We live in a connected world. We are highly dependent on connectivity to the internet for a wide variety of things, from managing our finances to our audio and video entertainment. While there are alternatives to not using the internet, it's hardly an option in the modern world.

The current COVID-19 health crisis has brought the importance of connectivity to the fore. With shelter-at-home directives and so many outside activities severely limited, a connection to the internet is an essential utility and not an option. Families are working from home, doing schoolwork, staying in touch with family and friends, and consuming entertainment far more from home than ever. With all this going on, your home network is being strained to the limit.

If your network in your St. Louis, MO, home is showing signs of strain, rest assured there are home network upgrades that can put all your applications and connected activities back in the fast lane. Read on to learn more!

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Weak Wireless Signals

Spotty wireless access is a common problem in homes. It may work well in some rooms, and intermittently or not at all in others. If you rely on your internet service provider’s supplied equipment for your Wi-Fi router, you may not have the level of performance necessary for your property.

The solutions may lie in several areas. A more powerful, higher-end router has more robust wireless radios and may have better throughput speeds than your current model, offering greater range and speed. You may also need strategically located wireless access points around your house and even outside to supply even Wi-Fi coverage throughout your property.

In some cases, mesh networks, which work in a daisy-chain fashion to spread wireless coverage, may be an option as well. For other applications, a wired approach may be better, especially for desktop computers or smart TVs and other entertainment equipment depending on where they’re installed.

Video Streaming Issues

Working from home means increasingly relying on video calls for virtual meetings. It’s no secret that popular solutions like Zoom and Skype have rocketed in popularity in the past few months, and are not being used solely for business but also for school communication and keeping in touch with relatives and friends.

Nothing is more frustrating than lagging video and drops in audio. With so many activities dependent on your connection and the potential for multiple video calls going on at the same time, this can occur even with a fast internet connection. In the same vein, numerous streams of high-resolution 4K videos from Netflix and YouTube streams could easily cause slowdowns or problems with other devices and applications.

The solution? Traffic management is a critical aspect of routers. You may need a higher-end router with more processing power and better software to manage traffic priority. For example, you may have 20 or more devices in your home, all using connectivity to other devices and the internet.

Different types of network traffic require different priorities. Multiple video streams, gaming, voice, and file downloads all use different protocols that need to be managed efficiently so that all the applications work as expected. The best routers have powerful hardware and highly configurable software to ensure that all traffic is correctly prioritized so that you don't notice anything but the performance you expect.

How Elite Technology Solutions Can Help

While many equipment solutions from internet service providers tend to be “one size fits all,” Elite recognizes that not all homes are the same. Different needs, devices, applications, home sizes, and even construction may dictate different solutions for optimal home network performance. Our team can assess your situation, analyze your usage, and recommend and install the right setup that will work through this period and well into the future. After all, your connectivity needs will only increase in the digital world!

Upgrade your home network to stay connected in the fast lane. To get started, call us today at (636) 939-4474 or reach out on our contact page. We look forward to working with you!