What Could Slow Down The Fiber Optic?
The internet is one of the most influential phenomena of the twenty-first century. We start our days by seeing if any of our relatives have messaged us on any of the social media apps. Then while getting breakfast and preparing for work, we ask internet-based devices like Alexa to tell us about the news and the weather. During our commute to work, we use the network for help with finding the route to our office. At work, we use the internet not only to run online communications and management software but also to keep a check on our loved ones at home. Once done with our workday, we make sure we check up on what our friends and family have been up to by scrolling through social media feeds.
All in all, we use the internet a lot. When something plays such a large role in our lives, it is natural for us to contemplate different aspects of it. While some discuss whether Tim Berners Lee or Leanord Kleinrock made a larger contribution towards the development of the internet, others explore how internet service providers, such as XFINITY INTERNET, are impacting the global network’s progress by providing reliable and affordable connection. Yet another section of people indulges in more practical discourses like what impacts the speed of their internet on a day-to-day basis. If you are one of those people, this blog is just for you as we will be exploring the different factors behind the reduction in fiber internet’s speed when it does take place.
Low-Grade Fiber Materials
The quality of products internet must be top-notch for a good connection. These products include fiber optic transceivers, fiber optic connectors, and fiber patch cords. There are a total of seven thousand internet service providers in the United States of America. Unfortunately, not all of them have your best interests in mind. Some of them install poor-quality stuff to positively impact their bottom line in the short run. All this ends up slowing your internet speed.
Bending In The Fiber Optic Cable
Not all faults in the equipment are due to the internet service provider. There are some which happen because of the customer as well. For example, to make sure that the cord does not lay around on the floor, some homeowners rigidly secure it onto walls and force bends in it on corners. Some other people bend excess cable so that it can be wrapped around the modem and looks tidy. All this bending has a negative effect as it reduces internet speeds.
Poor Location Of Router
The truth is that the lack of speed may have nothing to do with fiber-optic technology; there may be something wrong with your Wi-Fi. One of the most common causes of poor internet is the poor placement of the router. Routers should be placed in central locations and not in corners. After all, if you have your router in one corner, you can’t complain of having slow internet speeds in the other corner!
Dead Spots
No matter how centrally your router is positioned, it cannot compensate for your space is too large for one antenna. If you feel like there is a dead spot in your house even upon the correct placement of your router, it may be time to invest in a wireless repeater. This device rebroadcasts the internet signals by creating a second network.
Obstructions & Interferences
Obstructions around your router can also impact your speeds. When a thick object is close to your router it blocks some signals from passing through and reaching your device. This object can be anything, including:
- Glasses
- Ceilings
- Cabinets
- Metals
- Mirrors
- Thick Walls
Alongside the above, some other objects can disrupt your WiFi signals even if they are not close to your router. This happens because the objects send out signals of the same frequency as the signals coming from your router. The interactions between the signals cause the disruption. Devices that often operate on similar frequencies to WiFis include:
- Cordless Telephones
- Microwave Ovens
- Bluetooth Devices
- Wireless Baby Monitors
Bad Angle On The Antenna
Just like having an obstruction too close to the router can result in signals being blocked if the antenna is lying horizontally on top of a router, signals will be blocked as well. This is because there are lesser directions in which the antenna can send signals if half of it is being covered by the route. On the other hand, if the router is placed vertically, signals will be transferred in all directions.
Wrapping Up
If you have a fiber connection, you deserve high-speed internet. We hope the aforementioned helps you identify why your internet is being slow.