If you ask the average user why routers are so good, you can get two answers. Firstly, they give some freedom of movement, and secondly, they can distribute the Internet for several devices at once. Most owners of wireless routers do not think about the shortcomings until they accidentally encounter them. So, many routers cut the Internet speed over Wi-Fi, however, not only over Wi-Fi, but also with a cable connection.

The difference in data transfer speed when connecting directly and connecting through a router is not always noticeable by eye, unless you test the connection in some Internet speed meter, and then subject to certain conditions. However, a slowdown in connection speed when connected via a wireless network always occurs. Moreover, this is normal. But why does the router cut the Internet speed over Wi-Fi, and is it possible to somehow increase it? Let's figure it out.

You can count on the Internet speed declared by the Internet provider only with a direct cable connection; when using Wi-Fi, the speed will always be lower than the declared one. It is also worth considering that the speed indicated in the router documentation is usually much lower than the real one.

Signal transmission medium

There may be several reasons for the decrease in the speed of the Internet distributed through the router. It all depends on the signal level, the presence of interference, problems on the provider's side, the protocol used, the channel load, the router model, and a bunch of other small factors. The underlying reason for the lower speed is the medium through which the electromagnetic signal is transmitted. Whether you like it or not, it spreads worse through the air than through an electric cable.

The location of the router in the room

Can I somehow increase the speed of Wi-Fi? Ideally, the router should be located in the center of the room without internal walls and partitions at the same distance from the receiving devices, which, of course, is impossible in real conditions apartment buildings. If you place your router in a back room, don't be surprised if your internet gets slow.

The router should be installed in a central room or corridor, while the device should not be located near devices that generate electromagnetic radiation - computers, microwave ovens, modern TVs, etc. To determine the optimal placement point for the modem, you can also use special programs, for example, WiFi Analyzer or InSSider.

Radio channel selection

The low speed of the Internet over Wi-Fi may well be due to channel congestion, and this problem is most often faced by residents of apartment buildings. Most routers operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz, while using a range of channels from 1 to 13. If there are many networks in the house, they literally start to jam each other. There are two main solutions to this problem. You can determine with the program Acrylic WiFi Home the cleanest channel and enable it in the router settings. A more radical option involves the purchase of a router operating at a frequency of 5 GHz and, accordingly, with a large range of channels.

Wireless Optimization

Alternatively, you can try setting the router to the maximum Wi-Fi speed. Go to the router settings, find the "Network mode" section or with a similar name and select "11n Only" or "N Only" from the list. Additionally, you can change the channel width to 20 or 40 MHz (40 is more relevant at 5 GHz).

If your router supports 5 GHz, see if the new 802.11ac standard is available in its settings, if so, enable it. If only 802.11n is available, try enabling the WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) option in the advanced settings of the router. It must also be enabled in the properties of the wireless adapter on the "Advanced" tab by selecting "Gaming/Multimedia" or "WMM" from the list of properties.

Old model wireless adapter

Internet speed depends not only on the router and provider, but also on the signal receiver - the Wi-Fi adapter on a laptop or computer. If it does not even support 801.11n, then there can be no question of any high speed. Replacing the Wi-Fi module is still a hassle, but you can try updating its drivers to the latest version, due to which you may get a small speed boost.

Old or buggy firmware

Another way to increase the speed of the Internet through wifi router is to update the firmware. Over the past few years, wireless technology has come a long way, while routers, as a rule, are changed very rarely by users and usually do not care about updating their firmware. But in vain, because installing a new version software can improve the quality and security of your Internet connection.

Different connection protocols

Last but not least is the connection protocol used by your ISP. most high speed connections are provided by DHCP and Static IP protocols, when using the PPPoE protocol it will be slightly lower, but if the connection is made using PPTP technology, the data transfer rate will be even lower. You will not be able to change the protocol, but you can check with the provider the technology used and, in which case, change the Internet service provider - this is quite within your power.

