SPECTRUM INTERNET®

Understanding Your Internet Speeds

At Spectrum, we work hard to deliver fast and reliable Internet speeds to all our customers. But the Internet speed you experience can still vary from time to time, so it’s important to understand what factors could impact the speed on your home network.

Many of these factors are controllable and can be resolved with assistance from Spectrum.

The setup of your network equipment matters. Fortunately, you can check on your equipment’s placement without too much trouble. Here are a few tips to maximize your Internet speed and WiFi connection.

STEP 1

Place your router in an open space

As much as possible, avoid physical barriers such as walls, floors or large appliances between the router and your devices. Some building materials – such as brick, concrete, metal and even glass – can interfere with your WiFi signal.

STEP 2

Make sure electronics aren’t close to the router

Electronics such as microwaves and radios – even baby monitors – have been known to interfere with signals, so avoid placing your router near them.

STEP 3

Limit the distance between the router and devices

Too much distance can impact your WiFi signal strength. To overcome this, consider adding Spectrum WiFi Pods to increase the range of your WiFi signal throughout your home.

STEP 4

Keep the modem and router up-to-date

Make sure your devices and routers don’t have out-of-date software or hardware. If you have a Spectrum Advanced WiFi router, you’ll get automatic software updates that will keep you current. If you have any concerns about the performance of your Spectrum-provided equipment, reach out to Spectrum customer service.

Need more bandwidth for all your connected devices? It might be time to upgrade.

Devices Used

If you have a lot of devices connected at the same time, it could slow your connection down, depending on your Internet speed tier – especially if your household likes to game, stream or use video conferencing.

Device Performance

The performance of your computer, tablet, smartphone or connected device can disrupt you from getting maximum speeds. Here’s what might influence your device’s performance:

Device age

Device memory

Processing capability

Operating system

How many applications are running at once

Malware and Viruses

Any malware or viruses on your devices can also impede speeds. Spectrum safeguards against online threats with two protections, Security Suite and Security Shield, so you can connect safely and with speed.
Spectrum Security Suite
Included with Spectrum Internet, Security Suite provides essential device protections such as antivirus protection with automatic antivirus removal. Learn more
Spectrum Security Shield
Included with Advanced WiFi, Security Shield’s automated AI helps block online threats before they even reach you. Learn more

Third-Party Factors

Some aspects of your Internet speed are more difficult to influence, but are still worth understanding to get a clear picture of your connection.

Website Congestion

Sometimes the website, server or online destination you access experiences high traffic. In those cases, your speed may fluctuate due to the website’s capacity and its connections to other networks. Websites may also limit download speeds to better control performance, which could lower your actual speeds as well.
Network Factors
Your connection to websites may not be a straight line, but instead navigate the networks of multiple providers before reaching its final destination. Third-party network limitations, as well as the distance traveled from your modem to the endpoint, can affect the overall speed of your Internet connection.

Still looking for more answers or help? You can find what you need with Spectrum.

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