Why Does My Internet Slow Down at Night?

Have you ever come home after a long day at the office wanting to just relax and stream a movie on Netflix? Ever since video stores become a thing of the past, streaming movies and shows are the way to go. So, you change into your pajamas, pop some popcorn, and press play on your mobile device. You are about 20 minutes into the movie when…bam! You are hit with a buffer screen. You just roll your eyes and wait for it to buffer so you can continue the movie. After waiting a minute or so, the movie continues. Then stops. Again! This is what we like to call the “buffer dance.” You soon find out that it will be impossible to finish watching this movie tonight while also keeping your sanity.

Traffic

We are willing to bet that many of you have noticed your internet slows way down at night. This is because of one simple word: traffic. Internet traffic refers to the number of users on the same server/provider at any given time. When there are a lot of people using a server at the same time, internet traffic rises and becomes congested. Before you know it, everyone’s internet is slowing down because there are just so many users online simultaneously.

High Traffic Times

Most people still work normal business hours (9am-5pm). This means they come home and begin using their devices (phone, laptop, tablet, TV, etc.) around 6 pm. So, naturally, high traffic times are 6pm-10pm on weekdays, and all day on Saturday and Sunday. These are the times you need to avoid using your devices if your patience is running thin and you can’t handle a slower connection without blowing a gasket.

Tips

So, how can you get the most out of your internet even during these slower times? Here are a few tips:

Download any content you plan on watching in the evening prior to high traffic times. For example, if you know of a movie you want to watch after work tonight, download it on your device at some point during the day. Then, it will be ready for you to watch offline. Hooray! No buffer dance tonight!

Talk to your internet service providers about upping your bandwidth and/or speed. Sometimes, a greater amount of bandwidth and/or speed is available at your location. Talk to you ISP about these options and see which one works for you.

*BEST TIP* Upgrade to fiber! Fiber internet is fantastic and will absolutely blow you away with its speed. You will receive more bandwidth and speed with a fiber connection than you would ever receive with DSL or cable.

Nighttime internet slow-downs are a drag, in every sense of the word. You have worked so hard throughout the day, so why shouldn’t your internet cooperate for you at night?! Aura Fiber’s goal is to help people find that peace of mind. You shouldn’t worry about slowing speeds when Aura Fiber offers fiber connection packages that will suit your needs perfectly.