Drawing conclusions

Above, we have given the main reasons why the Internet speed drops through a router. In fact, there may be even more of them, they are just not so common. The location of the router in the house is important, the settings used are important, but the most important point, perhaps, is the support of the latest wireless technologies by the router and receiver devices. If you want to get the best speed, consider purchasing a newer and more powerful router model.

An urgent problem for owners of tariffs with a limit on the speed or amount of information (as well as USB modems) or "low-speed Internet". It seems that the Internet is there, but the speed is not enough even to open pages on the Internet. If you are used to it and put up with it, then you can continue to ignore it. But still, I think everyone will be interested in what programs or applications use Internet traffic.
By the way, sometimes in this way you can find out and see some unfamiliar process or application that you do not know, and this may be a virus or spyware that sends your data (or monitors your actions) and sends them to someone through Internet.

You can find out what is eating your Internet traffic in several ways.

1) Through the standard . But there is one big drawback here - only in Windows 8 it shows on the tab Processes in a collumn Net.

In other editions (versions) of "Windows" this is not. More precisely, there is, but there is not what you need.

2) Through and various firewalls that provide .
But here, too, there is a snag - not everyone gives such an opportunity, and there are also paid options. Although I use it and it suits me. Shows, by the way, that he uses the Internet too. Like all firewalls in principle.

3) Through third-party special programs.
I consider this option to be the best and most effective, because it is suitable for all versions of the OS and you do not need to pay, because all programs are free.

The first program to gain universal recognition is TCPView from .

On the positive side, it does not require installation (portable) and takes up little space (284 kb). Of the negative in it, only that it does not have a Russian-language interface. But to understand it will not be difficult.

After running the file, the main window looks like this:

The second program is NetWorx

It does everything the same as the previous program, namely, it monitors and shows which programs climb into the Internet. The most important and pleasant difference is that it is Russified and has many functions.

After installation and / or launch, the program is minimized to and when you right-click on the icon, the following menu appears:

I think the disadvantage is that you cannot find out the properties of the file, and therefore you can only guess what kind of file and where it is located.
Perhaps that is why it includes many functions, such as:
- General statistics, in which you can find out how much is received / sent per day / week / month or from other users (if there are several accounts).
- Graph of the current speed.
- Measure internet connection speed.
- Set up a limit (quota) for the use of Internet traffic. You determine how much you can spend per hour/day/week/month, and then the program will notify you of the limit.
- You can make traces or ping the route. In simple words- write the ip address or url of the site, and the program determines how long it takes to send / receive a response and a request. In general, this is for more advanced users.

Well, that's all there is to it. With the main task, namely how to find out which programs and applications consume the Internet connection, you figured it out and know what to do.

Today, there are practically no people who would not constantly use the Internet. Through the Network people communicate, play and get a lot of useful information. Therefore, it becomes very disappointing when, for no apparent reason, the Internet connection starts to work too slowly.

In this case, any person starts to panic. However, not everyone knows that there are many options that will help solve the problem of too low data transfer. First of all, it is worth finding out why the speed of the Internet via WiFi drops.

Causes

A number of problems can affect the connection speed. First of all, you need to check that the computer or laptop is in close proximity to the router itself.

Also, sometimes the low speed of the Internet via WiFi is due to the too low bandwidth of the router. And it often happens that several people use the network at the same time, each from their own computer. In this case, the amount of traffic increases too much, and accordingly, the data transfer rate drops noticeably.

In addition, such problems may be related to the operation of the router itself. Not everyone specifies which one is for the house before buying it. This is a big mistake, since a lot will depend on the quality of the device. top models D-Link, TP-Link and ZyXel are considered.

Before moving on to fixing the trouble, it is recommended that you take an internet speed test at speedtest.net. This independent service has been on the Web for a long time. You do not need to register on the site, just click Start and wait for the results to be displayed. First you need to close all applications and sites. If the Internet speed test on speedtest.net showed that everything is in order, then the reason is in large numbers running processes.

There are several ways that can help solve the problem of low Internet speed.

