What impacts my internet speed?Updated 3 years ago

If you are experiencing slow internet it could be related to several things. Check your internet speed by cabling into your router and running a speed test at https://www.speedtest.net/

Background 

Download and upload speeds of your internet can vary based on; 

• the equipment you’re using (for example only the latest devices like the iPhone 13 for example are Gigabit Wi-Fi compatible), 
• if there are objects in the path of your device and your Wi-Fi router, 
• whether you’re wired into your Router or using Wi-Fi 
• and even the time of day. 

These are what we refer to as environmental factors and they are outside our control. 

Wi-Fi speeds are often much slower than cable speeds, especially if do not have a Ethanet Router or Ethanet Wi-Fi Booster. If your Wi-Fi is slow, connect your device into the router. A wired connection into your router is generally faster, allowing you to get the highest speeds available, we get it, it’s not always possible or practical to plug in all of your devices (think of how many cables you would need!). And, some devices may not be capable of going as fast as your internet can (even if you could plug them in). 

For more information check out https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/why-is-my-internet-connection-so-slow-c68cf021-c5cf-db6f-eade-7c9d8bd78aa1

Did you know?

According to the New Zealand Commerce Commission’s December 2021 report: Fibre plans, such at Gigabit, are generally advertised to the public with headline download speeds of up to 950 Mbps. New Zealand’s fibre internet network and the way that data is transmitted with the rest of the world means the highest speed test result achieved by a “1000Mbps” line is theoretically 940 Mbps. The time of day you connect, and what’s happening in your community is also going to have an impact. For example during September 2021, a number of areas of Aotearoa were placed into high COVID-19 alert levels and the Commerce Commission observed a fall in average download speeds for fibre users compared to the previous month. When there are more people using the internet, the speed may reduce, this also applies at a household level which is why we recommend you opt for the Gigabit 1k plan if you have many internet-using devices in the household, this will give all your household users greater connectivity on average.