The Internet Speed and Wi-Fi Coverage at Camps and Dormitory - Research Proposal Example

?Internet speed and WI FI coverage at camps and dormitory Speed and WI-FI coverage at camps and dormitory Ourcamps and dormitory has two major issues; internet speed and WI-Fi coverage. The purpose of this paper is to provide a clear description of these 2 issues and discuss the appropriate solution. The paper also comprises a discussion of the various benefits that people in our camps and dormitory will enjoy as a result of the solution. The slow internet connection at our camps and dormitory could be caused by various reasons. Slow internet is often experienced when users do more that 1 thing whilst on the internet. For instance, when some users are browsing the internet while others are downloading files such as music, movie or game, the internet connection becomes slow. Time of day also contributes to slowing down the overall speed of the internet. It is notable that when many users are online, internet connections as well as access points could become overloaded leading to delays in the response (Underdahl, 2009). Generally, when everyone is using the internet simultaneously, there would be a decrease in internet speed. The internet could also be slow because of malware/spyware infection in the machines which might be secretly utilizing the internet bandwidth. Spyware could slow the system by way of interfering with the browser and monopolizing the internet connection. Spyware essentially monitors the users’ internet usage and keystrokes, and this adds delays. This problem could be amplified whenever there are several programs of spyware which run simultaneously. The internet connectivity could be lost completely if the spyware/malware problem turns out to be severe enough (Purdy, 2010). Computer viruses could also result in poor internet connectivity. Whenever there is a virus infestation in a computer, the virus will install a computer code that would attempt to propagate itself by sending reproductions of itself via e-mails. It is noteworthy that viruses could increase at the rate of hundreds of Email messages in just 1 minute, and this will leave little internet connection bandwidth and computing power for anything else. Slow internet speed may also be because of microwave or radio gadgets within the locality which serve to degrade the internet wireless signal (Gil, 2011). Other than slow speed of internet, weak Wi-Fi coverage is also an issue. Wi-Fi is simply a technology which enables an electronic gadget to connect to the internet or to exchange data wirelessly with the use of radio waves. Wi-Fi essentially offers wireless high-speed internet as well as network connections. Wi-Fi uses radio frequency (RF) technology, that is, a frequency that is in the electromagnetic spectrum related to radio wave propagation (Kazmeyer, 2011). It is notable that the foundation of any wireless network is an access point (AP); a device that broadcasts a wireless signal which computers could detect and then tune into. It is necessary for devices and computers to be equipped with wireless network adapters so as to connect to an AP and join a wireless network. In our dormitory and camps, there are various devices and applications which are supported by Wi-Fi including mobile phones, video game consoles, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptops and operating systems such as Android, Windows 7 and Vista. Although there are Wi-Fi enabled devices at our dormitory and camps, there is weak Wi-Fi coverage. The devices can only connect to the internet when within a limited and short range of a wireless network. The coverage of interconnected APs, or hotspots, extends on an area of just 10 square miles – this is a very small area to meet the wireless needs of everyone residing in the camps and dormitories. Routers which integrate a cable modem or a digital subscriber line (DSL) and a Wi-Fi access point was set up at our dormitory and camps in order to provide internet access as well as internet working to every device that is connected to them, either through cable or wirelessly. Weak Wi-Fi signal at our camps and dormitories often reduce our available bandwidth and sometimes lead to connection problems. The possible causes of weak Wi-Fi signal and coverage at our camps and dormitory include the following: interference: in general, the best possible wireless signal is dependent on 2 factors; first is high signal strength, and second is reduction of signal noise. Closeness to APs and the strength of the carrier are vital factors with regards to signal strength. Signal noise is brought about by other electronic networking gadgets within the locality, for instance microwaves or mobile phones that serve to interrupt the wireless signal waves (Purdy, 2010). Access point distance: distance is a frequent cause of weak Wi-Fi signal. It is notable that every wireless signal, including cellular data signals often originates from an AP which has a range that is limited. The strength of the wireless signal has a direct inverse correlation to distance from the AP. Construction: at our dormitory, Wi-Fi signal sometimes mysteriously weakens in particular rooms, and this might be because of the construction of the building. Thick walls in particular could muffle Wi-Fi signals. Some specific sorts of construction materials could also do the same. The building contains plaster as well as lath wall – a metallic mesh within the wall which disrupts Wi-Fi signals that pass through, thus substantially weakening strength of the signal and could even block the signal totally. In general, concrete, steel structures as well as the layout of air-conditioning vents could all make an impact on the Wi-Fi coverage (Geier, 2006). Traffic: a wireless network utilized by several individuals like one at a university or public place, can sometimes experience weakened signals during peak traffic. It is of note that even big and strong networks only have a limited amount of bandwidth. This implies that in the event that many data-sensitive