Using Accelerated WiFi

Until recently, there was only one indicator of data transmission of the router, which was 2.4 GHz. The corresponding standards for this were written as 802.N. However, today there are dual-band Wi-Fi routers that are capable of supporting a higher data transfer rate, which is 5 GHz. In this case, you need to make sure that the 802.AC standard is enabled. To make the appropriate settings, as a rule, it is enough to go to the basic parameters of the module.

When you enter the control panel of a dual-band Wi-Fi router, you need to go to the "Wireless Mode" tab and change the settings. However, it should be borne in mind that if the router itself supports the fast WiFi standard, but the computer does not, then nothing will work. Both devices must operate in the same mode.

Therefore, when deciding which WiFi router is best for your home, it does not always make sense to give preference to dual-band models.

Router channel width

In this case, everything is simple. As a rule, the Internet works much faster if the frequency is set to 40 megahertz in the 2.4 GHz band. If the router operates in the 5 GHz band, then you can use 40 MHz or 80 MHz.

As a rule, after changing these parameters, it immediately becomes noticeable how much faster the system starts to work. However, it should be borne in mind that it is recommended to set the maximum values ​​\u200b\u200bof the channel width of the router only if the signal quality is very good. Otherwise, you can completely lose the connection.

This is not the only way to increase the speed of the Internet (WiFi).

Non-overlapping channels

As a rule, in the standard 2.4 GHz band, the radio channel whose number is used can affect the connection speed. To switch to non-overlapping channels in this range, you must select the first, sixth or eleventh. In this case, the distribution of the Internet via WiFi should increase.

If you use a router that operates at a frequency of 5 GHz, then in this case the number of non-overlapping channels will be more than 22. There is no point in choosing another channel, since there is absolutely no possibility of intersection.

WMM mode

As a rule, providing quality service when using a wireless network is called traffic prioritization. In short, you can replace this word with the abbreviation WMM.

In order to enable low speed Internet over WiFi, simply enable this option. To do this, go to the parameters of the radio module and connect the appropriate standard in it.

Wi-Fi signal strength

It is possible that the transmitter power of the router is simply not enough to provide a high-quality and long-term connection. The fact is that these parameters depend on how close the computer or laptop is located to the router. Accordingly, if you get closer to the router, then the power of the transmitters should increase. However, in this case, it is likely that the problem of low Internet speed over WiFi will not be solved.

On the other hand, getting closer to the router than one and a half meters is also not recommended. In this case, the opposite effect will occur. Therefore, it is recommended to experiment by moving around the apartment.

Protection

As a rule, in order to protect the network from hacking, encryption systems are used. They are constantly updated, but in some situations old data remains. In this case, a security hole may appear. It should be borne in mind that standards such as WPA and WPE have long been outdated. Will refuse them right decision, since hacking such systems is carried out in a few minutes, even by those people who almost do not understand anything about it.

If you use WPA, then there is no point in expecting speeds of more than 54 megabits per second. Most best option Solving the problem of low Internet speed over WiFi - use WPA2 encryption.

Flashing the router

In some situations this method really helps speed up your internet connection. The fact is that the firmware that is installed on the device at the factory very often has a number of errors or is completely raw. For example, Asus routers have repeatedly encountered similar problems.

Do not be afraid of the process of flashing the router itself, since it is quite easy to deal with this. On most models, there is already a function that allows you to automatic update. However, it is better to perform this operation manually. To do this, just go to the manufacturer's website and download the appropriate files with the firmware. After that, you need to go to the control panel of the router itself and find a tab that says something about updates. In this case, it is enough to specify the path to the file and perform a simple manipulation of reinstalling the program.

Driver update

The fact is that in some cases, the software of the router itself may not be correctly recognized by the computer's operating system. In order to fix this oversight, just open the device manager on your laptop and find the "Network Adapters" tab. In the list that opens, you need to find the router and right-click on it. After that, just click the "Update" button and wait a few minutes until the drivers are updated.

Tariff plan change

First of all, it should be borne in mind that each Internet provider has several programs for connecting to the Network. If the video is loading the slowest, then it is quite possible that the problem is in the too low data transfer. For example, if the maximum resolution of an online video is no more than 720x480 pixels, then this indicates that tariff plan implies a speed of 512 kilobits per second. In this case, the problem is solved by changing the tariff.

