Why is my Wi-Fi so slow at night?
The answer is in one word “traffic”. If you look at your internet bandwidth as an highway then you realize that there at times the highway gets congested. This is because during the day, most people are in their 9 to 5 work schedules but at night traffic peaks as everyone is at home.
Table of Contents
Rush hour
For many internet connections the peak hours are from 6.00pm to 10.00 pm. Weekends and public holidays also see an increase in traffic as many people are at home. Most of these traffic that causes your Wi-Fi to slow down will come from video streaming from sites like Netflix and YouTube. This take a lot of data as it has become the key source of entertainment from conventional TV.
During these peak hours your household could also be overwhelmed by the number of devices trying to connect to your router. Your bandwidth is specific and when you overload your devices then it is going to cause the Wi-Fi to be slow.
How to solve slow Wi-Fi at night
The solution could be as simple as resetting your router or upgrading your router to a more faster one. Other things that can help is being strategic about how you download videos.
Download during off-peak hours
If there is a series you are dying to watch you can choose to download it during the day when there is less traffic then watch it at night. In the wee hours of the morning or very late at night there is usually little traffic and you can use this time to download heavy videos.
Switching ISPs
At times the problem is with your ISP company. Some ISPs tend to have many subscribers and are unable to handle the heavy traffic. Switching to another ISP can solve the solution. You may also try upgrading your package to one that offers you more bandwidth. When doing the switch search for ISP providers that are invested in emerging technologies like 5G wireless or fiber.
Purchasing more bandwidth may not work as the traffic is still congested. Their ISP that have different technology networks and upgrading to a faster one will help. For example for most ISPs the DSL network tends to be cheaper but also slower than the fiber. Upgrading will work.
When choosing a new ISP provider it is critical to understand how speeds work. 35Mbps is great for light surfing and when less than two people are bingeing on Netflix. 35Mbps to 80Mbps is ideal for slightly heavier use and where video streaming is intensive. More than 80Mbps is ideal when you need a lot of streaming, downloading and multiple people are using the router. Some high capacity plans will even give you up to 250Mbps.
Troubleshooting |
Solution |
Wi-Fi is slow |
Can try downloading videos in the morning when there is less traffic |
Network slow |
Check ISP network offers. You can upgrade from slow DSL to the faster fiber network |
Consistent slow Wi-Fi |
Your router could be outdated and cannot support fast speeds. Upgrading to one using the latest technologies can help |
Have one frequency |
You can try out tri-band routers that offer more than one frequency especially the 5GHz frequency |
Upgrading to router with 5GHz
At times the problem is with your router – it is outdated. Modern routers are tri-band. This means they have both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. With multiple bands you can choose the one you desire depending on your internet demands. The 2.4GHz is capable of speeds of up to 600Mbps and you can use it for light web surfing like checking your emails. The 5GHz can support speeds of up to 1,300Mbps and can be used for more intensive browsing like gaming or video streaming. Most of the time the 2.4GHz is crowded and you may need to move to the faster 5GHz that is often less crowded. Having a router with the latest technologies like beamforming or MU-MIMO can also help boost your speeds.
Move closer to router
At times the reason for slow Wi-Fi can be attributed to lack of range.Move closer with your device and see whether the connection improves. You may also want to check whether there is any metallic object that is emitting microwaves that are interfering with your router. If the problem is not improving then you can try out Wi-Fi extenders. These help extend your range while eliminating any dead zones. The Wi-Fi extenders are plugged into wall sockets and help you browse at higher speeds. Some are sophisticated enough to come with external antennas and Ethernet ports.
Switch your device
One of the first things you need to do when experiencing slow internet is to simply switch your device. At times you could be surfing the net with a very old device that cannot accommodate first internet speeds. You may also want to check how many tabs you have opened on your laptop. If they are very many then you will experience slow speeds. Check your download manager to see whether there are any apps that are downloading from the background and close them.
Other factors that can influence your speed will include low RAM. Your RAM plays a big role when it comes to internet access. If you are using your laptop for heavy streaming and gaming then you can upgrade your RAM and the problem will decrease. There are various free tools online which you can use to measure your internet speeds. You can check your expected internet speed and check whether you are receiving the same from your devices. If it is less then switch to a more powerful device.
Conclusion
If you are experiencing slow Wi-Fi at night then the problem could be the nature of traffic during rush hours. At night there is a lot of video streaming which slows your connection. You can solve this by doing your downloads during off-peak times like the morning or upgrading your ISP.
FAQ
Will upgrading my router improve speeds?
Yes, it will when you shift to tri-bands routers that offer both 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
When are the peak times for internet usage?
This tends to be from 6pm to around 11pm when most people are using the internet after work
