Does Internet speed depend on the router?

It is almost impossible to imagine modern life without widespread access to the Internet. The opportunity to connect to the network is now available not only in public places, but also in almost every home. This would be impossible without a special device - a router.

A router or router is a device that redirects data between a computer (tablet, phone) and an ISP (communication service provider). Modern technologies allow you to exchange data in two ways: using a cable or Wi-Fi, a wireless network.

The relationship between routers and Internet speed

Now there is a huge selection of routers. There are a variety of models on the market: from budget to very expensive. Cost is influenced by design, brand recognition, materials, components and level of assembly. But the key influence on the operation of the device is the quality of the parts used.

A router is essentially a mini-computer with a built-in processor, RAM and a network card (adapter) that determines the router's bandwidth.

If the speed provided by the provider is 80 Mbit/s, but only 40 Mbit/s passes through the router, then the problem should be looked for in the modem used.

There are many factors due to which the router does not provide the required speed. The most common of them are listed below.

Increasing Internet speed through a router

It is impossible to say with complete confidence that the quality of data transmission depends only on the modem. There are quite a few technical reasons influencing this process, and they are often interrelated. However, you can solve the problem of slow Internet or significantly change the situation for the better by reconfiguring your router.

First you need to measure your current connection speed via the website http://www.speedtest.net. After diagnosing each subsequent problem and changing the operating parameters of the router, a new measurement should be taken and compared with the first result.

Important! To obtain accurate data, it is necessary to pause programs that use traffic during testing. It is advisable to carry out this test several times and analyze the obtained numbers.

Speed ​​Options

Free Wi-Fi channel

It’s best to start the process of increasing your router’s throughput by searching for a free Wi-Fi network channel. If your computer detects a large number of Wi-Fi access points, you must take into account that all of them can serve as an obstacle to the transmission of a good signal. Therefore, you need to find the least loaded channel and adjust the router settings.

WPA encryption specification

Another possible reason is that the old WPA encryption specification is installed by default.

Important! It is considered outdated, insecure for protecting a wireless network, and has an algorithm that significantly limits speed.

Therefore, in the router settings section, you must update the encryption protocol to WPA2-PSK.

Adapter

It doesn't matter how powerful the router you are using is. It will not be able to provide the speed promised by the provider if the computer receiving the signal has an old-style Wi-Fi adapter installed that cannot support the 802.11n standard.

You need to update the adapter driver to the latest version, and then measure the Internet speed again.

802.11n operating mode

If the problem with traffic speed does not disappear after the update, you need to check whether the above-mentioned 802.11n operating mode is installed. This is a new version of the standard for all Wi-Fi networks, used since 2009.

Compatibility Mode

By default, modems always have automatic mode enabled for maximum compatibility with any devices. To change it, go to the settings menu and select “Network mode”. Then press 11n Only and be sure to apply these settings.

Power Saving Mode

Sometimes low traffic speed can be observed on devices with activated power saving mode. It may affect the operation of the wireless adapter. Therefore, to check the system, you need to temporarily disable this mode.

Sleeping mode

The problem may also occur after the computer wakes from sleep mode. In this case, rebooting the device usually helps.

Distance

The greater the actual distance between the router and the computer, the worse the signal. Therefore, in a large house you need to use a high-power modem.

Number of connections

When figuring out the reason for slow Internet speed, you need to take one nuance into account. It decreases depending on the number of units of connected equipment. The router literally divides the signal between all clients, automatically reducing it due to the load it creates.

Low Internet speed is not always the result of poor performance of the provider. As a rule, the cause of the problem is the router used and its incorrect settings. When this is the case, the problem is easy to diagnose and fix with a basic knowledge of how the system works.