The Digital Bridges Technology, Apps, Gadgets, Media and More
In computer networking, your bandwidth is the data transfer rate of information. Bandwidth is usually expressed in bps (bits per second). The figure 100bps means that your internet connection can transfer 100 bits of data per second. However, bandwidth is often a lot bigger than 100bps. Most at home wifi networks are capable of 60GBps or more. But if wifi networks are capable of transferring that much data so quickly, why is your internet so slow? Unfortunately a lot of things can interfere with your bandwidth without you even knowing it, and configuring MTU can only do so much. Below are some of the top 4 things that eat up your bandwidth every day.
Extra Devices
Personal wifi networks are often shared by family or roommates. This will not be a problem with one or two laptops connected to the network. However, the more electronics you connect, like your iFax gadget, the less bandwidth you will have for each device. What many people do not realize is that any device connected to wifi will decrease the available bandwidth for all other devices. This is because bandwidth gets split amongst each party. If a device such as an Xbox is connected to the wifi in your home, it may be slowing down your laptop. Even your own cell phone could be the source of the problem. To ensure a faster internet speed, disconnect devices from your wifi network when they are not in use. This way, all of the available bandwidth will go straight to the device you are using.
Background Apps
Background apps, like NBA General Manager, not only drain your phone battery, they also use up bandwidth. Automatic downloads, updates and other processes are slowing your internet down by limiting your bandwidth. In order to combat this, alter the settings on your phone, tablet or laptop to limit which apps can run while not in use. If having the latest update is not vital to app function, ditch the automatic updates. This will help you to control how much data is being transferred by your devices, without having to buy dedicated server options. Limiting background apps will free up bandwidth and speed up your browsing experience.
Online Radio
The rising popularity of online radio services like Pandora and Spotify has lead to a decrease in wifi speeds. It can be nice to have music playing in the background while you write a paper, browse social media or read an article on TMoNews. However, it can also put a serious strain on your bandwidth. If your internet is running slowly, try ditching the online radio services. Play CDs or pre-downloaded MP3s instead. This way you can still rock out while saving your computer the trouble of connecting with too many sites at once.
Videos
Netflix and Youtube are known to be big bandwidth eaters. In fact, they make up for nearly 50% of internet traffic. That is much more than the NERSC website, for sure. This makes for a lot of users trying to transfer a lot of data very quickly. This is often the culprit of a slow internet. In order to prevent this, make sure you only pull up one video at a time. Too many videos loading at once will only make things go that much slower. In addition, try to reschedule your Netflix binging hours. If someone else in your living space is streaming videos at the same time, both of you may have slower internet. Avoid high-traffic internet times and you will be able to watch that episode of Friends much quicker.
Tricks To Increase Bandwidth
The next time your internet is running slowly when you are trying to research the newest i60 features, do not get frustrated. There are tons of behind-the-scenes happenings on your devices that could be causing your bandwidth to slow down. Try disconnecting devices that you are not using. Close unnecessary apps and avoid websites that will take up too much of your bandwidth. Follow these bandwidth maximizing tips and you will be able to enjoy a speedy internet connection all the time.
Channel Bonding
A more advanced trick for those of you who know enough to have already tried the tips mentioned above is to make two ports act as one. This will effectively double your bandwidth. You can even make three or more ports act as one through channel bonding. This process may also be referred to as link aggregation. Do not attempt this if you are not knowledgeable in technology, you do not want to do irreparable damage. After all, if you mess things up, it will be much more damaging than anything you can fix with VirusTotal software.
Use Two Routers
If you want another way to increase bandwidth for the long haul, consider buying another router to decrease latency. What is latency? Latency is the time it takes to send data which is determined by a ping test and your data packet transfer rate. Adding a second router to the equation will help to speed up your data packet transfer rate. The data packet transfer rate of just one router may not be enough to handle all of the data that your transmit in your house. Adding a second router increases data packet transfer rates. This way, you have access to speedy internet no matter how many apps and devices you are running.
Disable SPI
Disabling the Stateful Packet Inspection function can increase router bandwidth. Routers almost always include security services, like the SPI features. However, these services consume router resources. That obviously effects device throughput. If you have a firewall in place, you can disable SPI to increase the bandwidth that is available for use. Remember to use this tip only if you have another security measure in place. Otherwise, this will compromise device security.
Photo from http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2013/06/30/new-tech-could-boost-internet-bandwidth