Unscrupulous provider

This option should not be ruled out either. It is possible that at the time of connecting the Internet, the client was indeed provided with the highest possible speed. However, some unscrupulous providers eventually begin to reduce the amount of data transfer. In this case, the speed no longer corresponds to the selected tariff plan. Checking the decency of the provider is quite simple. To do this, you just need to try using a different router and a third-party computer. If the work is just as slow, then in this case all questions should be asked to the very company with which the service contract was concluded.

It is also worth checking the operation of the Internet through a cable. To do this, it must be connected directly to the computer and try to access the network. If the speed is still low, then you should ask the provider.

What can affect the speed of downloading files via torrents

Today, almost everyone uses this service. However, some notice that sometimes when downloading certain files, the transfer rate of data packets drops noticeably.

In this case, everything may also depend on the provider. For example, if a tariff plan of 16 megabits per second was selected, then in this case the maximum download speed of documents cannot exceed 2 megabits per second. It is also worth considering that this service is a file exchanger, respectively, it works a little on other principles. In order to get faster downloads, you must also put files and documents in torrents.

It is also worth considering that the router could simply fail. As a rule, after 5-6 years of using the router, it starts to work much worse. Fortunately, new appliances are not that expensive, so replacements can be found quickly. Now a quality router costs from 1 thousand rubles. For 3-4 thousand rubles, you can buy a high-quality device.

A WiFi connection may not always provide the same speed as a cable connection. Among the main reasons are incorrect router settings, conflicts with neighbors' access points, and the wrong choice of the location of the router. Speed ​​is also cut when using outdated hardware or older firmware versions.

How to determine that WiFi speed is being cut

Internet providers indicate in the contract the maximum possible access speed. The actual width of the throughput channel is usually lower than the declared one. At home, it is easy to check whether this is due to restrictions on the provider's side or using WiFi. To do this, connect an Ethernet cable directly to the device from which you access the Internet.

Open the Speedtest online service in any browser and click "Begin Test". The site will automatically determine the nearest server through which the speed test will be performed. The computer will exchange data with the selected server to find out the current Internet speed. Wait until the end of the operation, then remember or write down its result.

Then connect an internet cable to your router, turn it on and connect to WiFi from the same device you tested the speed on. Open the site again and repeat the measurement. If the results of the first and second tests differ significantly, the speed is cut precisely because of the use of wireless internet.

Interference from neighbors' wireless equipment

Most often, this reason is apartment buildings with a large number of installed WiFi hotspots. The wireless network can operate in one of two bands: 2.4 or 5 GHz. The first option is more common. In this case, the actual frequency can be from 2.412 to 2.484 GHz in 0.005 GHz steps, depending on the selected channel.

The 2.4 GHz band is divided into 14 segments, but not all of them may be available for legal use in a particular country. For example, in the USA only channels 1-11 are used, in Russia: 1-13, in Japan: 1-14. Selecting an incorrect value may violate the laws of the state in which the equipment is operated.

If your neighbors' access points use the same channel as your router, interference (radio wave overlay) occurs. As a result of this, the speed of the Internet over WiFi is cut. It is recommended to analyze the current frequency congestion. The most popular software tool used for this purpose is the inSSIDer utility developed by MetaGeek.

Install the program, run the executable file and click the "Start Scan" button in the upper left corner of the program window. The graph on the right will display the found WiFi networks and the channels on which they work. Find the range that contains the fewest networks with a high level of reception, and then select it in the router control panel.

Note! The width of each channel can be 20 or 40 MHz. Only channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap. Use one of these values ​​for the best network setup. You can also choose to automatically detect the least loaded frequencies in the router settings.

High band occupancy

In large cities, the number of available 2.4 GHz networks can be so high that changing the WiFi channel does not lead to the desired result. The data rate is cut even after selecting the freest segment of the frequency range. The optimal solution to this problem is the transition to the 5 GHz band, which has not yet received sufficient distribution.

