Why Is My Internet Incredibly Slow At Night? – Tips & Solutions From the Community

Learn why your Wi-Fi and internet may be slower in the evening 

When the sun goes down, the creepy crawlies come out, fireflies dance in the sky, and witches cast spells on your Wi-Fi to slow it down. Okay, witches are probably not the problem,  more than likely gremlins though. Just kidding. But here is the thing, something is causing your speeds to drop and I am here to give you an idea of the possibilities:

• A lot more people online - if you work from home and the internet is fine until everyone gets home, your plan may not be able to support everyone.  

• Using a lot of devices - like the above, the more device in use, the slower speeds may get.

• Streaming shows and movies - They can take up a lot of your speed depending on your plan, the size of the stream, and the number of people online

• Gaming - while it is rare, sometimes your internet is not the issue but the game server issue. 

• Downloading - sometimes downloading can slow your service down

• One device is causing big trouble - there is a chance one of your devices is using up a lot of resources. Remove it and test.

When you factor in the above situations, and the number of people online, you may experience some trouble. While there isn’t a magic potion that can help, doing a little cleanup with modem settings may help. 

To see if you are getting the right speeds, run a speed test directly from your modem using Smart Home Manager. It is a great tool and can even help you pinpoint service issues. 

Improve Your Wi-Fi Signal

Power up your Wi-Fi

Did you know there are settings you can modify to improve your signal? You do now. On top of that, your modem needs a good home, figuratively. Check out the tips below to learn how to get the most out of your Wi-Fi:

• Optimizing wireless channels. Instructions for 2Wire/ Pace and NVG/ Motorola.

• Improving the modem environment

• Change the channel with Smart Home Manager. It can improve Wi-Fi Quality 
• Learn about the different modem settings

Upgrade Your Plan

At the end of the day, your plan may not support all of your online activities. So, sign in to your account at www.att.com and check out your upgrade options.

A Single Device Could Be The Problem

In some instances, a single device could be the cause of your slow speeds. For example, virus protection software can slow your service down because of scans and software downloads. Without getting too technical, sometimes a PC, laptop, or smartphone may cause speeds to drop because of background programs running. Resetting all of your devices is recommended by many experts. 

Things you gotta know

• Wi-Fi Speeds may not be as fast as wired speeds.

• Wi-Fi is susceptible to electromagnetic interference

• The more devices connected, the more speed you’ll need

• Upgrading your plan is always a good move

• The location of your modem is super important

• Streaming uses more speed than web browsing

• More active Wi-Fi devices, the more interference they emit.

• VPNs may slow service down and cause high pings

Service down?

Use AT&T's FixIt Tool. Instead of calling in, use the app to run steps to troubleshoot. Depending on the steps and issues, you can even set up a tech appointment. You'll even be notified of outages.

ChrisZ