Tech for You
Why am I not getting the broadband speeds I paid for?
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Consumers are questioning the need for 10Gbps given that they are not even getting close to the current 1Gbps they have paid for.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE - Singapore is gearing up to equip more households with 10Gbps broadband networks,
The Straits Times looks at how users can maximise connection at home, and the common reasons users do not often get the network speeds that they pay for.
Q: Why am I not getting the speeds I pay for?
Devices will not receive good reception when broadband signals from your Wi-Fi router pass through walls or, worse, metallic surfaces.
Second, your router has to be able to transmit at speeds that match your broadband package, said principal analyst Sam Fenwick from analytics firm Opensignal.
For higher speeds beyond 3.5Gbps, the Wi-Fi modem should support at least the Wi-Fi 6 standard. Modems with the latest standard, Wi-Fi 7, can manage at least 16 devices more efficiently and can deliver theoretical maximum speeds of anywhere up to 46Gbps – nearly five times faster than Wi-Fi 6.
Even with such a router, users will not surf at anywhere close to 10Gbps even though major internet service providers (ISPs) including Singtel, StarHub, M1 and ViewQwest have already rolled out 10Gbps plans.
The advertised 10Gbps speeds refer to wired connection speeds, and users will need compatible equipment, such as computers that support 10Gbps connections.
Third, reception can be poor when the network is shared by others due to network congestion. The available bandwidth for each user drops when more devices use the network – especially for data-intensive activities like streaming or downloading media files, which typically peak in the evenings when more people are home.
Network interference can also occur when your network runs too close to a neighbour’s, causing the channels to overlap, especially in densely populated areas.
This is particularly problematic when many networks use a similar band, like the 2.4GHz band, which has limited channels.
Q: How can I boost my broadband speeds at home?
Try these simple, and often free, steps to improve your connection before you splash the cash on new gear:
Place Wi-Fi routers at a high and central spot in your home or office to maximise the signals’ reach.
Remove older wireless devices, like security cameras, tablets or phones that are connected to the internet as they can hog bandwidth.
Avoid placing the Wi-Fi router near metal objects, such as metallic television consoles or cabinets as they can interfere with Wi-Fi signals by absorbing or deflecting them, said Mr Fenwick from Opensignal. But television sets nearby are not an issue.
Use Wi-Fi extenders or repeaters to ensure the signals reach the farthest corners of the house, said Mr Fenwick.
Connect the computer using an ethernet cable directly to the Wi-Fi router for the most consistent speeds.
Q: How should I select ISPs?
Users can look at the surfing speed estimates that ISPs are required to publish.
Singtel reported
For M1,
For StarHub, it is between 888.99 and 957.05Mbps.
Consumers can also refer to connectivity reports, such as those by OpenSignal, which assess and rank the broadband experience of major ISPs here. In OpenSignal’s latest report
Q: Will I be able to surf at close to 10Gbps?
It is unlikely users will see 10Gbps speeds as they need to ensure that the devices connected are compatible, such as computers that are equipped with a 10G network interface card and Thunderbolt 10G ethernet adapter.
The download speeds advertised by ISPs typically apply only to wired connections, and users often experience slower speeds when connected via Wi-Fi.