Its use is possible on dual-band routers. Such routers create two networks at once, which have different names, encryption and authorization parameters. Client devices whose radio module supports 5 GHz operation will be able to connect to WiFi in this range. Legacy models will connect to the second network. With this scheme of work, a number of disadvantages should be taken into account, the main of which are:

1. Smaller coverage area in the presence of obstacles due to physical properties radio waves of this length.
2. Lack of compatibility with older devices.
3. The high cost of dual-band equipment.

Router Issues

The main mistake made by users when organizing a home WiFi networks- wrong choice of the location of the router. It leads to poor signal reception on client devices, due to which the Internet speed is cut. You can specify the signal level by the number of marks on the WiFi icon located in the tray (lower right corner) of the Windows operating system. On mobile devices, the Internet connection status and signal strength can be checked at the top of the screen, in the notification bar.

It is recommended to install the router in the central room of the room where it will be used. This arrangement ensures a high level of WiFi reception in all rooms of the apartment or office. When installed in the corner of a room, remote rooms will not be able to connect to the wireless network or will receive Internet at low speed.

Important! The quality of communication with the router is also affected by the transmitter power, the number of installed antennas and the distance from working sources. electromagnetic radiation. To prevent Internet speed from being cut, try to install the router away from microwave ovens, refrigerators and other household appliances.

Also check the correctness of the WiFi mode selection in the router settings. It is responsible for the maximum data transfer rate and backward compatibility with older devices. For example, if "11b only" is selected, the WiFi speed will be cut to 11Mbps, while "11g only" will limit the bandwidth to 54Mbps.

You can enter the web interface of the router at the address indicated on its bottom panel. For TP-Link models, the desired parameters are selected in the “Wireless Mode -> Wireless Settings” section. The recommended values ​​if there are older models on the network are "11bgn mixed" and "11bg mixed". If all home or office devices support the 802.11n standard, check the "11n only" box.

In the Wireless Security menu, set the security type to WPA/WPA2, as using the legacy WEP method cuts WiFi speed. Change the automatic encryption type selection to Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). It provides greater network security with less impact on data transfer rates.

Click the tab with advanced wireless network settings. On TP-Link it is "Wireless Mode -> Advanced Settings". Find and activate the "WiFi Multimedia" (WMM) option. This protocol allows you to set a high priority for multimedia traffic, thereby speeding up its transmission.

In the settings of the connected devices, you must also activate this function. Open Device Manager in the Control Panel of your Windows operating system. Find your network adapter and go to its properties. On the "Advanced" tab, select the line "WMM" in the list on the left. On the right, specify the value "Enabled" or "Enabled". Save the configuration by clicking the "OK" button.

Another parameter that you should pay attention to when configuring the router is the transmitter power or "Tx Power". This value is indicated as a percentage of the maximum power of the equipment. If the hotspot is far away, set it to "100%" to improve WiFi reception.

Outdated device firmware

Manufacturers of routers and other wireless devices regularly optimize their software for maximum performance. You can download the new firmware version on the Internet, on the developer's website. The update is performed by downloading the file to the device through the admin panel. Path in the menu of routers of various trademarks is different:

• TP-Link: "System Tools -> Firmware Update";
• D-Link: "System -> Software Update";
• ASUS: "Administration -> Firmware Update";
• Zyxel: "System Information -> Updates";

Advice! When installing software, consider the hardware version of the router. It is indicated on the sticker or in the documentation for the device.

On client equipment (laptops, computers and other equipment connected to WiFi), you should check the versions of network drivers. Windows OS allows you to update the firmware through the control panel, in the "Device Manager" section. Open the "Network adapters" tab and select the radio module you are using. In the "Driver" section, click "Update" and select to automatically search for software on the Internet. After that, restart your computer and connect to the wireless Internet again.

Tutorial video: How and why the Internet speed is cut over WiFi

Using optional equipment

If, after fixing all the problems, the Internet speed in remote rooms continues to cut, use additional equipment to amplify the signal. It includes: external antennas for routers, wireless adapters increased power for computers, WiFi repeaters.

