Slow or patchy Wi-Fi is one of the most common things we get asked about, and it's rarely down to just one thing. Here are the usual suspects, roughly in order of how often they turn out to be the actual cause.
Distance and walls
Wi-Fi signal weakens the further it has to travel, and loses more strength passing through walls — especially thicker brick, stone or concrete construction, which some older homes around the Goldfields have plenty of. A router in the front room might struggle to reach a back bedroom or a granny flat, even if the distance doesn't sound like much.
Where the router is sitting
A router tucked inside a cupboard, behind a TV unit, or in a corner of the house is working against itself. Routers generally perform better up off the floor, out in the open, and reasonably central to where you actually use Wi-Fi.
Too much on one network
Streaming, gaming, video calls and a house full of smart devices all add up. A single ageing router can start to struggle once enough devices are competing for its attention at the same time.
An old router or outdated firmware
Routers supplied years ago, or ones that have never had a firmware update, are often working with outdated technology compared to current Wi-Fi standards. Sometimes the fix really is just an outdated router.
Confusing your plan speed with your Wi-Fi speed
A fast internet plan doesn't automatically mean fast Wi-Fi throughout the house. Your internet plan is how fast data reaches your router — Wi-Fi is a separate job of getting that signal around your home, and it has its own limitations.
Interference from other devices and networks
Microwaves, baby monitors, and neighbouring Wi-Fi networks can all interfere with certain Wi-Fi bands, particularly the older 2.4GHz band.
What's worth trying yourself first
- Restart the router — properly off, wait, then back on.
- Check whether a firmware update is available.
- Try moving closer to the router to see if it's a coverage issue rather than a speed issue.
- If your router supports both, try switching between the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands.
If you've tried the basics and it's still patchy — or you've got a larger or multi-storey home that might genuinely need more than one access point — that's when it's worth getting someone to take a proper look.