I’ve lived in a few different locations in Los Angeles over the last ten years, and each one has had its own problems with internet connectivity. Regardless of my ZIP code, wrestling with different speeds and service dependability helped me figure out how to increase my connectedness.

An illustration for CNET’s package, Crossing the Broadband Divide
CNET/Tharon Green
I’ve occupied a Santa Monica beachfront condo with an exclusive contract with a slow internet provider, as well as a Faraday cage concrete building in downtown Los Angeles. I consider my present residence in Hollywood to be lucky, at least that’s how I feel. I have the freedom to choose my internet service provider, and there are no impenetrable construction materials. And I don’t have many issues; it’s fairly nice.

Unfortunately, the majority of my friends and relatives in Los Angeles have poor internet, which is absurd since you would assume that a city like LA would have readily available, high-quality internet across the whole city, not just in certain areas. Furthermore, I can only image the difficulties that smaller areas in the US have when it comes to ISPs.

No matter how shaky my internet connection is, I’ve developed a toolset of free techniques to make the most of it across all my movements. The majority of these solutions don’t involve spending money, which is always a good place to start, even if you can throw money at the issue (for example, by installing a Wi-Fi extension).

These are my suggestions for increasing internet speed that you may utilize for free or very little before, immediately after, or where you now reside.

See also: Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet: My Experiences Testing Home Internet Connections

A lady sitting on her lap with a laptop

Before you relocate, there are many things you can do to increase your chances of obtaining a fast internet connection.

Prior to moving, get better internet service.

First of all, congrats if you’re relocating. Secondly, I apologize. Even with careful planning, moving is a pain in the ass (just ask me about my big move in 2023). There can still be unforeseen circumstances even if you start packing your belongings weeks in advance, make a list for moving, and hire movers.

Internet service providers are a sometimes disregarded aspect of relocating, particularly when comparing locations. Until we actually sign the lease or mortgage and relocate, many of us don’t give ISPs much attention, in contrast to things like space footage, the number of bathrooms, or nearby schools.

1. Start by asking questions

Do your research online and speak with the realtor or landlord when you are considering a new location. Even better, find out from your prospective neighbors whether the local internet alternatives are dependable, quick, and reasonably priced. See if they have any methods or workarounds for enhancing their internet.

2. Make use of internet resources

If your state has a broadband map online, you may use it to see all of your internet alternatives in any place. The California Interactive Broadband Map is available in California. You may filter to see just fixed broadband and mobile choices for ISPs after entering an address. Although some websites boast upload and download speeds, be cautious because the maps could not be current. Sites like these provide you a good idea of what you’ll be able to pick from, even if they don’t include reviews for local ISPs.

Interactive Broadband Map of California
Although there are several mobile choices available, this Santa Monica area only offers two fixed broadband options, as shown in the picture.
CNET has a thorough list of all the top internet service providers in the nation if you would want more of our advice. To assist you in locating the top ISP in your region, each article is arranged by state, city, or municipality and offers insightful evaluations and comparisons.

See also: How Did My Week With AT&T Internet Air Go?

3. Examine the specifics of the materials used to create your house.

Examine the construction materials of the house you are considering before moving. To link all of your gadgets to the internet network in your house, routers send radio waves over the air. However, these signals might be interfered with by the materials in your house (as I found out in my old concrete-and-brick loft apartment).

Even with a fast and dependable internet connection, your physical house might interfere with your signal and restrict your connectivity since Wi-Fi signals have a particularly hard time passing through materials like brick, concrete, and metal. Denser materials have a greater effect on your Wi-Fi signal than common construction materials like glass, plywood, and drywall.

Improve your internet service as soon as you relocate.
It’s time to choose an ISP now that you’ve officially moved into your new house. Use websites like ours or the FCC National Broadband Map to find out which ISPs are available in your region if you are unsure of your alternatives. To see comparable data, you may also enter your new address into the websites of AT&T, Spectrum, or Xfinity.

4. Determine the real speed you need.

Start by estimating your needs before choosing an ISP. That will provide you with a brief overview of topics such as data caps, upload vs download speeds, how much internet you use, and what fast internet is.