When choosing an antenna, consider the gain and type of connector with which it connects to the access point. Typically, manufacturers indicate a list of equipment recommended for use with certain device models. When connecting third-party antennas that have not been tested for compatibility, difficulties may arise with further warranty service.

The repeater allows you to increase coverage and get high speed Internet even at a considerable distance from the router. Due to the use of a built-in power supply, such devices have a compact size. To use them, just plug the device into a power outlet and press the “WiFi Protected Setup” (WPS) button on the case. After that, the same button must be pressed on the router itself or a quick connection must be activated via the web interface.

American engineers from the CAIDA data analysis center have developed a system that limits the speed of Internet connections to which of the Internet providers. The technology has gained particular significance in light of the fact that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has canceled the rules of net neutrality in the United States. Next, let's look at this system.

Why a CAIDA solution was needed

In June of this year, the principles of net neutrality in the United States ceased to exist. Therefore, CAIDA engineers proposed a system that will allow you to determine which of the network providers slows down or limits the connection speed to individual resources. It is based on the concept of cross-domain traffic tracking.

How the system works

It involves sending probe ICMP requests (frames of the Probe Request type) to servers. The packet lifetime (Time To Live, TTL) is set in such a way that their timer expires when a connection arrives at the far and near routers. If the delay at the far end of the line is increased, but not at the near end, then the "congestion" in the inter-domain connection is probably to blame.

Researchers use this approach because it does not require cooperation with ISPs and is easy to implement. It is less accurate, but the results are close to those of more invasive methods (bandwidth measurements, performance tests on video streaming, etc.).

InfluxDB is responsible for managing the temporary data obtained using TSLP. The researchers also set up Grafana to render the data in the browser.

CAIDA says it tested its system between March 2016 and December 2017. They noted that there is no mass tendency to limit the speed of access to the network among the eight American providers (whose activity was monitored). This is probably due to the fact that at that time the principles of net neutrality were still in effect. However, as noted by CAIDA, some providers did slow down the Internet speed at certain times of the day.

The authors note that their system does not yet take into account a number of factors, in particular, throughput communication lines or asymmetric routing. But in the future, they plan to refine their tool and conduct research on the networks of a larger number of Internet providers. So how the picture has changed since the FCC neutrality was lifted (or if it has changed at all, given that the three major US telecom operators have already refused to introduce any paid subscriptions) remains to be seen.

Recorded cases of speed limit

Information theory professor Dave Choffnes and developer of the Wehe network traffic monitoring application, together with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts, found that almost all US mobile operators limit the bandwidth for video content, but do not touch other types of traffic.

The researchers analyzed the data Dave collected with his app. This is more than half a million tests in the networks of providers in 161 countries of the world.

Most often, US carriers limit the speed to YouTube and video streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports. For example, during one of the tests, it was found that on the T-Mobile network, the access speed to Netflix was 1.77 Mbps. For other content, the speed reached 6.62 Mbps.

In total, in the first half of 2018, Wehe recorded more than ten thousand cases of traffic restriction on Verizon networks. On AT&T networks, the figure was eight thousand, and on T-Mobile it was four thousand. At the same time, "throttling" was recorded 24/7 - even when there was no point in it.

Similar situations occurred ten years ago, which, in fact, became one of the reasons for the introduction of net neutrality. In 2007, Comcast was accused of intentionally preventing BitTorrent users from sharing files online. Slowing down BitTorrent traffic was declared illegal, but Comcast never received a fine.

Sometimes providers restrict users from accessing the Internet at the most inopportune times. For example, Verizon recently speeded up network access for the fire department of Santa Clara County, California, while fighting a major fire. The head of the unit, Anthony Bowden, noted that the operator, by his actions, prevented them from working, making it difficult for the rescuers to coordinate.

According to the tariff used by firefighters, they have 25 gigabytes per month. When they run out the speed is cut two hundred times. However, the operator must remove this restriction in emergency situations. But he didn't.

And although Verizon says that the situation has nothing to do with the problem of net neutrality (according to them, it was a technical support error), there is an opinion that this is not entirely true.

For example, one of the Santa Clara County legislators where the incident took place,