Internet performance is something that’s more complex than what most people believe. As such, there’s so many myths floating around out there about how the internet works, and what affects performance. If you want to be truly knowledgeable, you’ll need to know which internet performance myths should be debunked. Here are some of the most common myths that you should be aware of.
- The More People Online, The Slower Performance Is
This myth says that if there’s huge demand online at certain times, it can slow down performance. You probably remember this myth from all the way back in the days of dial up. However, it is just a myth. The internet is designed to be flexible, and in studies you usually see that increased activity doesn’t create any noticeable slowdown.
However, it’s a little bit different within your home. As there’s a single connection in your home, you’ll see a drop in speed when you have more people on it. This is being mitigated though, with newer multi band routers making it easier to have multiple people using that same connection.
- Your ISP Is Throttling Your Internet Speeds
This is a very common complaint when it comes to internet speeds. Many people think it’s the fault of their internet provider that they get slow internet, as they’re intentionally throttling speeds. While this has been seen to happen, it’s not always the case.
Remember, they won’t be throttling speeds in most cases, as they need you to get the speeds they advertise. This is good for their marketing, after all. Also, while they may be applying caps in some areas, that doesn’t mean they’re doing so in yours.
It’s also worth remembering that it’s not just your ISP that can throttle internet data. ‘Your government may be responsible for throttling data’ says web developer Luke Bowes, from Assignment Help and Essay Services. ‘For example, China are well known for using a mandatory firewall.’
- Today’s Internet Is Fiber-Optic
You’ll have seen a lot of internet providers changing their internet connections to fiber-optic cables, as this offers higher speeds to their customers. It’s easy to assume that all connections are now fiber-optic, but this isn’t the case at all. In many areas, the switch over hasn’t happened yet so you may not be getting the benefit of quicker connections.
- Speed Boosting Software Helps Internet Speeds
There’s so many companies out there that are offering speed boosting software, and people with less than excellent speeds are taken in by them. The fact is, speed boosting software is a scam. These software installations will do nothing to improve speeds.
If you want to do something to improve speeds, you can use a tool like Ccleaner, which will help clean up any extra files or data on your PC. This may make a small difference to your internet speeds, but there’s no guarantee.
- Weather Has An Effect On Internet Speeds
If you’re dealing with bad weather in your area, it’s common to assume that it’s going to affect your internet speeds. In fact, it’s actually only going to cause problems if you’re using satellite internet. Most modern wireless connections are using equipment that’s designed to stand up against harsh weather conditions, so you shouldn’t experience any problems when you’re using your internet.
- Upload Performance Is Always Worse Than Download
Have you always found that your upload speeds are much slower than download? It’s easy to assume that this is just the way it is, and there’s not much you can do about it. However, that isn’t the case at all. Business writer Anish Cohen from Custom Writing and Best essay writing services says, ‘You really can increase upload speeds up to 20x times faster. Some ISPs are taking advantage of new overlays, where they use edge security offloading and edge routing to increase those speeds.’
- Being Closer To Servers Gives You Better Internet Speeds
This is common myth, as the thinking goes if you’re closer to a server, the data doesn’t have to travel as far to get you as the end user. While proximity to servers does help, being close to one doesn’t mean that you’re going to get faster internet.
There are other factors at play here, and these will affect your speeds. For example, that last mile of internet infrastructure may be very poor, so no matter how close you are you won’t get the speeds you want. There can also be congestion in the infrastructure too, which slows down the connection even more. There’s much more to your internet connection than you realise.
- Clearing Your Cache Will Help Internet Speeds
This is such a common piece of advice when you’re dealing with internet problems. In fact, it’s usually the first thing you do if something is going wrong. Because of this, many people believe that clearing the cache on your browser will help internet speeds.
The reality is if you clear cache, your websites are probably going to load even slower. Your cache contains cookies and data that help sites load faster every time you visit them. Once you clear it, the browser will have to build all that data back up.
- A New Router Will Fix Internet Speeds
This myth is so prevalent, if you contact your internet provider about slow internet speeds, they may offer to send you a new router. This can be a band aid to the problem, as a new router may be able to process data faster. However, it isn’t actually improving internet speeds overall. In short, your new router isn’t upping the speed, it just improves mow efficiently data is handled once it enters your home.
There are so many myths around internet speeds, it’s hard to know what to believe. These are some of the most common myths out there, so now you know what will affect your speeds and what won’t. Being armed with that knowledge, you can make more informed choices about your internet connection.
Emily Henry is an essay writer with English assignment help, and a web developer and editor for Simplegrad. She works with companies to improve their marketing strategies and reach wider audiences.
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