Boost Your Internet for Free: My Secrets to High-Speed at Home

Improving Internet Connectivity for Sustainable Development

In the last decade, I’ve lived in a handful of places across Los Angeles, and each had its own unique issues getting internet access. Wrestling with varying speeds and service reliability opened my eyes to mastering ways to improve my connectivity, no matter my ZIP code.

I’ve lived in everything from a Faraday cage concrete building in downtown Los Angeles to a Santa Monica beach-side apartment with an exclusive agreement with a sluggish ISP. It only got better in my current Hollywood place — no impenetrable building materials and I got to choose my internet service provider.

I’m fortunate. Most of my LA friends and family suffer from bad internet — which is crazy because you’d think a metropolis like LA would have easily accessible high-quality internet city-wide, not just in some neighborhoods. And I can only imagine what smaller communities across the US deal with when it comes to internet service.

Through all my moves, I’ve built up a toolkit of free ways to maximize my internet connection, no matter how poky it is. And while you can throw money at the problem — such as adding a Wi-Fi extender — most of these methods don’t require you to spend money, which is always a good place to start.

Here are my internet speed-improving tips you can use before you move, right after you move or where you live right now — and you can do it for free or for very little money.

Read more: My Home Internet Journey: What I Learned From Testing Wi-Fi and Ethernet Connections

Get better internet service before you move

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 the way you 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 and 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.

If you want more of our guidance, CNET has a comprehensive catalog of all the best internet service providers from across the country, each story sorted by state, city or town, providing informative reviews and comparisons to get the best ISP in your area.

Check out: Internet Provider Comparisons

Another thing to do before you move is to check the building materials of your prospective home. Routers transmit over-the-air radio waves to connect your various devices to your home’s internet network. But the materials in your home can disrupt these signals (much like I discovered in my previous concrete-and-brick loft apartment).

Wi-Fi signals have an especially difficult time penetrating materials like metal, concrete and brick, meaning that even if your internet connection is fast and reliable, your physical home can disrupt your signal and limit your connectivity in your home. Common building materials like plywood, drywall and glass don’t affect your Wi-Fi signal as much as those denser materials.

Get better internet service right after you move

You finally moved into your new home, and now it’s time to choose an ISP. If you don’t already have an idea of options in your area, use websites like Broadband Now or All Connect to see which ISPs are available. You can also type in your new address into AT&T’s, Spectrum’s or Xfinity’s websites to see similar information.

When deciding on an ISP, start with your estimated requirements. That’ll

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed:

1. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

Targets:

• Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.
• Target 11.a: Support positive economic, social, and environmental links between urban, peri-urban, and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.

Indicators:

• Indicator 9.c.1: Proportion of the population covered by a mobile network, by technology.
• Indicator 11.a.1: Proportion of population living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans integrating population projections and resource needs, by size of city.

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 9 and SDG 11. SDG 9 focuses on industry, innovation, and infrastructure, which includes improving internet access and connectivity. SDG 11 focuses on sustainable cities and communities, which includes ensuring access to high-quality internet services in urban areas.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are Target 9.c and Target 11.a. Target 9.c aims to increase access to information and communications technology, including affordable access to the internet. Target 11.a aims to support positive economic, social, and environmental links between urban, peri-urban, and rural areas through development planning.

The article mentions indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. Indicator 9.c.1 measures the proportion of the population covered by a mobile network, which is relevant to improving internet access. Indicator 11.a.1 measures the proportion of the population living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans, which is relevant to ensuring sustainable connectivity in urban areas.

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: cnet.com

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