How to increase your internet speed?

How to interpret this test? If the indicated speed is much lower than that theoretically proposed by your Internet access provider, it is that there is probably room to improve your speed . And there are several avenues to explore to speed up your connection speed: bandwidth, Wi-Fi, box…

Internet speed: understanding the speed of your connection

Free up bandwidth

If the speed you have measured is not the one promised by Orange, SFR, Bouygues Telecom or Free, it may simply be that another use is pumping the speed. Another person connected via Wi-Fi, for example, or Internet TV, or a download in progress on your computer, for example an update. So many uses that do not strictly speaking relate to a speed problem, but to a saturated bandwidth.

Not enough speed to watch a movie on a tablet

It is often recommended to limit the number of devices connected to the box to have more available speed : easier said than done. Everyone in the household wants to be able to enjoy the connection for work, study or play. However, there are simple solutions to put into practice and thus increase the speed: switch from Internet TV to DTT, for example, or lower the quality of streaming videos. We return in detail to these small gestures that can allow you to speed up your connection in our too slow Internet file: why is it slow?

Optimize your Wi-Fi connection

Still, to go faster on the Internet, it will sometimes be necessary to go further and take a closer look at its connection itself. First stage of the exploration: the quality of your Wi-Fi network. Because at the origin of a slow Internet, we will often find the wireless network. And some simple gestures can allow you to hope for significant throughput gains . For example by studying the positioning of your box in the home in order to optimize the distribution of Wi-Fi . Preferably in the center of the home, and in such a way as to avoid obstacles to signal propagation: walls, of course, but not only… We are going back in detail to these obstacles and disturbances in a guide which should help you improve the Wi-Fi connection in your home .

We learn in particular that Wi-Fi is subject to interference from many other devices transmitting on the same frequencies. Without forgetting the neighbours’ networks, which often collide with yours… To escape it, it is in particular a question of making the best use of the potential of your Internet box, and in particular its two (or three) Wi-Fi frequency bands. -Fi: 2.4, 5 GHz and 6 GHz (with Wi-Fi 6E) depending on devices and users. Choosing frequencies, but also the best Wi-Fi channels will allow you to optimize your connection , as an Orange specialist explains in this guide on increasing Wi-Fi speed .

However, all this assumes that you have a relatively recent Internet box supporting the 5 GHz band and therefore Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E. If this is not the case with your modem, a standard exchange with your operator should probably be considered in order to hope for more speed thanks to a better Wi-Fi connection.

Internet box replaced, improved Wi-Fi speed!

Because Internet boxes are no exception to this implacable rule: their performance deteriorates as they age. And this is especially true when it comes to the wireless network. To optimize your Wi-Fi Internet connection, it is therefore important to ensure that you have devices compatible with the most recent standards.

Or at least not too old. The minimum to expect from a box today is therefore that it be dual-band (operating on two frequency bands, 2.4 and 5 GHz), in particular to take advantage of improved speeds thanks to the Wi-Fi standard. ac, or Wi-Fi 5. This began to appear on Internet boxes around 2013, and is now the standard for Wi-Fi (for the boxes as well as for the devices that connect to them, for that matter) .

The latest generation internet boxes from operators – Livebox 5 and Livebox 6 from Orange, SFR Box 8, Freebox Pop, Bbox Wi-Fi 6 from Bouygues – are very efficient in this respect. For example, they are responsible for assigning the best band or the best channel to each device thanks to “intelligent Wi-Fi” systems. Some of them are even compatible with the very latest Wi-Fi 6 standard: the key, in particular, to even higher Wi-Fi speeds , and optimized management of simultaneous connections.

Several people connected to Wi-Fi at the same time in a living room

If your box is not compatible with these latest developments in the wireless network, you can exchange it for a more recent model. Most Internet service providers offer this service for free, and it should allow you to significantly increase your speed. Another possibility is to change the offer or take out an Internet subscription with another operator to benefit from one of the latest boxes from Orange, SFR, Free or Bouygues Telecom.

The Wi-Fi repeater: more speed everywhere in the house

Difficulties with Wi-Fi can also be caused by insufficient coverage . Depending on the configurations and the areas, all the rooms may not benefit from the home wireless network. A repeater will make it possible to extend the signal to the last dark areas of the home and to increase the flow available in rooms hitherto not covered. It remains to choose the right equipment: there are all qualities, for all needs and, of course, for all budgets. If you are not familiar with it, it is better to seek advice on how to acquire these devices, or even how to configure them.