5 common home Internet problems and how to fix them

Introduction

Have you ever experienced Internet issues at home that come and go without any explanation why? And, after calling the cable or telephone company for help, you were left wondering if customer service still exists? I totally understand your frustration. I hear people complain all the time about Internet connectivity issues. Slow browsing and streaming problems are very common. Maybe you are working from home and your Zoom or WebEx virtual meetings are disconnecting or experiencing poor video/audio. In this article I will go over 5 common home Internet issues and provide simple, easy to understand ways to troubleshoot and fix them. Hopefully, this will help save you some aggravation and an expensive technician visit!

Problem 1 – Not enough WIFI

Here’s the scenario: Your cable Internet modem is located downstairs behind the TV in the living room. This is common because the cable modem needs access to where the cable wire enters your home. The most logical place for it is behind the TV. The cable wire is right there, and you get the added bonus of hiding all those components behind the cabinet. However, your iPad can hardly browse the Internet upstairs, nor does the Xbox connect to the Internet in the bonus room. The problem is that the WIFI signal emanating from the modem behind your TV from can’t penetrate your house’s building structure all the way upstairs. If your iPad works well while near the cable modem but stops working when in other areas of your home, this is probably the problem. In this case you need to provide more wireless access points across your home. I recommend using a mesh system such as Google’s Nest WIFI. Mesh networks are easy to deploy and create their own wireless backhaul to the central point behind your TV. No cable running required!

Problem 2 – Not taking full advantage of your WIFI network’s 5GHz capability

In the United States, wireless access points can operate in two different bands, 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are located in what is called white space spectrum. This means that the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has granted access to use these bands without a license. Any device operating in these bands must try to limit interference with other devices and must also accept any interference from other devices. For example, your microwave oven uses radio frequency located in the 2.4Ghz band to cook your food. Don’t be alarmed. Your microwave operates at a much higher wattage than the very weak signal your WIFI network uses. Your WIFI network is not going to cook you. The 2.4Ghz band is small and there many WIFI and non-WIFI devices commonly found in your home competing for this RF real estate. Due to this congestion, the 2.4ghz band is usually not the most efficient frequency to use. The answer is to move to the 5GHz band. Some wireless routers refer to this as the 5G network and may even advertise a SSID with 5G appended to the name. Make sure your wireless device is using the 5GHz enabled SSID to take advantage of less interference and the faster speeds this network offers. There is one caveat with 5GHz. The higher the frequency the greater the attenuation. Basically, this means that the 5GHz band cannot penetrate building structures as easily as 2.4GHz. You may not get as strong of a signal as you did when using 2.4GHz. If this happens, refer to Problem 1 – Not enough WIFI for suggestions to fix.

Problem 3 – Use modern network equipment with up-to-date firmware

Wireless routers have been around for many years. If you were an early adopter of this technology, chances are your network equipment is old and may need to be updated. Many new features like 802.11ac and beam forming have been developed over the last couple of years and can significantly improve your speed and mitigate RF interference. Other features have been added to make your network more secure and allow you to manage who connects to your network and what they can see once connected.

If your equipment is not that old and already has newer features, perhaps it just needs a firmware update. The firmware is the router’s operating system. Most manufactures routinely update the firmware to add features and fix bugs. Running old firmware may also be a security risk. Firmware updates are typically found on the manufacture’s website under support downloads. Do not remove power or reboot the router while downloading the new firmware as this could permanently damage the device.

Problem 4 – Wireless device should be running up-to-date operating systems

Just like the router firmware, the end user device should also have the latest operating system and patch updates applied. You should be running the latest version of Windows 10 with the latest Internet browser. Apple operating system upgrades also include updates that could improve your Internet browsing experience. 

