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Speed up the internet around your home.

Below you’ll find some obvious and some not so obvious tips for improving the internet speed within your home.
YOUR BROADBAND SPEEDS EXPLAINED

Your Broadband Speeds Explained

The imagine broadband network uses the latest advanced wireless technologies to connect premises to the nearest fibre point on our network to quickly deliver reliable high-speed broadband services as an alternative to fixed line broadband networks. While imagine is deploying the latest advanced 4G/5G technologies, unlike mobile networks, to ensure the quality of the service we provide and the high data usage of home and business users imagine limits the number of customers in a given area and only connects premises where a reliable high quality connection can be provided.
YOUR SPEED

Your Speed

As we rollout the network the service is dependent on and will vary based on the individual location of customers. Imagine will provide you with the available maximum download and upload internet access speed at your location at the time of installation. These are your contracted Maximum Speed achieved at point of installation which we undertake to deliver to your premises, however as we continue to optimise the network exact speeds experienced across the network will vary and may be higher. While the current release of technology used in the network deployed is capable of a maximum download speed of 280Mbps, the advertised download speed at this time is ‘up to 150Mbps’ and this is the maximum download speed we will commit to delivering over a single connection.

The Normally Available speed that you could expect to receive most of the time when accessing your broadband service is 80% of your Maximum Speed achieved at point of installation. While average speeds are significantly higher the contracted minimum download speed is 2Mbps and the minimum upload speed available is 1Mbps.

FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT YOUR SPEED

Factors that may affect your speed

The maximum download and upload access speed of your broadband service is different to the broadband throughput speed you experience when you use the internet from your device(s). Broadband throughput speed can be dependent on many factors. Speeds achievable and service quality are strictly subject to your device(s) and service capabilities. Best speeds will always be achieved by connecting your device via a direct cable connection to the modem. Speeds over wireless connections will vary based on the quality of your Wi-Fi signal, distance from and placement of the router, the amount of users connected, the number of devices connected at the same time, the capability of those devices and speed they run at, the number and usage of other users accessing your connection over Wi-Fi especially during peak times, the level of use on the network and the capacity of the sites, services and the content you are accessing. Your Wi-Fi will also be affected by other electrical devices that may be using the wireless channel e.g. cordless phones, microwaves or baby monitors. Keeping up to date with software, firmware and antivirus updates may also ensure your device(s) will be able to achieve optimum speeds.
ISOLATE YOUR ROUTER.

Isolate Your Router. Avoid interference and boost your connection.

To boost your connection, it’s worth relocating your router away from any devices that might interfere. Metal is especially detrimental to Wi-Fi signal strength, so avoid placing your router near any large metal appliances, like fridges and microwaves.

Microwaves, cordless phones, bluetooth headsets, baby monitors, speakers, home cinema’s etc all use radio signals – these radio signals compete and interfere with your WiFi signal from your router – Keep your Wi-Fi router away from all radio waves.

RUN A WI-FI ANALYSIS

Run a Wi-Fi analysis and relieve your internet traffic congestion.

Almost all routers transmit data over various channels. Most people stay connected to the default channel, leading to congestion. This does however leave other channels open with less traffic. Think of a motorway with different lanes, some have more traffic than others.

A Wi-Fi analysis can reveal the channels which are used the least, allowing you to get the most out of your Wi-Fi. Not only this, but you can monitor and troubleshoot performance problems, and depending on what app you use.

Here are some Wi-Fi analysis apps we recommend:
NetSpot & Wi-Fi Analyzer

LARGEST DEVICES 1ST

Newest and Largest Devices 1st Use these to get the most out of your service

Older devices may also impact your overall network and speed. All of your WiFi devices communicate to your modem at the same time, but your older device takes longer, leaving your newer devices to wait to communicate to your modem, thus, slowing them down.
Smaller devices such as tablets and smartphones are brilliant for apps and going online, but due to their size, are unable to get you the high speeds you may experience on newer computers and PC’s.

To get the most out of your service, use your latest and larger devices first.

REBOOT YOUR ROUTER.

Reboot your router. Unplug it, give things a minute and plug back in again.

Your router gets hot just like other tech and like other tech, running it 24/7 means eventually, it will need some downtime to cool down. Unplugging your router and waiting a minute or so and then plugging it back in gives all the tech inside the chance to cool down and settle down. We all know that it’s the IT world’s favourite saying but shutting down and rebooting really does help to solve lots of niggles.
LOCATION

Location, doors and walls. Clear the decks and let your Wi-Fi signal be heard.

As a technology, Wi-Fi is limited to how much it can send and receive over a certain distance. With this in mind, keep your router centrally located in your home and position it at least 3ft off the ground. It makes sense to let the Wi-Fi signal travel around your home without being blocked by solid objects. Where practical, try to keep internal doors open and avoid placing the router next to heavy metal objects like fridges, microwaves and televisions. Also avoid placing the router behind thick walls or in separate buildings.
WIRED VS WIRELESS

Hard wired beats Wi-Fi every time.

Use an ethernet cable and connect everything in your home that doesn’t move. Smart TV’s, Xbox, PS4, Desktop PC, TV Box, Security Camera’s etc – whatever you can connect with an ethernet cable, you should. Ethernet cable isn’t hit by radio signal interference. Amazon have a great selection of ethernet cables in all sizes and colours and at a really great price starting at around €10.
MESH TECH.

Create a high-speed home. Invest in Mesh Tech.

Supercharge your home’s internal broadband by investing in a Mesh Home Wi-Fi System. Starting at around €80, a mesh home network system can make a massive difference to your home’s broadband capability. In simple terms, a mesh system normally gets you 3 or more devices that you place around your home. You then connect one to your broadband router, switch all three devices on. The three devices then hook up together and form a long range, superfast Wi-Fi network that works separate to your existing network. They also let you do all sorts of funky stuff like setup a guest network, restrict device access, schedule kids time and access under parental control options and much more. Amazon online have some great Mesh Home Systems such as the Tenda MW3, Tenda MW6, Nokia’s Beacon 3, Deco, Velop, Orbi and eero.
DON’T ABUSE YOUR DATA USAGE.

Don’t abuse your broadband usage. Be sensible, we all have our part to play.

Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV, Facebook, Google, YouTube and many more of the big players in the content and entertainment industry have all joined the initiative to protect and conserve broadband data usage and broadband access. By downgrading their services to Standard Definition, these companies have been quick to recognise the need to keep the worlds essential services online and connected. The choice to downgrade ensures less data will be used by all of us, meaning that more data and high-speed connectivity will be made available to the essential services required to help all of us.

Serious Stuff Right? Right…

On the 1st April, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Digital Policy, instructed all major data operators including broadband providers, entertainment and online streaming providers along with main stream mobile social media messaging platforms to support the reduction and control of data usage across Europe.

Auto Play options are bad. Turn them off.

Most TV and mobile streaming apps have the option to auto load the next episode or the next video. Ok, it’s convenient when your sat watching the show but here’s the thing. When you leave your device on but stop watching or you switch apps, the auto player usually keeps playing, downloading and wasting tons of data for no good reason. Auto Play Options also slow down your home’s broadband. Turn off Auto Play Options, speed up your internet and reduce your data usage.

High-Performance Broadband – not just for some but for everyone, everywhere

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