Home Internet Performance

Owned by Ashley Mattingly
Last updated: Jan 02, 2024 by A.J. Newman
2 min read

A reliable internet connection that has the bandwidth for video conferencing and streaming is essential for remote work. This article covers basic tips for analyzing your home network.

Checking Your Speed

A quick and easy test for your home connection is called a "speed test." To see if you have enough bandwidth for university-supported collaboration applications, search for "speed test" in your web browser. You may use the built-in Google result speed test or head to a popular site such as Ookla at speedtest.net. Common internet speeds typically fall in the range of 100–200 Mbps though yours may be significantly higher or lower. In general, you can conduct voice-only calls with very little bandwidth but need at least 3.2Mbps outbound (upload) and 4.0Mbps inbound (download) for high-quality video and audio. 

Broadband Now provides in-depth information about home networking and resources available during the pandemic.

Tips for Fixing a Slow Connection

  • Keep your wireless router in the open and not hidden by plants or furniture. The fewer the obstructions, the better the signal.

    • Placing your wireless router higher in your room, where there are fewer obstructions, may improve performance.

    • While working closer to your wireless router will give you better performance and reliability, try to stay at least a few feet away.

  • If possible, connect using an ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi.

  • Reboot your router. You may unplug your router from wall power, and then plug it back in after 30 seconds.

    • Note: Your internet router may take up to 10 minutes to fully reboot.

  • Restart your computer if it is not connecting to the network but other devices are still working online.

  • Close other programs and disconnect devices that consume bandwidth. Limit non-essential activities (such as streaming or gaming) while you are working.

  • Replace older routers because radios (Wi-Fi antennae) weaken with age. Retail devices are not made to last as long as business-class devices.

If these solutions do not improve your connection speed or if you need more bandwidth to accommodate the amount of usage at your home, contact your internet service provider.

For more Wi-Fi tips, visit the Troubleshooting Wireless Network Connections guide listed below.

Troubleshooting internet/network connections

No Service

If you do not have Internet service at the location of your home office, contact a local ISP. If you are working in an area that does not have internet service, you may request a mobile hotspot (subject to departmental approval) from Information Technology Services.