We now live in an era where internet connection is essential in most of our daily activities. It may become really frustrating when your internet keeps on dropping out or when your Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. The advancements in fibre internet technology are not exempted from flaws. Keeping this in mind I would like to talk about what are the reasons such unexpected errors may occur and how to fix these issues.
Reasons why the internet may keep dropping out?
Network overloading
This simply is a result of multiple devices using your router network simultaneously, which may lead to congestion in the bandwidth as well as buffering issues. You might face this problem while watching videos online or browsing websites.
What to do?
In order to avoid these issues and attain a buffer-free browsing experience, it is always recommended to upgrade your internet plan to a bigger bandwidth suiting your requirements. This will in turn solve issues with congestion.
Unauthorized users or devices in your network.
Your internet speed drops when an unauthorized user or device is connected to your network. This can be detected by getting into your routers admin page, this can be done by the following steps:
- Open any internet browser from a device that is connected to the network.
- Inside the browser type http://www.routerlogin.net, which opens a login screen.
- Enter the username and password for the browser, this opens a basic home screen.
- Now select attached devices.
- This will display the above information such as device name, IP address, MAC address.
You will be able to view a list of devices that are currently connecting to your modem router. Once an intruder is found, take necessary actions.
What to do?
The most simple and effective method is to change your wi-fi credentials and reconnect the devices which you trust. On a more technical aspect, it can be done by creating reservations for all known devices and cover the DHCP scope to an exclusion range so that only the MAC addresses with the reservations can get access with dedicated IPs.
Outdated router firmware
Using an outdated version of router firmware may result in constant turning off or poor functioning of your WiFi network. It is also important to know that an outdated router puts you at risk of attacks and vulnerabilities.
What to do?
The router firmware carries out all the integral functionalities of your router, a regular or periodic update to your router firmware can improve its connectivity at the same time keeping it secure. In order to update firmware, it is always recommended to download the latest firmware from the vendor website. Reboot the router once the firmware is updated. It is always advised not to download the update from any third-party providers.
Interference from other signals
As we know that the range of signals grows with the advancements in technologies, this may lead to crossing paths with other signals. This has been recognized as one of the major reasons we face network disturbances. Some of the most common sources of signal interference are:
- Household appliances such as fluorescent lights, microwaves, power cables, etc…
- Gadgets such as videogame controllers, analog audio systems, motion detectors, wireless security cameras.
- Building materials: Dense building materials such as concrete is not good for a signal to pass through and may cause interference.
- Wireless devices.
What to do?
Such interference can be reduced by bringing the wireless devices closer to the router and by keeping the wireless devices away from a common interference source. Avoid close proximity usage of multiple wireless devices. A more technical approach that is adopted now is the usage of mesh routers. This system consists of the main router which is connected to the modem and a series of nodes (satellite modules) which is placed around the premise to get good coverage.
Broken cables
The usage of old and unreliable cables might be one of the other reasons why you face network issues. You will have to use different cables according to the need. There are four types of cables that are commonly used in the home network which are Optical cable, Ethernet cable, Phone cable, and Coaxial cable. The damage to any of these cables can make the whole network suffer. Problems relating to these cables may lead to unreliable WiFi connectivity of frequent dropouts.
What to do?
Ensure that all the cables are working properly in a regular interval and make sure that it is plugged into the right port.
Installation of incompatible software packets
This can be the least likely issue which can disrupt the internet connection. In this case, the Wi-Fi might be failing because it contains incompatible software installed including services patches and other modifications which may alter the networking capabilities of the OS.
Would you like to increase your home Wi-fi speed? Follow these steps:
- Upgrade your router: Using an old and outdated router might be one of the reasons why you may face issues with your internet speed. It may not be a cheap solution but updating your router to the latest technology can bring out the best performance within the network.
- Upgrading your NBN/OptiComm internet plan: Network overloading can be reduced by upgrading the internet plan according to the number of devices in the network. An alternate option for network overloading would be reducing the number of devices in the network.
- Use a mesh router system: Any physical obstruction tend to weaken the Wi-fi signal. Using a mesh router system will enhance the quality of the network through a series of nodes that connect to the main network router covering the whole house. Thus reducing the weakening of signal through a physical medium.
OCCOM—Optical Communication Expert
Occom is an Internet service provider dedicated to delivering faster fibre and mobile services and faster support. Occom has been praised by tens of thousands of satisfied residents and businesses, and our products have attained commendation from industry experts. As one of the fastest growing telcos endorsed by top global and Australian financial media, Occom has set the bar for exceeding Aussies’ expectations towards customer service. Occom’s young, passionate and professional team will keep on pushing the boundary for what is possible in the future.
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