processes take place at the same time, bandwidth to every user would be limited (Prasad, 2007). There are many wireless internet users at our camps and dormitory; high traffic is certainly one of the reasons for slow internet and limited Wi-Fi coverage. Dead spots: At times, signals are weaker in some areas compared to other areas. Typically, such issues are brought about by nearness, as well as a clear signal path to the AP. Solid building materials such as concrete could block out Wi-Fi signals. Moreover, weather patterns, foliage along with other physical obstructions to an AP or a receiving device could make a signal weaker, thus reducing the coverage. At our camps and dormitory, physical obstructions such as foliage and concrete blocks are some of the causes of weak Wi-Fi coverage and weak wireless signal. Solution Slow internet problem could be solved using different methods. The first one entails optimizing the browser. This involves such measures as switching to a dissimilar browser that is much faster, for instance switching from slow Internet Explorer to the faster Mozilla Firefox; removing unwanted plugins, extensions as well as add-ons; closing unused tabs so that they do not eat up the bandwidth; and allowing some caching and cookies that would allow pages to load more quickly (Flickenger, 2006). The second method entails optimizing the modem/router. This entails measures such as repositioning the wireless router by either moving it to a room wherein it would obtain the most usage, or positioning at a central place. Preferably, there has to be an unobstructed and direct line between the router and the computers. This method also entails ensuring there is no interference at all from other wireless gadgets; and utilizing an Ethernet cable. It is liberating to go wireless, however, the tradeoff is signal interference particularly when the signal is traveling through walls, and reduced overall performance. When connecting to the internet, an Ethernet cable should be made first choice; wireless should be saved when it is really required, such as for camps (Outmesguine, 2008). Optimizing the router/modem also entails upgrading the device – an old router/modem might not have the physical capability to accommodate the speed potential of the internet package, thus it should be upgraded to the latest one. Optimizing the computers – this 3rd method entails measures such as eliminating unnecessary programs. If a computer is bogged down by needless programs, the internet connectivity would be slower. As such, programs that are not utilized should be closed. Ensure that 2 firewalls are not being run – running 2 firewalls at the same time would normally interfere with one another and this reduces the web performance. Checking free space – if the hard drive is almost full, files that are hardly utilized should be burnt to DVD or CD, deleted or placed on an external hard drive. It is notable that computers use free hard drive space as virtual memory, thus a hard drive which is full would slow down not only the computer, but also the internet connection (Gil, 2011). Considering computer upgrade – generally, a computer which is older might not have the capability of using many things on the internet today. It is noteworthy that upgrading something as simple as Random Access Memory (RAM) can help. However, if the computer was made over 5 years ago, getting a new computer with an effective and new operating system is something that should be considered (Underdahl, 2009). Internet speed can also be improved by clearing caches, cookies as well as browser history. Changing the Wi-Fi channel – if many people in the building are utilizing the same Wi-Fi channel, there could be a significant slowdown in the internet speed. If there is a more open channel, then the channel should be switched in order to increase speed of the internet. In order to solve the problem of slow internet connectivity brought about by spyware/malware viruses or other viruses and get the internet performance back, it is imperative to frequently run an antispyware program that would clean out any spyware/malware infestation. To increase Wi-Fi coverage, all obstacles and interferences need to be avoided as much as possible. Repeaters and routers should be placed in configurations so as to avoid interference of the signals. To avoid interference from other devices such as microwaves and increase coverage, the wireless nodes and equipment must be situated away from such interferences. Recurring problems will require the replacement of older appliances with wireless-friendly and modern options, or switch to the 5 GHz frequency band which is available with 802.11n products (Flickenger, 2006). Moreover, in order to have reliable network over a large area, it is necessary to employ more wireless routers, APs or repeaters since this would increase coverage. The nearer a user is to a receiver, the stronger his/her signal would be (Kazmeyer, 2011). The aforementioned solution will provide a number of benefits. There will be better browsing as well as download speed, and the surfing experience will generally be more efficient. There will also be a wider and larger coverage of wireless internet connectivity and internet performance will be strong. Essentially, there will be more area covered and high speed internet. References Flickenger, R. (2006). How to Accelerate Your Internet. Seattle, WA: Penguin Publishers. Geier, E. (2006). Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet Access. Austin, TX: Cisco Press. Gil, P. (2011). Reasons Why High-speed Internet Can Become Sluggish. Albany, NY: Springer Publishers. Kazmeyer, M. (2011). Reasons for a Low Wi-Fi Signal. Jersey City, NJ: AMACOM. Outmesguine, K. (2008). Wi-Fi Toys. Austin, TX: Cisco Press. Prasad, A, (2007). 802.11 WLANS and IP Networking. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Purdy, K. (2010). Weak Wi-Fi Coverage and How to Fix it. Cleveland, OH: CRC Press. Underdahl, K. (2009). Wi-Fi Home Networking Just the Steps for Dummies. Austin, TX: Cisco Press. Read More