You should also make sure you are running the latest wireless network interface card drivers. The wireless network interface card is the actual hardware inside your computer that provides the wireless connection. Wireless NIC manufactures may issue driver updates that include additional features and correct bugs that have been discovered. Windows typically keeps the drivers updated, but it is possible that your wireless NIC manufacturer may have issued an update that it not listed by Microsoft. You can find out who your wireless NIC manufacturer is by looking in device manager under network adapters. Updated drivers are typically found on the manufacturer’s website under support downloads. Apple device are updated via software updates that are distributed solely by Apple.

Problem 5 – Make sure your device is clean of all malware

Malware is a broad term loosely used to describe any application that is considered malicious. Malicious software can be viruses, worms, or spyware. Malware is usually loaded without you knowing and contains harmful software that can be used by hackers to gain information about you or control your PC to attack and gain information on other Internet connected devices. Malware will certainly cause your PC and home network to not work efficiently.

To protect yourself from malware you will need to insure you are running Windows 10 with the latest updates. Mac users need to perform all Apple IOS updates. You will also need to make sure you are running the latest browser versions. Internet Explorer and Edge are updated by the Windows 10 update process. Google Chrome is regularly updated by Google. Next, you will need anti-virus and anti-malware protection. Microsoft Windows 10 includes a good free anti-virus tool called Windows Defender that is regularly updated by Microsoft. I would also recommend an anti-malware tool such as Malwarebytes (https://www.malwarebytes.com). Malwarebytes will run a basic on demand scan for free.

Lastly, I recommend using OpenDNS (https://www.opendns.com) for all devices on your home network. OpenDNS offers a free Domain Name Server service that your PC uses to connect to resources on the Internet. It works by comparing the browsing site address or URL against a very large database of known malicious sites. If it determines that your PC is attempting to connect to a known malicious site, it will not complete the lookup and refer your browser to an OpenDNS webpage describing what happened and why. This method of protection is unique and proven to be an effective layer of security. It is also effective against ransomware attacks.

Conclusion

Having a fast, always available Internet connection is a necessity for most people today. Speed and efficiency are necessary to power our streaming applications such as Netflix and gaming apps. Home networks must also be able to provide high quality service to many devices at the same time. This can be accomplished using a basic architecture with modern components that are up-to-date and secure. Following these five suggestions should save you some frustration and allow your home’s Internet to be what you want it to be!

How to use technology to create the best virtual learning environment for your young student

I am a father of three school age kids. I know firsthand the technical issues encountered when COVID19 closed schools and forced our little ones to continue learning from home using virtual meeting technology. Schools and students had to become experts in computers, networking, and virtual meeting applications overnight. In this article I will explain what technology worked well for our family and how you can create the best, safe virtual learning environment for your young learners.

There are multiple virtual meeting service providers. Some of the more popular ones are WebEx, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. My kids’ school adopted Zoom as their platform for virtual meetings and this has worked well for them. Zoom allows the teacher and students to see a small thumbnail of everyone in their class on the same screen. Zoom also incorporates an audio bridge to enable voice conferencing. The environment is very interactive. Students can raise a virtual hand to alert the teacher to a question. The teacher can also present a Word document or PDF. And finally, meetings can be recorded and viewed later.

If you’re like me, you don’t have four or five desktop PCs or laptops instantly available. My family overcame this problem by using Apple iPads. Zoom has a very nice free and easy to use iPad application that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. The iPad is an excellent device to use. It is wireless and can be easily moved anywhere in the house. The iPad also has a larger screen with built-in camera and speaker/microphone. For more privacy you can plug in ear bud speakers or join wireless earphones like Air Pods via Bluetooth. Battery life is ample too. An iPad cover is essential. The cover provides protection and can be used as a stand so the iPad will sit upright and provide the correct camera angle.

