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Internet users worldwide have a consensus on one thing – the Internet speed lags at night time the most. The worst thing is the speed drops when you need the Internet. Even I have experienced it with my Spectrum Internet. This has nothing to do with the provider. The Internet traffic jam is the culprit.
Consider your Internet bandwidth, your speed limit, and the Internet speed as the traffic’s flow on a highway. Highways are famous for getting jammed with traffic. Apply the same analogy to the Internet. Since people use their Internet the most after getting home from their 9 am to 5 pm job, the speed is slow in the evening. Things might be a little different on the weekend.
Slow Internet is frustrating. To understand the Internet traffic patterns and why it tends to slow down at night, take a look at some common causes.
It’s Probably the Rush Hour
This is common for those cable Internet users who share their bandwidth with more than one user in the house. Just like roads tend to get congested with a massive flow of traffic, so can a network. When the bandwidth is being shared, this slows down the Internet speed.
The rush hour may vary depending on your time zone. Usually, it’s from 7 pm to 11 pm. Users are free during this time, and they use the Internet to kill their time. That’s why your streaming service always buffers in the middle of your favourite show.
Change in Weather
If you have a satellite connection, your Internet speed will be affected by the weather the most. The temperature rarely affects cable connection, but it can disrupt the receiver antenna, leading to interfering signals and resulting in low speed. If your internet seems to be dropping out during a storm or heatwave, you can check your internet speed during and after the bad weather (just search check my speed to find an online tool that can test your bandwidth) to find out if the weather is the culprit.
Equipment Issue
When equipment is the problem, the speed will be poor all the time. If you use your Internet at night the most, you will probably blame the night time.
An old and outdated router or modem can barely take the load of one phone or PC. When more than one device is connected, it’s obvious to experience a drop in speed. Before blaming your Internet, use the right equipment.
Remedies to Internet Congestion at Night
With some useful tips, you can stop or ease your nightly speed. Try out these remedies before upgrading your service altogether:
1: Switch to 5 GHz Wi-Fi
There are good chances your router is dual-band supporting 2.4 as well as 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Switch to the 5 GHz Wi-Fi to improve the speed. 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi supports up to 600 Mbps, whereas 5 Ghz supports up to 1300 Mbps.
As you switch to the 5 GHz band, the quality of your Internet speed will. Streaming will improve, and so will other activities.
2: Browse During the Off-Hours
Watch the peak traffic hours in your country or area. The simple solution is to switch your routine and browse when competing with fewer users for bandwidth. Some internet activities require faster speed. Those activities should be performed during the off-hours. This will save you from becoming the victim of network congestion.
3: Upgrade Your Plan
When you cannot remedy the slow Internet, it may be a sign you need to re-evaluate your Internet plan or even provider.
It is possible your current Internet plan doesn’t provide the speed with your household needs. It is also feasible your ISP is throttling speed. To check that, perform a speed test at different times of the day to be sure you are getting the speed you signed up for. The providers that are incapable of handling heavy traffic have a history of throttling the Internet speed during certain activities.
Conclusion
Now that you are clear about what causes the Internet speed to drop at night, you know what to expect. I have learned not to dial the Spectrum cable customer phone number right away because I know that won’t fix the speed. So neither should you.
Observe your Internet usage and switch to off-hours for carrying out Internet activities that demand a higher bandwidth. If there is genuinely something wrong with the ISP or you need to upgrade your package, contact your Internet company, of course.
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