The demand for high-speed internet is never-ending. Since everything from healthcare to education relies on faster-than-light broadband, so the need for speed only increases over time. To ensure the smooth completion of your day-to-day activities, you have to invest in a solid internet connection. The choice of internet package matters a lot here. For instance, you can get your hands on a ton of bandwidth options with RCN internet plans. Thus, choose wisely. However, if you are not looking to change your internet connection altogether, then we have listed several tips and tricks you can try out to improve your internet speed. Give them a go.

Reset Your Router

This hack works like magic. You can go two ways, here. Perform a soft reset or a hard reset. To do a soft reset of your networking device, turn the power button off, unplug the router, wait for about 30 seconds and then switch the device back on. If you have a separate modem, then repeat these steps accordingly. A simple, soft reset refreshes the internet connection with the ISP and reinvigorates choked-up speeds.

On the other hand, you can do a hard reset too. Find the reset slot on the control panel of your router and push a pin inside it to complete the factory reset. This will restore all settings to default and help you configure things anew.

How often should you perform these resets? A good rule of thumb is to perform a soft reset every week and a hard reset every two months. In fact, some of the latest routers also come with a programmable timer that automatically restarts the device on the schedule you set as per your convenience. This way you won’t have to do anything, but just sit back, relax and enjoy the improved speeds.

Relocate Your Router

A router circulates bandwidth throughout the house wirelessly. If a modem is the heart of your in-home network, then a router is the pulmonary system, i.e. it sends data packets to web-hungry devices and makes wireless internet communication possible. Since a router pushes data over-the-air to every corner of the home, it needs to be placed in a central location, from where it can do its job marvelously.

So, if you’ve been experiencing lagging speeds, then relocate your router right away. Place it in an open space, which is free from obstructions. Do not put it inside a kitchen cabinet or next to the refrigerator, as that will lead to signal interference. Avoid windows and walls. To receive boosted speeds, add a Wi-Fi extender or two to your router’s pathway, which will amplify the wireless signals and remove all dead spots in your house.

Invest in an Ethernet Connection

Wireless connections are trendy and convenient, but they do suffer from atmospheric interruptions. Sometimes, their channels get overcrowded, while at other times, electromagnetic storms jumble up the signals. This doesn’t ensure the ‘stability’ of an internet connection, which is something we all desire wholeheartedly. Here’s a quick alternative for you. Purchase an Ethernet cable and connect your device directly to the router or modem. Most of the devices these days, from televisions to laptops, come with an Ethernet slot. Plug one end of a standard Ethernet cable to your PC and the other end to a networking device and enjoy smooth, not to mention, safe, connectivity. A cabled connection narrows down the signal pathway to one destination and prevents it from being distracted by environmental factors, which is why it’s faster and more efficient.

Get Cleanup Plug-Ins

We’ll be talking about three annoying things in this section that slow down an internet connection.

First off, we have advertisements. Ever see those popups of images, gifs, and auto-playing videos that appear out of nowhere when you’re scrolling a website? Yes, these media elements, while trying to gain your attention, also tend to eat up your bandwidth in the background. You can install an ad-blocking plug-in like Adblock Plus to force-close their data-consuming advertisements automatically and give some breathing space to your internet connection.

Secondly, there’s the cache. The cache is a way by which browsers and websites store little bits of information, in the form of cookies, to track your browsing behavior when you visit a new page. Though these cookies help make your web experience more personalized and hassle-free, they happen to consume a lot of bandwidth. This is why you need to clear cache every once in a while, and a plug-in like Clear Cache from Chrome may help you do that in no time.

Last, but certainly not least, we have viruses and malware, which lurk around your computer to cause harm and create chaos in your network. How can you stay safe from these cyberattacks? By investing in a good antivirus and internet security suite, which most of the ISPs these days deliver alongside their subscriptions for absolutely no charge! You can also install a virus or malware scanning plug-in for extra security.

Wrapping Up

Slow internet is a thing of the past. With the advances in technology, broadband has leaped forward into an uber-connected future. If you’re stuck with a subpar network for now, then use the tips mentioned above to speed up your internet and improve speeds right away!