40 hours for free – one week a year wasted: This is how lame internet is slowing down the German economy

There is a problem with the internet in Germany: the internet node operator DE-CIX determined in a survey that

German office workers are massively slowed down by internet delays.

The results apply to office and home office.

Poor Internet connections result in an average of 46 minutes of delays per week. If you add this up, Internet problems cost almost a full work week (35 hours) per year.

But at least at home you can do something about the Internet problems. We propose a two-stage strategy for this. Step 1 clarifies whether you actually have Internet problems and shows how you can fix them.

All devices that have a LAN connection can then be connected to the router via cable.

Step 2 addresses the issue of WiFi issues.
Here you will find tips from CHIP for problem finding.

Fix problems with the Internet yourself

Real internet failures are easy to recognize, because then nothing works. If one device is offline, grab a second one and see if you can connect to it. If not, continue to the router interface. This shows you the online status.

• Router reboot:
  If your router lost internet connection, you can try restarting the device.

• Providers ask:
  Internet disruptions are often reported very quickly via the customer portals or apps of the providers. There you can see if there is a fault in your area, often with information about when it should be rectified.

• Connection slow:
  If the Internet connection is not dead but snoring slowly, it is best to connect a notebook to the router with a LAN cable to rule out WLAN problems. If the router indicates a connection that is much too slow for your tariff, you need to contact the provider again. How to measure accurately.

• Router check:
  What’s always good is a quick router check. The FritzBox offers one under “Diagnosis” and “Function”. Import missing firmware updates, this is also part of the small ABC of Internet maintenance.

• Change DNS server:
  If you haven’t changed it, use your provider’s DNS servers. If you have problems with this, you can try alternatives. Under “Internet” in the “Access data” area you will find the “DNS server” tab. There you can set alternatives, you can find a list here, for example.

• Hotspot:
  If nothing is working via DSL, you can quickly turn your mobile phone into a WLAN hotspot. This article shows how to set up fail-safety with the FritzBox.

• Watch:
  Once the internet is up and running again, you should keep an eye on the situation. The easiest way to find out whether your Internet connection is unstable is to look at the recordings on the router. Under “System | Events” the FritzBox keeps a record of the availability of your Internet connection, for example.

The basic Internet connection is often fine, but the WLAN weakens. To tackle WiFi issues:

• Do update check:
  If WLAN problems occur more frequently, you should check whether there are any updates for routers and the affected devices and import them.

• remeasure:
  One would like WLAN to be equally good everywhere in the apartment, but radio technology sometimes makes it really difficult to get good coverage. Helpers like the FritzApp WLAN support you in finding the best location for WLAN routers and repeaters as well as clients. Simply walk through your apartment with your mobile phone and app and take repeated measurements.

• Position router correctly:
  Don’t block your router with furniture or hide it in corners. Due to the horizontal propagation of the radio waves, a half-height position is also recommended, preferably in the center of your home. A different orientation of the attached antennas often helps. In addition, metals, microwaves, washing machines and other interference affect the WLAN speed.

• Use automatic:
  Manual channel settings should be avoided. Instead, let the WiFi base automatically select the best channel for transmission.

• Find WiFi disruptors:
  You are not alone with WiFi, your neighbors also have at least one. This can lead to mutual interference. This article shows you how to track down wireless interference. Routers like the FritzBox always show the channel assignment.

• Replace old router:
  You don’t always have to buy the latest router, but you should use a modern device. Often you only get new computers, tablets or cell phones, but you forget the router. Today it should already be devices with Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6.

• Extend WiFi:
  If your apartment is not too big, one router is enough for complete coverage. However, reinforcement is necessary for angled floor plans, several floors or large areas. WLAN repeaters then expand the radio network. Note, however, that mesh networks can also have a number of problems of their own.