In today’s business, a slow internet connection is more than just a nuisance; it is a direct hit on the bottom line.
While it is easy to blame the internet service provider, the bottleneck is often lurking within a company’s own walls.
What Causes Slow Business Internet?
1. Outdated Hardware
The router and modem are the gatekeepers of connectivity. If a company’s hardware is more than a few years old, it likely lacks the processing power to handle modern, bandwidth-heavy business applications. Older routers might only support outdated Wi-Fi standards that caps speeds well below what a customer is paying for.
2. Bandwidth-Hungry Background Apps
Even a fast connection can be choked by invisible “bandwidth hogs.” Automatic cloud backups, high-definition video streams in the breakroom or large software updates can consume available data “lanes”.
3. Too Many Connected Devices
In the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), bandwidth is not just shared by laptops. Printers, security cameras, smartphones and even smart appliances all fight for a slice of the pie. A good tool, like the FTC Inet app, can help users identify and even count how many devices are on a home or business’ network. Additionally, the FTC Speed Calculator, which can be found at ftc.net/services/internet/speed-calculator/ can assist in determining how much bandwidth a business should have to operate smoothly.
4. Poor Router Placement and Interference
Wi-Fi signals are radio waves that can be weakened by physical barriers like concrete walls, metal filing cabinets or even interference from other devices like microwaves and cordless phones. If a router is tucked in a corner or a closet, employees on the far side of the office might suffer.
5. Invisible Security Threats
Malware and viruses can work in the background to send out massive amounts of data, effectively “hijacking” bandwidth for malicious purposes. If an organization’s internet speed has dropped suddenly without a change in usage, the health of its network might be compromised.
How Do You Fix Slow Business Internet?
Some of these issues are more easily resolved than others. Like poor router placement, at least on the surface, might not seem difficult to solve. The solution might be to simply move the router. However, it might take, for larger spaces, a mesh wi-fi system that requires a certain level of expertise.
For too many devices, the tools mentioned can assist in determining if an organization has too many devices and needs more bandwidth.
But again those are on the surface solutions to some of the simpler issues. It does take a robust internet plan with plenty of bandwidth, but that is only the first step, not the final step.
If a company wants to dig deeper into those issues, it might require more expertise and the tools that come with that. For the other issues, it might take not only the tools but also experts like the technicians at FTC IT Solutions to track down issues.So if you are the operator of a business and your internet connection is bogging down, reach out to the experts at FTC IT Solutions at 888-218-5050 and get the conversation started. They might be able to get you going in just minutes. But if it takes more than a chat on the phone, they can take care of that, too, along with any IT issues you might run into.
