Troubleshoot Slow Internet with Fingbox
Troubleshoot slow Internet with your Fingbox
Perform an Internet speed test
Check your Wi-Fi Channel with DigitalFence
Troubleshoot slow Internet with your Fingbox
Numerous issues can slow down your Internet. Fingbox has the troubleshooting tools you need to find the cause.
Below are four easy ways to troubleshoot slow Internet using Fingbox.
Perform an Internet speed test
The Internet Speed Test feature will tell you what service your Internet Provider delivers and if it matches what you have paid for. If the speed is lower than what you signed up for, this may be the reason for your slow Internet. Contact your provider to perform further diagnosis.
When you conduct an Internet speed test, note whether you have a setup where the upload speed is significantly lower than the download speed, or they are equal. Both scenarios are normal but knowing this can help you when performing a Bandwidth Analysis (see below).
Perform a Wi-Fi speed test
Performing a Wi-Fi speed test tests the strength of the Wi-Fi signal in your home. Knowing the Wi-Fi speed in different locations in your home will tell you if your router or your router's location is the issue.
Normally the Wi-Fi speed is a lot higher than the Internet speed. This is so routers can be flexible for a wide range of Internet speeds. If the Wi-Fi speed is lower than your Internet speed, your router may be the cause of your slow Internet. Consider an upgrade or if your router was provided by your ISP, contact your ISP for further diagnosis.
If you have good Wi-Fi in one room in your home and slow Wi-Fi in another room, move your router to a more central location. If you cannot move your router, get a Wi-Fi extender for the room where your Wi-Fi is slow. You could also upgrade to a mesh network for better coverage.
If your Wi-Fi speed is good, it is not the cause of your slow Internet.
Perform a Bandwidth Analysis
The Bandwidth Analysis feature tells you what bandwidth the devices on your network currently use.
Note: This feature is best used for troubleshooting at the exact moment you experience a slowdown in your Internet. The feature is designed to give you a real-time snapshot and is not for long-term analysis.
When your Internet is slow, open the Bandwidth Analysis feature, select all the devices that are currently online and run the test. As the test runs, you will see the devices' current download/upload speeds and sizes.
To access Internet speed, Wi-fi Performance and Bandwidth Analysis:
- On Fing Mobile App, click Overview in the bottom toolbar
- Click the Online devices widget or the blue See devices button
- Click the Network tab
If you see in the Internet speed test that your network has a low upload speed, focus on the upload speed in the Bandwidth analysis. If you have a small upload speed, it is easier for your Internet to get 'clogged up'. If you see a device with a high upload speed, it is likely this is the reason for your slow Internet. The device's high upload speed, likely caused by a backup to the cloud, is 'hogging' (taking over) the upload bandwidth and causing your entire network to slow down.
Whether it is a device hogging the upload or download bandwidth, stop the device slowing down the Internet by either manually turning off the device or pausing the device's access from the Internet until a more appropriate time for it to have access.
If you have no bandwidth hogs slowing down your Internet, this is not the issue.
Check your Wi-Fi Channel with DigitalFence
The DigitalFence feature scans a 15-meter radius of your Fingbox and shows you Wi-Fi enabled devices nearby. Use this tool to check if your router is is on the same Wi-Fi channel as your neighbours' routers. If this is the case, signals may be crashing which will slow down your network performance.
If you are on the same channel as your neighbours, this may be the cause of your slow Internet. Change your Wi-Fi channel to lower the interference. Contact your router manufacturers for further instructions on how to do this.
Slower Network Discovery
If you experience issues with network speed or specific devices, you can use the 'Slower network discovery' feature. To do this:
- Open the Fing App and sign in
- From Overview, click the Devices widget
- Click the Fingbox and Gear icon at the top right of the page
- Scroll down and turn on Slower network discovery
Fingbox will run a lighter version of the network scanner that should not interfere with your devices.
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