Causes of Slow Connectivity in Your Network
Have you just had new data cabling installed? Are you experiencing less than optimal connectivity speeds when you use your phone to access the internet? Read on and learn some of the factors that could be causing the problem that you are experiencing in your home.
Crushed Cables
You may experience slow data speeds on your network due to a crushed cable. This can occur in when a very heavy load crashes against the data cable. For example, the data cable may have been crushed as your new fridge was being carried into the kitchen. The damage may not be visible on the outside of the data cable. However, the damage can cause signals from one of the wires to leak into the signals that are being transmitted by the wire next to it. This condition is called NEXT (Near-end Crosstalk). You can confirm that this is the cause of the slow data speed by examining the connectors in places where physical damage can easily occur. Examples of such places are connectors located near doorframes. Any looseness or visible crimping will be a possible indicator of a crushed cable. Replace any crushed cables that you find.
Electronic Noise
Another likely cause of slow data speeds could be electromagnetic interference from other devices that are close to the data cabling. For example, you may have installed a scanner near a data cable. The electronic waves from the scanner can interfere with the signals carried in the data cabling. You should therefore be cautious about making hasty conclusions that the data cabling is defective. Instead, first check for any electronics near the location of data cables. Turn off each of those electronics and see if data speeds improve. If they do, then you will have identified the device that was slowing down your data connection. Transfer the device to another location. If none of the electronics is the culprit then one of the other causes discussed in this analysis may be to blame.
Data Overloads
Data speeds may also be unsatisfactory due to occasional overloads in the network. Does the data speed slow down at particular times of the day? If that is so, then find out how many people in your home use the internet at that time. You may discover that several family members are downloading large volumes of material at that time. Alternatively, your internet service provider (ISP) may be experiencing high traffic on their network during peak hours. If the problem is within your home, ask family members to alter the hours when they use the internet heavily. For example, you can advise them to schedule downloads when people are asleep. If the problem is with the ISP, contact them for advice, or choose another ISP.
In case you lack the skills to fix your data speed problems, contact a data-cabling professional for help.