Why is my wifi adapter so slow? Possible reasons and solutions

Wifi adapters are useful because of their extra functionality. But when using it, you may encounter some problems. Even many people wonder why is my wifi adapter so slow. This interferes with their experience. Here are some reasons for this problem and what you can do to fix it.

Why is my wifi adapter so slow?

Wireless band limit

Wifi devices work at two different bands. The 2.4GHz band is older and supported by most devices, but slower and more susceptible to interference. Meanwhile, the 5GHz band is faster and more reliable, but has a shorter range and doesn't work with some older devices.

Wireless bands

The 2.4GHz band is extremely narrow. In the US, there are only 11 channels to choose from. Even that is deceiving because the frequency of each channel overlaps with the frequency of the neighboring channels. Therefore, channels 1, 6, and 11 are the only channels that do not overlap (According to extremenetworks.com)

Overlapping channels is a problem because wireless data waves can interfere with each other, causing lost data packets to be resent. 

Resending data packets takes a long time, which can cause the wifi adapter slow. With many interventions, the drop can be substantial.

USB port or driver problems

When your wifi network protector is slow or unreliable, you should check the USB port that it's plugged into. 

In addition to the USB 2.0 and USB 3. x speed difference, you should also make sure that the dongle's USB port is working properly.

Other problems

Does having too many devices on wifi slow it down? Yes, similar to the limits from your ISP's speed, the reason for slow WiFi speeds is that you're using too much bandwidth all at once.

If there are a lot of people streaming 4K videos, downloading large files, and performing other network activities, the network performance will suffer. You will tend to see these problems magnified when you use a poor-quality wifi protector.

See more: Does having too many devices on wifi slow it down

How to improve my wifi? 

Use the 5 GHz band

If your router is a newer router, it may support the 5 GHz frequency, which can give you a faster and more stable network (while 2.4 GHz has a greater range). You can change the band to the 5 GHz band in the router settings.

Please check the user manual or online manual provided by the router manufacturer to know how you should operate it.

Use the 5 GHz band

Update your router firmware

Firmware manages the device's hardware. Updating your router's firmware can improve your router's performance and possibly increase network speed.

To update the router firmware, you need to visit the router manufacturer's official website to find the correct firmware. Then you need to follow the instructions given by the manufacturer to download and install it on your router.

Update your router firmware

Remove obstacles in the network

Walls and large objects can interfere with the wireless connection between your device and your router and thus can cause windows 10 wifi very slow. 

To ensure a stable and fast connection, you need to place your router in a suitable location where the router's signal can completely cover your devices. In addition, you should also remove everything in a way that can reduce WiFi signal strength.

Place your router in a suitable location

Ask for support from your internet service provider

You can easily waste an entire day fixing poor WiFi performance without realizing that your internet service provider is really the problem. 

Do not hesitate to complain to them if you find that your wifi speeds do not match the speeds advertised by your ISP.

Support from your internet service provider

See more: Wifi slow but wired fast