I Stress Tested My Internet, Here’s What Slowed It Down the Most

Most of us have experienced the bandwidth blues at some point. You may have noticed the occasional dip in picture quality on your TV while browsing TikTok videos on your phone. Maybe your online game starts to stutter when someone in another room jumps on a video call.

I noticed the same thing, so I ran some informal tests to see how my home internet would handle normal activity levels. Streaming slowed my network down about as much as I expected, but downloading a large file strained my connection more than I thought.

I’m testing my internet connection

When I disconnected all devices (about 30) from my network except the one I was using to run the speed test, Wi-Fi download speeds averaged about 590 Mbps over three consecutive tests. For comparison, I have fiber-to-the-home service with speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

Once I reconnected everything, average speeds dropped by about 8% to 545Mbps. Nothing was actively streaming, but a few Wi-Fi cameras, a smart doorbell, and a smart speaker or two were ready to go.

Then I kept all my devices online while Netflix was running on one TV and YouTube on the other, each in 4K. I got an average speed of 509 Mbps, which is about a 15% drop in Wi-Fi speed.

Undeterred, I set up various types of streaming (4K video, music on my computer and smart speaker, live streaming from my tablet’s camera) on 10 devices simultaneously. This time, the drop was more extreme, to 468 Mbps, which cut my Wi-Fi speeds by almost a quarter.

Then I paused the streams and checked my speeds while playing online and downloading a video game. Gaming had little impact on my speeds, but downloading a game that was about 18.5GB really taxed my connection, dropping my Wi-Fi speeds by about 42% to 339Mbps, the highest of any activity I tested.

My home experiment wasn’t conducted in a controlled environment, and there are many factors that could have affected the results. Still, there was no mistaking the fact that my Wi-Fi speeds dropped with every increase in device activity.

What’s blocking bandwidth?

Idle, even on 30 devices, had little effect on my Wi-Fi speed, dropping less than 10%. On the other hand, streaming—which is a form of downloading, even if you don’t save the file—required a bit more bandwidth. The higher the resolution, the more the stream will tax your internet connection.

Streaming is about more than just what you watch on TV. Moving from video to video on social media also requires your network, especially since many content creators use 1440p resolution. In my household, my iPhone, which I use a lot of Instagram and Snapchat, is the second-largest data-consuming device.

Direct downloads, especially if it’s a large file like a movie or video game, can also slow down your network speed until the download is complete. That’s certainly what happened to me.

How to improve the connection of all your devices

Bandwidth hogs will likely slow down your Wi-Fi speeds just as they slowed mine. There are a few ways to prevent devices from sucking up so much speed from your connection. Most of them involve your router and its settings.

Your router is the home of your Wi-Fi network

When preparing your internet connection for bandwidth-hungry activities like streaming and downloading, start with the Wi-Fi source: your router. Depending on the type of router you have, there may be ways to improve connectivity to individual devices and overall Wi-Fi performance. Here are some ways to do so:

• Activate QoS settings
• Change band and channel
• Taking care of network security
• Equipment modernization

Newer routers may offer a QoS, or quality of service, setting that prioritizes bandwidth for specific devices when needed. Some, such as gaming routers, let you select individual devices, such as a computer or console, that you want to prioritize bandwidth for.

In addition, most routers are dual-band, meaning they have separate frequencies used for Wi-Fi, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, which will help reduce signal interference. You’ll get a bit more range from 2.4GHz, but faster speeds from 5GHz.

Make sure your low-demand devices like Wi-Fi cameras, doorbells, smart light bulbs, etc. are using the 2.4 GHz band, preferably on channels 1, 6, or 11. Save the 5 GHz band for more demanding devices and activities.

A good router will automatically perform QoS and assign bandwidth, but you may need to manually coordinate your Wi-Fi traffic. Most will let you adjust settings through an app. You can also access your router settings by typing the router’s IP address into a web browser.

While you are in your router settings, take some time to make sure your network is secure. It is possible that it is not your devices, but someone else who is downloading data from your network, that is slowing down your speed.

If you’re still not getting the speeds you need or expect, it may be time to upgrade your router. For those who rent equipment from their provider, a quick call to customer service is all it takes to get a newer, more powerful router. Otherwise, you may want to consider buying a new router or adding Wi-Fi extenders to your network to improve coverage throughout your home.

Other ways to improve your Wi-Fi speed

If your router is optimized for maximum performance but the speed still doesn’t meet the requirements of your devices, you can increase the speed of your Wi-Fi network by following these steps:

• Using an Ethernet connection
• Approaching the router
• Limiting connected devices
• Updating the Internet Service

We’ve seen first-hand the impact that using Ethernet over Wi-Fi can have on speed and connection quality. Not only will using a wired Ethernet connection improve the performance of your connected device, but it will also free up some space on your Wi-Fi network, allowing for more bandwidth for other devices.

If you can’t connect, try moving closer to the router if possible. Routers have a limited range, so you should place it strategically and stay within range for best results. Wi-Fi extenders or a mesh Wi-Fi system can increase the range of your router.

Any connected device within range of your router will pull on your Wi-Fi, so you may also want to consider limiting the number of devices you connect. I’m not suggesting you unplug your tablet for the sake of your streamer, but your robot vacuum and smart pet camera probably don’t need to be online 24/7.

You should be able to turn devices on and off on your Wi-Fi network from your router app. Most also let you create a schedule for individual devices. For example, you can schedule your pet camera to stay connected while you’re away and automatically turn off when you’re ready to return.

Likewise, many devices perform automatic updates, which can randomly burden the network. Disabling automatic updates will help prevent this problem, but if you do, be sure to check for updates regularly and perform them manually; they often contain necessary security patches.

Finally, changing your internet plan or provider will help ensure that you have sufficient speeds for all your devices. Consider upgrading not only to a faster plan, but also to a more efficient connection type, if available. For example, cable is often faster than fixed wireless, and fiber is usually faster and more reliable than cable.

Don’t give up on your network or devices

With so many ways to improve your Wi-Fi connection, there’s no need to settle for poor performance that can’t keep up with all your devices. If one solution doesn’t fix the problem, try another until you’re happy with the connection quality, capabilities, and range.

For more tips on how to improve your home Internet connection, visit CNET Home Internet.