February 25, 2025

Slow Internet Speeds on WiFi

Symptom:

• Slow speeds/buffering on one or many devices connecting wirelessly to the internet

Cause:

• Device is an older 802.11 standard
  • You will need to consult your devices technical specifications to find this out
  • Remember, older devices can slow down your network to match older devices speeds/capabilities
• WiFi interference from other devices or wireless routers
• Device being too far away from the GCI Wi-Fi gateway
• WiFi not able to reach to your device because of distance from GCI WiFi gateway, walls or other materials that can block or absorb WiFi
• Network outage

Resolve Device Connection Problems:

1. Locate your GCI WiFi modem and remove the power cable for 15 seconds and reconnect
   1. The GCI WiFi gateway will automatically scan for the best possible conditions for your devices and your network when powered back on
2. Try turning your device off and then on
   1. Some devices can stick and perform poorly on a certain network.
   2. Powering the device on and off should resolve this
3. Try moving your device closer to your GCI WiFi modem
4. Test your WiFi speeds
   1. If possible, after running the test, connect a laptop directly to the GCI WiFi modem, turn off WiFi on the device, and test again – compare the speeds
5. If you still have slow speeds, please reach out to support.

One device cannot connect to WiFi

Symptom:

• One device cannot connect to your WiFi network

Cause:

• Device is an older 802.11 standard
  • You will need to consult your devices technical specifications to find this out
• Device is too far away from GCI WiFi modem
• Device has WiFi turned off in the settings
• GCI WiFi modem is powered off or not online
• Network outage

Steps to Resolve:

1. On your device, navigate to Settings or Network Connections, check to make sure WiFi is turned on
2. Search for wireless networks on your device, if your network shows up (also called a SSID), select it and enter the password
   1. Remember, if you choose to not broadcast your SSID you will need to manually connect to your network, please reach out to support for assistance
   2. If your password is wrong, please reach out to support
   3. If your network does not show up in the list, continue
3. Locate your GCI WiFi modem and remove the power cable for 15 seconds and reconnect
   1. The GCI WiFi gateway will automatically scan for the best possible conditions for your devices and your network when powered back on
4. Try turning your device off and then on
5. Try moving your device closer to your GCI Wi-Fi modem and searching for your network again
6. If you are still unable to see your wireless network, please reach out to support.

Device Frequently Disconnecting and/or Crashing

Symptom:

• One device that will disconnect from WiFi randomly and frequently

Causes:

• The device is not switching between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network when Band Steering is being used, or switching too much due to being just outside of the coverage areas
• Device is outdated or not updated
• Network issue

• Device is an older 802.11 standard
  • You will need to consult your devices technical specifications to find this out

Steps to Resolve:

1. Make sure your device is running the most recent version
   1. Consult your devices manual on how to update the software safety
2. Turn your device off and on again
   1. Sometimes devices can get confused and giving them a rest can help
3. In some cases, if you are using Band Steering, splitting your network in to two could help
   1. If you are looking to do this, please reach out to support
4. If your device is older, it might not be able to take full advantage of the GCI WiFi modem, if so, you may not get connected like you would expect
   1. Please reach out to support for guidance.

Interference with your WiFi signal may also be causing poor performance.

What are possible sources of WiFi interference?

• A high number of neighboring wireless modems (particularly in subdivisions, town homes or a high-rise building)
• 2.4 GHz cordless phones
• Baby Monitors
• Enabled Bluetooth devices, especially in tablets and smart phones where Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share an antenna
• Wireless speakers that operate in the 2.4 GHz band
• Microwave ovens
• Fish tanks (water)
• Garage Door openers
• Some insulated walls and brick or concrete walls
• Mirrors
• Metal doors, aluminum studs

How do I improve WiFi performance?

• Power cycle your wireless modem (unplug and then plug back in). Wireless modems are configured by default to auto scan and optimize the WiFi environment upon a reboot.
• Remove or minimize possible sources of interference.
• Provide at least 6-inch clearance around the wireless devices (Router and devices).
• Elevate the router to allow for better signal broadcasting (top of a shelf etc.).
• Turn off wireless devices when they’re not in use. Each wireless device that is connected can negatively impact WiFi performance.

What is the difference between Network Connection speed and Internet Connection speed?

• Network connection speed indicates how fast data can be transferred under perfect conditions (no interference, device performance, web-site connecting to etc.) and represents both upstream and downstream speeds in one. This speed can be viewed via your connection status icon located in the bottom right hand side of you screen. This speed is represented as the “theoretical” maximum speed that the wireless connection is currently capable of. (ex. 54Mbps, 116Mbps, 300Mbps).
• Internet connection speed is how fast you can actually send and receive data wirelessly in consideration of all variables (interference, device type etc). Your internet connection speed is also relative to your internet package (ex. No Worries Fast plan is 75 Mbps) as well as several external factors including the performance of the site you are connecting to.
  • One way to verify the actual speed of your current wireless connection is to use an online speed test.

Still having WiFi Issues? We’re here to help