How to Improve Latency on Mobile Hotspot

Internet service providers are still dragging their feet when it comes to offering comprehensive coverage and support. Back in the day if you were to get better signals for your phone then moving closer to the window or the areas that the cell tower is located was a sure way of getting a human to speak on the other end. Surprisingly enough we are still in that era and between broadband and cell phone coverage, phone owners can only control their signal level by putting their devices close to a window or a cell tower.

Analyzing the evolution from 1G to the current 5G we can say that we are just 5 steps away from Stone Age, if not 4 given that 5G is rolling out at a snail’s pace. The latter also applies to the mobile customizable options, and their limitations as regards the broadband settings. Most people might therefore arguethat ISPs such as Verizon do offer reliable coverage, and which we don’t refute.

What we are, however, saying is that the provided data speeds cannot be exactly reliable because, on many occasions, the phone companies will move subscribers from a strong tower to one that is weak, to make room on the tower for someone who doesn’t have service. The above should, however, not make you think that you are completely helpless when it comes to enhancing the latency on your mobile hotspot check below.

How to improve latency on mobile hotspot

Turn off applications running in the background– applications running in the background on your phone, will consume the RAM and mobile data and since they will be running simultaneously with the hotspot data they are well capable of encouraging latency. Individuals who therefore wish to use their devices as mobile hotspots should ensure to turn off the background applications by launching the recent applications menu, then find the application that they want to close, and then tap, hold and swipe to the right.

Search for LTE coverage – 4G LTE are the latest fast internet speedsthat offer reliability for mobile hotspots users. And since you will probably want to move with your device as you work, or when on a tour, it is important to ensure that your current location does offer the LTE services. If you, therefore, are in an area that does not support 4G/LTE then latency will be high,but you will still  be able to get coverage but at exceptionally slower speeds.

Keep off the bandwidth-intensive applications- streaming videos, playing games, and video chatting are some of the bandwidth-intensive applications that you must keep off if you wish to improve latency on your mobile hotspot device. Besides by limiting the above, you can avoid overages which are known to be expensive.

Get a plan with high speeds and low ping- upgrading to a plan that offers more bandwidth can help reduce latency, most importantly is that individuals should check on their ISP’s service provider packages and the relevant ping. Services can also be compared with other ISPs, to ensure that they settle with a package that will not only be kind to the pocket but offer low ping for activities like gaming.

Be conscious of Placement – Networking devices work best when positioned correctly, your device should be placed in an area that it can broadcast signals and connect as many devices as possible. Ensure, therefore, that you have eliminated obstructions and that the device is exposed for improved latency.

Conclusion

There are so many factors that could be causing high ping on your mobile hotspot and one of the most common reasons is nearness to the device. Given that the hotspot connection is wireless, users must ensure that their equipment are placed close to the networking devices. Additionally, users should find out the coverage of their service provider, if your current provider is not reliable then you will experience consistent lag. On the flip side, however, is that most of the ISPs are now advertising their packages with an estimation of ping so that their clients can make informed choices.

FAQ’s

1. Is it possible to increase your mobile hotspot time?

Yes, it is possible, on your phone you will scroll to the hotspot and tethering option, and then proceed to click on the mobile hotspot toggle, and turn it on. In the above setting, you will find a time out option, for the hotspot; to tweak this option select the three dots at the top of the screen and then click on the preferred time out from the list.

2. Is mobile hotspot reliable for gaming?

Yes, mobile hotspots are reliable for gaming and can be used just about anywhere. What’s more, is that the gaming upload and download speeds are not too high enthusiasts can therefore game from anywhere.