarter 2024 report, over a 3rd of Americans use the web at gigabit speeds, a 20% enhance from 2023. In addition, its fourth quarter 2024 report reveals that the common American family makes use of 569Mbps in downstream speeds and 32Mbps in upstream. In different phrases, in case you can entry gigabit speeds, it needs to be lots quick in your family. Finding the precise velocity will even boil right down to your family’s actions. Check out our velocity suggestions under. Our velocity recommendations1Mbps: Sending emails 5 to 10Mbps: Web searching 10Mbps: Using social media10 to 20Mbps (or 35Mbps in 4K): Streaming in HD25 to 35Mbps: Online gamingFor extra data, learn our complete web velocity information. Why you may not be seeing the speeds you are paying for Even in case you are in your supplier’s quickest plan, there isn’t any assure you will note the precise speeds promised. What’s marketed by your ISP will not be the precise speeds you get. Many circumstances can impression your web speeds. According to AT&T’s web site, sure supplies, dense partitions and even furnishings can hinder your Wi-Fi sign. Other frequent components contributing to a weaker sign embody outdated tools, poor router settings, unhealthy climate and excessive circumstances like hacking or malware. In addition, discovering the precise Wi-Fi band in your router or investing in a community change may also assist optimize your web connection at house. To make sure you’re taking advantage of your web, learn our guides on the best way to weatherproof your web and safe your connection from hackers. My foremost takeaways Speeds in my basement elevated after putting in the extender. Ookla screenshot by Trisha Jandoc/CNETOnce I efficiently put in my extender, I performed one other velocity take a look at in my basement and I noticed a surge in my web connection, coming in at 598Mbps in obtain and 187Mbps in add. What I found about optimizing my speeds at homeRouter and Wi-Fi extender placement are key. The location of your router and extender is instantly proportional to optimizing your speeds. Give it a couple of tries and place your extender in numerous areas of your property. Ensure you do not place the extender too far or near the router.Conduct a collection of velocity checks after each step, monitoring any adjustments in your web connection.Seek out self-installation guides. Many ISPs, together with AT&T, Cox, Spectrum and Xfinity, provide complete self-installation guides on-line for gadgets that enhance your sign. Don’t hesitate to hunt them out.Consider shopping for a Wi-Fi extender. While your ISP may advocate utilizing its tools, many Wi-Fi extenders assist Wi-Fi 6 and may do the trick. Check out our prime picks for the perfect Wi-Fi extenders.A coax cable works simply in addition to an ethernet cable. Your ISP may advocate an Ethernet cable for pairing your extender to the router, however a coax cable additionally works.When unsure, contact your ISP for assist and focus on your choices. You may also strive negotiating along with your ISP, which is likely to be finest in case you’re seeking to improve your plan.What’s the underside line? Since finishing this experiment, I’ve seen a drastic change in my web connection. My household and I can stream our reveals with out issues and my Zoom calls are working extra easily than ever. I outlined 4 steps on this web page, however you may have to do a couple of additional steps to make sure you cowl all of your bases. Fixing your web would not need to be complicated. This is my first time experimenting with this, and I’ve found a brand new consolation degree with my web connection and the way it works. Our CNET knowledgeable suggestions to assist enhance your web speeds define the 4 steps I cowl on this web page: Conduct a couple of web velocity checks, transfer your workspace or router, get a Wi-Fi extender (or improve your router) and prioritize your work visitors. It’s price noting that many components — similar to sure supplies, dense partitions and even furnishings — can have an effect on your web connection. You can spend money on an extender or mesh system to optimize your connection. You can also strive experimenting with totally different Wi-Fi bands or investing in a good-quality community change. You can contact your supplier to discover your choices if all else fails. Ookla’s velocity take a look at is understood for its consistency and accuracy. Unlike different velocity checks, Ookla means that you can entry your velocity take a look at historical past once you create an account. In addition, Android and iOS customers can conduct velocity checks from their cell gadgets. The FCC states that the minimal benchmark for broadband is 100 megabits per second in obtain and 3Mbps in add. OpenVault’s first quarter report of 2024 reveals that over a 3rd of Americans use the web at gigabit speeds. Moreover, the pattern reveals a 20% enhance from the earlier yr. In addition, its newest first quarter 2025 report highlights that the common American family makes use of 564Mbps downstream and 34Mbps upstream. In different phrases, in case your family can entry gigabit speeds, that needs to be lots sufficient. Having sooner speeds than that is likely to be overkill for the common house. Different family actions require totally different web speeds. For instance, CNET recommends speeds of 25 to 35Mbps for on-line gaming and not less than 35Mbps if you wish to stream in 4K. To study extra, take a look at our web velocity information for extra data.
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