Slow Wi-Fi is one of the most frustrating modern problems, partly because it's so hard to pinpoint. Before calling your ISP, test your way through this diagnostic process.
Step 1: Test on an Ethernet Cable
Plug your laptop directly into the router with an ethernet cable and run a speed test at fast.com or speedtest.net. If you get your expected speeds on ethernet but not Wi-Fi, the problem is wireless — not your internet connection. If ethernet is also slow, the problem is with the NBN connection itself.
Step 2: Test Your Speeds
Run speedtest.net and compare the result to your plan speed. If you're paying for 100Mbps and getting 8Mbps on ethernet, call your ISP — it may be a line fault, congestion, or a misconfigured connection.
Step 3: Check Router Position
Wi-Fi signal degrades through walls, floors and furniture. A router tucked in a corner of a ground-floor cupboard may be fine for one room and useless in the rest of the house. Centralising the router, elevating it off the floor, and keeping it away from other electronics (microwaves especially) all make a measurable difference.
Step 4: Check Wi-Fi Interference
If you're on 2.4GHz and are in an apartment building, there may be dozens of neighbours' networks on the same channel. Log into your router and switch to a less congested channel (1, 6 or 11 for 2.4GHz) or swap to the 5GHz band entirely — it has far less congestion but shorter range.
Step 5: Restart the Router (Properly)
Turn the router and modem off completely, wait 60 seconds, then turn the modem on first, wait for it to connect, then turn the router on. A monthly restart prevents memory leaks and connection table bloat that gradually degrade performance.
Step 6: Consider Mesh Wi-Fi
Older single-router setups create dead zones in larger homes. Modern mesh Wi-Fi systems (Eero, Google Nest, TP-Link Deco) use multiple nodes to blanket the house with consistent coverage. We install these across Melbourne — they make a transformative difference in homes over 200 square metres.