Without your realizing it, your broadband quality could be compromised by the most everyday factors. Did you know that the presence of ground heaters affect your internet connection? Well, I didn't. Here are some tips to make sure appliances and the sort don't bog you down.
- Keep telephone wires away from power lines. It's recommended not to use a telephone extension cable; most of the time it distorts the signal and cuts down on connection speed.
- Don't have more than 3 ADSL filters at home.
- Ground heaters, halogen lamps and vacuum cleaners are power hungry, and the magnetic fields they generate play a role in the alternation of the signal. Don't place your modem or telephone wires near such appliances, unless you want to see a connection drop.
- Make sure the lead from your modem to the phone socket is as short as possible. If possible, don't overlay the telephone socket. Each additional phone or appliance you plug in affects the signal.
- Make sure the wires aren't defective. You might be surprised by how easily they wear out.
- The modems/wireless routers supplied by ISPs are frequently horrible. Use your own modem/router if possible: I'd suggest D-Link. I've heard that using a modem other than the one supplied drastically improves Telus Wi-Fi performance.
- Make sure your phone line doesn't have restricted access (read: is barred from making nation-wide calls).
- Upgrade to a USB modem.
- Make sure the wires aren't defective, on the PC or modem or phone slot end.
Until next time, happy surfing!
