These days, everybody is talking about high-speed internet. The faster the internet, the better. That is because most of the things we do on the internet require high-speed internet. Streaming videos, games, internet calls all require high-speed internet.
But there are instances where you need to slow down your internet. For instance, if you don’t want to exhaust your allotted bandwidth for the month faster. Or you are sharing the same network with others, and you want to slow down their internet without affecting yours.
There are several ways to slow down your internet. This post outlines the options available for you when it comes to making your internet lag on purpose.
Ways To Make Your Internet Lag On Purpose
. Opt For A 56k Modem
The first set of 56k modems was released in the early 1990s. The 56k modem allows you to send and receive 56,000 bits of data per second. That means that it will take you approximately five hours to download one Gigabyte of data. The idea is to slow down your internet and reduce data consumption right? You can’t go wrong with a 56k modem (buy on Amazon).
. Connect Other Devices
One other way to slow down your internet is to connect other devices to your home network. There is always a limit to the number of devices you can connect to a router. Once you get past that limit, the network output will slow down.
There are many smart devices in your home that you can connect to the same network. That includes robot vacuum cleaners, smart plugs, smart voice assistants, IP cameras, smart light bulbs, and many other devices.
Note that, you may end up using more data when you connect more devices to your router. If the purpose of slowing down your internet is to save data, this option isn’t for you. The alternative is to set a bandwidth limit for each device connected to your home network.
. Change The Position Of Your Router
The location of your Wi-Fi router in your home affects the speed of the wireless network. One way to slow down the internet is to take the router to another room farther away from you.
This works especially if there is a thick wall between both rooms and you switch to the 5GHz frequency. Most routers transmit both 5Ghz and 2.4GHz Wi-Fi frequencies. Although the 5GHz network is faster, it has a slower range. It has issues penetrating thick walls.
. Opt For Wi-Fi Extenders or Powerline Adapter
Most people use Wi-Fi extenders and powerline adapters to boost the network signals around the house. But in reality, they end up interfering with network signals and making the internet slow. So consider getting a powerline adapter or Wi-Fi extender (Buy on Amazon)to slow down your internet.
. Wait For Data Throttling To Kick In
Most Internet Service Providers (ISP) have a monthly data allowance depending on your data plan. Once you exhaust your data allowance for the month, your ISP will automatically throttle your bandwidth and slow down your internet. This happens especially for mobile data plans, but it happens on broadband connections too.
. Use a Data Throttling App
There are third-party platforms that allow you to throttle data speed. An example is Netlimiter. With Netlimiter, you can control the applications you allow to connect to your network and how fast the connection will be on each app.
You can also control how fast the apps connected will be. Their plans start from $24.95. There are similar platforms like ‘Traffic Shaper XP’, and CC Proxy’.
. Place Your Router Near An EMF Emitting Device
Some devices emit electromagnetic waves. These EMF devices interfere with network signals and aid to slow down your network. Examples of such devices include smart meters, microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, MRI machines, baby monitors, cellphones.
Simply place a Wi-Fi router near an EMF emitting device to slow down the internet. You can also place a mesh to cover your router antenna.
. Set Bandwidth Limit For Some Sites
Finally, you can set a custom limit on bandwidth for some sites and apps. For instance, you can restrict the bandwidth allotted to data-consuming platforms like Hulu and Netflix.
Conclusion
Slowing down your internet may be necessary to reduce data consumption. This post has outlined some tips to help you slow down your internet. Thankfully, you don’t need to be a techie or spend money on expensive devices to get this done.
If you’ve tried any other method to slow down your internet and it worked, you can share it with us in the comment section.