In the last decade, I’ve lived in a handful of places across Los Angeles, each with its unique internet access issues. Wrestling with varying speeds and service reliability opened my eyes to mastering ways to improve my connectivity, no matter my ZIP code.
There’s a lot you can do before you move to improve your chances of getting a great internet connection.
If you’re moving into a new place, first, congratulations. Second, sorry. Moving is a pain in the butt, even if you plan well (ask me about my major move in 2023). You can start packing your boxes weeks in advance, create a checklist for changing your address and hire movers — and there will still be things that don’t turn out as planned.
An often overlooked part of moving is considering internet service providers, especially when you’re evaluating places. Unlike square footage, the number of bathrooms or local schools, many of us don’t give much thought to ISPs until we’ve actually signed the lease/mortgage and moved.
When looking at a new place, do your internet homework and talk to the realtor or landlord. Better yet, ask your potential neighbors about internet options in the neighborhood and whether they’re affordable, fast and reliable. Check to see if they have workarounds or strategies they use to improve their internet.
You can also check out any location with your state’s broadband map website, if it has one, to see all of your internet options. In California, we have the California Interactive Broadband Map. Once you enter an address, you can filter to show just fixed broadband, as well as mobile options, for ISPs. Some sites include advertised upload and download speeds, but beware that maps may not be up-to-date. Despite not showing reviews for ISPs in the area, sites like this do provide a decent picture of what you’ll be able to choose from.
Before choosing an internet service provider, read the 30-day money-back guarantee closely to see if you apply.
I took advantage of this to try out three ISP services in my new home. After the service was hooked up, the promised speeds differed among the three.
Another way to get faster internet speeds is to avoid using your ISP’s equipment — only use the modem they provide. Renting a router from your ISP is convenient, but it can end up being more expensive over a longer period of time, and the router options are limited and may not be the best option for your home.
It can be frustrating to realize that you’ve been paying for higher speeds that your ISP-provided router can’t even deliver. Also, make sure you’re using the right cables to connect your modem to your router and router to your devices, as Cat5 and older cables may not carry your faster speeds. (Cat6e and newer generally support consumer internet speeds.)
Read More: Should You Buy or Rent Your Router? The Wrong Decision Cost Me Nearly $1K
Maybe you’re not moving, and you’ve been dealing with bad internet service for a while now at your current home. No matter how long you’ve been living there, you can still improve your internet speed.
I want to stick to the theme of not spending money to get faster internet speeds, but you might have to consider paying more if you have slow internet at your long-term residence.
The one relatively cheap thing you can do is look into your internet service contract and see if you can cancel early without any early termination fees. Then, you can shop around and try different ISPs that might work better.
However, if you’re stuck in a contract or want to make your existing ISP work, one of the easiest ways to improve your speeds is to upgrade your router. Yes, that costs money, but it can be the answer to your internet woes — and unlike spending more for your monthly plan, is a one-time purchase.
For a long time, I had Netgear’s Nighthawk R66700 router, which is considered a generally good brand. However, despite a high-speed plan, I wasn’t getting great speeds at my home.
After consulting with a few CNET colleagues, I decided to upgrade my home setup to a mesh router system (more specifically, the Eero 6 Plus). This system provides more reliable Wi-Fi coverage in bigger homes or homes with dead zones (which is a problem in my current apartment) compared to your typical single-unit routers.
