Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping?

It’s enough to make you want to chuck your laptop out of the window, isn’t it?

The only thing more frustrating than wi-fi that doesn’t work at all is wi-fi that sort of works, sometimes. Browsing a website, and then BAM, the signal has gone. Trying to save work to the cloud, but would you look at that - you’re offline again because the connection is just too unstable.

It’s excruciating. You find yourself asking: ‘Why me? Why does my internet keep dropping?’

Consistent internet access is a given these days - take it away, and we don’t know how to function. Suddenly, a whole office becomes entirely unproductive, and working from home becomes impossible.

There are several reasons why your internet connection might keep dropping, but how exactly do you work out what’s going on? Tech is tricky, right?

It doesn’t have to be. To troubleshoot for Operation ‘Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping Out?’, you simply need to understand it. Read on to see if one of these factors might be causing your internet issues.

Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping? Troubleshoot Tip #1

Your Router Is Too Far Away

The distance between your router and the devices using it can affect your internet speed, as can the barriers that exist between the two. Unwittingly, many people are reducing the strength of their connection solely by positioning their router too far away from their devices.

Remote worker? If your home office is on one side of the house and your router is on the other, it’s likely a cause of your poor connection, but not one that can’t be fixed.

Experiencing your internet dropping in the office? Think about where your router sits, and how that could be affecting your connection. Lessening the distance between the router and your device could be enough to fix your irritating internet issues.

If repositioning a router in your business building will cause too much upheaval, consider investing in a wi-fi extender or mesh wi-fi system to help cover black spots in your office.

Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping? Troubleshoot Tip #2

Your Router Is Broken

Unfortunately, poor connectivity is one of the warning signs that your router is on its last legs.

Worsening wi-fi range and dwindling web speed are also symptoms to be wary of, and all three of these problems point towards the breakdown of this puzzle piece vital to achieving a stable internet connection.

If router location wasn’t the problem, it could be time to say goodbye and invest in a new model.

Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping? Troubleshoot Tip #3

Your Internet Provider Has Bad Coverage In Your Area

It can be a postcode lottery for good connection and fast internet speed, and not everyone’s a winner.

Internet service providers have traditionally been more interested in boosting up urban areas, quite simply because they are high-user areas. Low population, tricky terrain and less reliable maintenance mean rural areas suffer most from limited connectivity and slow zones.

But it’s not just rural areas that are afflicted. Ever wondered how you can hit a broadband dead spot in the middle of a city? It might be down to physical blockers or cabling. Fibre-optic is ideal, but if your business isn’t near a fibre-enabled cabinet, you won’t be able to get it.

Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping? Troubleshoot Tip #4

You’re On Copper Broadband

Many of us at work are still using a network of copper wire cables that are 100 years old. You read that right. And they’re just not up to the job anymore.

Insufficient bandwidth is a common cause of connectivity issues, and copper cables could well be the culprit. Compared to fibre-optic cables, which can handle a capacity of 1000 megabits per second (or Mbps), copper cables can manage a mere 80mbps.

And the bandwidth gap is not the only problem. All data signals lose strength when they travel long distances, a bit like someone shouting from one end of a football field to another. When pitted against each other, however, guess who wins? Over distances greater than 100m, copper loses 94% of its signal, but fibre?

Fibre only loses 3%. THREE!

Copper cables losing such a chunk of their power over long distances means copper coverage is patchy and inconsistent. Are copper cables to blame for your business internet issues?

Poor Connectivity Can Be Fixed

But you need to know what the problem is before you can find a solution.

Did any of these possible factors hit home? Is your router in the wrong spot, or has it bitten the dust completely?

Hopefully, it’s an easy fix, but copper cables have a lot to answer for. They aren’t able to keep up with today’s level of data, and things are only going to get worse with the steady increase in bandwidth demand.

And did you know that all copper cabling will be shut down very soon? I bet you didn’t. Read our recent blog, The Big Copper Switch Off, to find out what it could mean for your business.

Operation ‘Why Does My Internet Keep Dropping Out?’, over and…out.