Top 5 Reasons Your WiFi is Slow

Is constant buffering and slow internet driving you crazy? As a networking specialist, I see the same frustrating issues every day. Here are the top five culprits and how to actually fix them.

1. Your Router is in a Bad Location

The single biggest cause of bad WiFi is poor router placement. WiFi signals radiate outwards and downwards, like a sprinkler. If your router is tucked away in a closet, on the floor, or at the far end of your house, you're crippling your signal from the start.

The Fix: The ideal spot is a central, elevated position. For a two-story house, an upstairs central location is often dramatically better than the ground floor. We specialize in using solutions like Powerline adapters to relocate your modem to the perfect spot without running messy new cables.

2. Your Network is Over-Congested

Every device on your WiFi network—phones, laptops, smart TVs, security cameras, even smart lightbulbs—is competing for a limited amount of bandwidth. If your whole family is streaming, gaming, and working at the same time, a basic router can quickly become overwhelmed, slowing everyone down.

The Fix: A modern mesh system is designed to handle this congestion. It intelligently manages traffic, and by creating multiple access points, it spreads the load so no single device is overwhelmed. For critical devices like a work PC, a wired connection is the ultimate way to bypass WiFi congestion entirely.

3. You're Using the Wrong Hardware (Extenders!)

That cheap "WiFi extender" you bought online is often the problem, not the solution. Extenders work by repeating a signal, which cuts your speed in half and creates a confusing second network that your devices don't switch to properly. Most consumer-grade equipment and ISP-provided routers are simply not powerful enough for a modern, multi-device home.

The Fix: A professionally planned mesh WiFi system is the correct modern solution. It creates a single, seamless, and intelligent network that covers your entire home with high-speed signal.

4. Your House Itself is Blocking the Signal

WiFi signals are just radio waves, and they don't pass through everything equally. Materials like concrete, brick, metal filing cabinets, and even large appliances like refrigerators can severely degrade or block your WiFi signal, creating frustrating dead zones.

The Fix: This is where professional expertise is key. We perform a site analysis to identify these "signal killers" and design a network that works around them, using a strategic combination of wired connections and multiple mesh access points to guarantee coverage.

5. Your Internet Plan Might Be the Bottleneck

Sometimes, the problem isn't your network at all. If you have a large family with heavy usage and are on a basic or outdated fibre plan, you may simply not have enough speed coming into your house to support everyone's needs.

The Fix: An honest assessment. We can perform a speed test at your ONT (fibre box) to determine the maximum speed you're actually getting. This tells us if your internal network is the problem or if it's time to have a conversation with your Internet Service Provider.