Is my Internet Fast Enough?
What is fast enough?
These days we rely on the internet for business, banking, television, education, communication, social media – the list goes on and on. We also have more devices that we use to connect and browse. The average home has about fifteen internet connected devices - Televisions, smartphones, laptops, desktop computers, XBox, Play Station, IPads & Tablets - all competing for bandwidth on your internet plan. Multiply all this by the number of people at home and it’s not hard to see why your internet might be slow sometimes
Video is the hungriest user of bandwidth and you know you’ve got an issue when your video stops part way through or starts to lag. This is known as buffering and it’s a sure sign that demand is exceeding your internet supply. The flow of internet data is known as your bit-rate and there are a number of things that can affect it, in particular:
Your internet plan – these days almost all of us are on a fibre optic broadband plan. These plans differ in the speeds they offer in the download and upload directions.
a. Download is the data that is coming from the internet to you - think about watching Netflix or You Tube, receiving an email or Googling. You may use AI (Co-pilot, Perplexity, Gemini, Chat GPT, Claude etc) - that’s all downloaded information.
b Upload speed refers to information you send out towards the internet. Sending an email is the most common example.
Internet plans usually offer an asymmetrical plan, that is 500mbps download and 100mbps upload speed. This is written as 500/100. The numbers vary with the different plans. Businesses will often have a Symmetrical plan where the Download and Upload speeds are the same eg 500/500
Your Modem Router – is it able to push through the data fast enough? It’s one thing to have the latest internet plan but if your home router is a bit old, it may not be keeping up with the demand.
The processing power of the device you’re using – older computers and routers may not be capable of processing the faster bit rate it’s receiving. The video or movie you’re watching may require more processing power than the device can supply.
These are all bottlenecks that can restrict your internet speeds and limit your online enjoyment and productivity. To check your internet speed, you can go to Chorus Broadband Speed Test and run the test.
For an explanation on Wi-Fi, see my previous story - “Why Is My Wi-Fi Slow?”
If you’d like to speed up your internet, give us a call or fill in the Contact Form on this website.
Nga Mihi
Top Five Uses for AI at Home
What Would I Use AI for at Home?
Here are the top five activities residential customers most commonly use AI for, based on recent consumer‑usage research and home‑AI trend reports. These reflect how everyday households are adopting AI tools in practical, repeatable ways.
1. Meal Planning & Cooking
Families frequently use AI to turn whatever is in the fridge into recipe ideas, plan weekly meals, and generate grocery lists. AI helps adjust recipes for allergies or dietary needs and provides step‑by‑step cooking guidance.
2. Home Organisation & Productivity
AI is widely used to clean up messy to‑do lists, coordinate family calendars, summarise long emails, and draft quick replies. Many households rely on AI to create chore charts, plan DIY projects, and streamline daily routines.
3. Learning & Homework Support
Parents and students use AI as an on‑demand tutor. It explains concepts in simple terms, helps with homework, provides examples, and supports learning new skills. This is one of the fastest‑growing home uses because AI adapts explanations to the user’s age and knowledge level.
4. Smart Home Automation & Security
AI‑powered home devices are increasingly common. Households use AI for:Package recognition on doorbell camerasDetecting important sounds (alarms, breaking glass)Smart thermostats that learn routines and optimise energy use These features make homes safer, more efficient, and easier to manage.
5. Entertainment, Creativity & Content Generation
AI tools like ChatGPT, are used for writing stories, generating images, editing videos, and creating social media content. This category has exploded as consumer apps integrate AI features directly into everyday creative workflows.It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Why Is My Wi-Fi So Slow?
The Art and Science of fast WiFi
Of all the techie tasks we’re called upon to fix, improving home and office Wi-Fi is at the top of the list. Common reasons why your Wi-Fi isn’t performing well include
a). the wireless router is not located in a central place in your home or office, This means most of your signal is being pushed outside your house and is wasted.
b). that your Wi-Fi demand is greater than the network’s ability to supply enough signal. If you work from home or have kids who are on the internet a lot, then your demand may be pushing the signal limits, or
c). the current Wi-Fi equipment is more than 5 years old and isn’t keeping up. Technology moves fast and devices that worked perfectly well for years may now be struggling to deliver enough signal to keep everyone streaming as they want.
How does Wi-Fi actually work?
Think about Wi-Fi as a big invisible ball. Your router sends out its signal in all directions – up through the roof, down through the floor and through the walls. To get a good signal you need to be inside that area. When you are near the edge of the signal range, the signal deteriorates and you get a patchy, unstable signal. A wireless router pushes its signal anywhere from 10m up to 25m out from the centre - that’s actually a pretty big globe. and if you have neighbours then your signals probably overlap. If you have a large house that’s two or more stories high, then parts of your house may fall outside that signal range - especially if your router is in the garage or somewhere away from the middle of your home or office. Things like concrete walls and stainless-steel kitchens, can have a negative effect by ‘soaking up and killing’ the signal. So, there are a number of factors that
The simplest way to remedy all these causes is to install signal boosters – they’re known as Access Points or Repeaters and there are a number of types. We prefer the TP Link Deco range of repeaters - they start with light weight versions (X10 series) for smaller homes and with moderate demand all the way to the BE65 version (high grade signal & super-fast). These are known as Mesh Networks. They simply plug into the power supply, pick up the weakening signal and amplify it. You can have as many of these devices as you need. If you’re experiencing problems with your Wi-Fi at home, get in contact with us today.