Home Internet connections are often slower than what Internet providers promise. All sorts of things can interfere with speedy service.
Some fixes are free: close open programs on your computer that hog bandwidth, move your router to a more central location in your home, and make sure you stay under your monthly data cap. Or if you’re a techie, tweak your operating system by increasing your reserve buffers or disabling large send offload settings.
But sometimes, the problem is related to the equipment you use--and we’re not talking about your computer. If you’re looking to get the absolute fastest broadband speeds possible from your connection, here are a few tools that may help.
ARRIS SURFboard SB6141 cable modem
Your Internet provider is happy to lease you a cable modem, but you’ll often pay somewhere around $120 annually for the hardware--and frankly, it’s usually not the fastest available. Save money and get more from your bandwidth with Arris’ $60 cable modem. (A cable modem with a built-in Wi-Fi router will run you $104.) It’s compatible with most cable systems (though check first) and offers data speeds of up to 343 Mbps (download) and 131 Mbps (upload). That’s not ideal for Fiber high-speed service, but it’s more than enough for most broadband plans. The indicator lights are easy to interpret, as well, meaning if there’s a problem, you’ll probably be able to see what it is.
TP-Link Talon AD7200 Multi-Band Wi-Fi Router
After improving your wired connections, you can focus on your Wi-Fi. The $350 Talon AD720 is the fastest router on the market, using not only the 802.11n and ac protocols, but also the new 802.11ad protocol (the fastest Wi-Fi around). Truthfully, that’s too fast for some devices, which default instead to a lower speed setting. But it’s a good way to future-proof your home for hardware you’ll buy in the coming years. (If the AD7200 doesn’t sound like the solution for you, there are a number of other ways to improve your home’s Wi-Fi.)
dLAN powerline 550
Some electronics insist on wire connections, which can be a problem if you haven’t run cable throughout your home. The $225 dLAN 550 lets you use your home’s power cables to create a home network. It’s simple to set up. And while the resulting speeds won’t be quite as fast as a typical cabled connection, they’ll likely produce faster service than your in-home Wi-Fi by a noticeable margin. (And as a bonus, the 550 model, unlike the previous 500 model, can be used to create a new home Wi-Fi hotspot.)