Any time a child is exposed to the Internet certain security considerations must be addressed. Our home network uses a free product from Cisco called Umbrella (https://www.opendns.com/home-internet-security/). Formerly known as Open DNS, Umbrella watches what sites any device on our network is attempting to access and will block access if the site is categorized as pornography, gambling, or a known security threat. Umbrella is easily implemented on your home Internet router by replacing your Internet service provider’s DNS servers with the Umbrella DNS servers. Umbrella can also provide protection from ransomware and other Internet security threats. As more people are streaming camera video from their home environment another security issue that has recently gained attention is being aware of what’s viewable in the background. I would recommend orienting the camera so nothing of importance can be seen in the background behind your child. Remember, these class interactions may be recorded, and this recording may be viewed by anyone. I would also recommend teaching your child how to mute and unmute themselves so other students are not interrupted by background noise.

The COVID19 pandemic has caused many problems across the globe. In-class education will continue to be limited and virtual learning technologies will continue to be used to enforce social distancing rules. Your child’s safety when using the Internet is equally important. Free services such as Cisco Umbrella can be used to create a safer Internet environment. Using the right technology will help you and your child make the best of these challenging times.

Creating an awesome home virtual meeting experience!

Virtual meeting applications have recently exploded in popularity due to the COVID19 pandemic and the need to work from home. The kitchen table is now the office desk. This new work environment creates unique technological challenges. I frequently hear, “my WebEx experience stinks” or “other people in my meeting are saying my audio and/or video is poor”. I hear you! I know how it feels when trying to understand and hear others, and hope they are hearing and understanding you too. In this article, I will teach you how to get the most from this technology so your next virtual meeting will be an awesome experience!

There are many different virtual meeting services available today. WebEx, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams are popular virtual meeting providers. Each provider offers their own flavor of experience in hopes that you’ll like the way they do it and use more of their product. Regardless of how they do it, the process on the back end is the same. As a virtual meeting attendee, your PC is responsible for capturing your voice and video, turning this information into digital data, and then finally transmitting it over the Internet to all the other meeting attendees. So, first and foremost, you need to use a modern PC or Mac running the latest version of MS Windows or Mac OS. You will also need a quality Internet connection with enough speed to handle bidirectional audio and video streaming. Most DSL and cable Internet service providers can provide this level of service. You must also have an ample wireless signal if using WIFI in your home. I do not recommend using cellular hotspots.

Next, you will need a quality microphone and set of speakers. There are many different types of microphones. You will need a microphone that is directional and sensitive enough to pick up your voice, but not ambient background noise. A good example of a bad microphone for this purpose is the one built into most laptops. These microphones are omnidirectional and designed to pick up all sounds. This usually results in poor audio quality for voice meeting purposes. The same goes for speakers. You will need speakers that can produce quality sound at an acceptable volume. There are two ways to design this. You can use a set of external speakers and an external microphone to achieve a speakerphone like experience. Or, if you require something more private, you can use headsets with an integrated mic like the ones commonly used for gaming. Believe it or not, the ear buds that came with your mobile phone will work perfectly for this purpose. Just plug them into the speaker/mic combo port on your laptop. That is unless you have the new Apple ear buds with the lightning connector. These will not work. You can also use Bluetooth ear buds. Just pair them using Bluetooth to your laptop. Apple Air Pods work great when connected via Bluetooth to your laptop.

Finally, using video during your meetings is recommended and creates a richer experience than audio alone. If video is desired, you will need a video camera capable of at least 720p resolution at 15 frames per second. 1080p at 30 frames per second is ideal. Newer built in laptop cameras are capable of this and would be acceptable. Make sure you have ample light and that you are practicing good ergonomics to protect your head and neck. Also, be mindful of what meeting attendees may see other than you. It can be a security risk if items in your personal environment are viewable around you.

I have found virtual meetings to be a valuable tool to enable remote collaboration with other team members. The following are components that have worked well for me:

For a speakerphone like experience:

- Logitech c920 webcam with built in microphone

- Bose Companion 2 Series III Multimedia Speakers

Or, for more private situations

- Logitech c920 webcam

- Jabra Engage 65 headset