Don’t miss: My Experience with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet: What I Like and What I Would Change

Regretfully, you may still have problems with connection speed and strength after installation and after you begin using the new service.

5. Give it a try before committing completely.

The majority of ISPs, including Spectrum, Verizon, Cox, and others, provide a 30-day money-back guarantee. This often implies that you may discontinue your internet connection within 30 days and get a complete refund (less any potential installation or restocking expenses) without having to pay an early termination charge. Refund guarantee rules vary or are nonexistent for other ISPs, such as AT&T (2 weeks) (Frontier).

30-Day Money-Back Promise from Spectrum
Examine the 30-day money-back promise carefully to see if you qualify before selecting an internet service provider.
Aguilar Nelson/CNET
I used this opportunity to test out three ISP services at my new residence. The three claimed speeds varied after the connection was connected.

6. Avoid using your provider to rent a router.

Using merely the modem that your ISP provides instead of their equipment is another option to increase your internet speeds. Although renting a router from your ISP is handy, the alternatives are restricted and may not be the greatest fit for your house, and the cost may increase over time.

Realizing that you have been paying for faster speeds that your ISP-provided router isn’t even capable of providing may be annoying. Additionally, use the appropriate cables to connect your router to your devices and your modem to your router. Cat5 and older connections may not be able to support your quicker speeds. (In general, consumer internet speeds are supported by Cat6e and later.)

See also: Is It Better to Buy or Rent a Router? I lost about $1K because I made the wrong choice.

Improve internet access at your present residence.
Perhaps you’re staying put and have been having trouble with your internet service at your existing residence for some time. You can increase your internet speed regardless of how long you’ve lived there.

If you have sluggish internet at your long-term home, you may need to think about paying extra. I want to stay on the topic of not spending money to gain higher internet connections.

7. Do some shopping

Examine your internet service contract to determine whether you can terminate early without incurring any early termination costs. This is the only reasonably priced option available to you. After that, you may compare and check out several ISPs that could be more suitable.

8. Upgrade your apparatus

However, upgrading your router is one of the simplest methods to increase your speeds if you’re locked into a contract or want to keep your current ISP operational. It is a one-time investment, unlike paying extra for your monthly plan, but it could be the solution to your internet problems.

I’ve had a Netgear Nighthawk R66700 router for a long time; it’s regarded as a decent brand overall. I had a high-speed plan, but I wasn’t receiving very fast speeds at home.

I made the decision to change my home setup to a mesh router system (more precisely, the Eero 6 Plus) after speaking with a few CNET coworkers. Compared to standard single-unit routers, this solution offers more dependable Wi-Fi coverage in larger houses or residences with dead zones, which is an issue in my present apartment.

Two mesh router devices of the Eero 6 Plus
My 1800 square foot flat has benefited greatly from the Eero 6 Plus mesh router.
Several routers are positioned around your house, depending on the mesh router technology, and they all function as a single unit to keep you connected in any location. Although mesh networks are expensive, there are less expensive alternatives, such as Netgear’s Orbi AC1200 and Google’s Nest WiFi.

Don’t overlook: After years of using 5G home internet, I’ve discovered that it’s bridging the gap with cable.

I am aware that Wi-Fi extenders may seem to be the solution to improving your home’s speed, particularly given their low cost, but mesh networks outperform extenders, and they usually don’t function as a single, integrated system across your house.

Unfortunately, as I previously said, every house has different issues, thus a mesh network won’t be the magic solution for everyone. A defective Ethernet cable or a firmware update for your modem may be the solution. Your router may even need to be restarted. That sometimes works, as we are all aware.

Doing a few diagnostic tests, such as a speed test, connecting to other devices, accessing Wi-Fi near your router, and restarting your various internet gadgets, is the greatest thing you can do without spending money to identify the weak spot in your setup.

Naturally, you may try all of these ideas and discover that none of them will work for your specific circumstance. Unfortunately, upgrading to a higher service tier and paying more for quicker internet is always an option.