Do you have any idea how much of the internet data is being taken up by the number of devices connected to your home? And it’s not just your device; it includes every device that you have shared your password with. Think your friend’s smartphone or laptop which they needed to connect to the internet when they came over to your place, your neighbor’s device because one time their internet was down and they needed to borrow yours, and whatnot. There have been way too many devices that are connected to and are currently connected to your home network and are eating all the network juices. That’s where all your data is going.
One thing to note is that if you are worried about your internet data being constantly used up before the end of the month, maybe you need to get an internet connection from a reliable ISP. Why don’t you consider Xfinity? It is one of the most widely available internet service providers in the US. Also, it allows you to connect up to the required amount of devices to the home network connection, and not more. If there are guests, you can create a separate guest network connection with Xfinity internet, that is separate from your main network connection. If interested, dial the Xfinity customer service phone number for more information.
Moving on, let’s look into how the number of devices can affect your home network connection.
How Many Devices Can Connect to your Home Network?
Generally, a wireless router can connect up to 200 devices simultaneously from a single access point. These can be all devices that can connect to the router i.e. computers, smartphones, appliances, tablets, cameras, etc. But just because a wireless router is capable of providing a network connection to a large number of devices, it doesn’t mean these devices would necessarily receive internet data. There may be only a few devices that receive the internet data, depriving the other connected devices of bandwidth.
Hence, the solution to this is to either connect a small number of devices to a home network so that the bandwidth is shared equally OR upgrade your internet plans so that there is enough bandwidth for all connected devices.
Why You Should Check the Number of Devices Connected to Your Home Network?
It is important for you to check what devices are connected to your home network connection, and we will provide you with three reasons why;
Security
Of course, the security of your home network is important. You don’t want any hackers crawling around your home system. You could become a victim of identity theft, credit card fraud, bank account fraud, or other cybercrimes.
Checking what devices are connected to your home network can help to ensure that no unknown users are connected to the network. Even if the intruders are there and not trying to get your information, they are still using the bandwidth of your home network connection.
Performance
When there are too many devices connected to your home network connection, it can cause performance issues. You could experience connections dropping in your devices, zero or weaker signals, and also the connection slowing down. This is no good because how else would you be able to perform your required online activities, such as attending videoconferences, streaming movies, downloading files, etc.?
Other devices, that aren’t yours, connected to the home network may cause performance issues.
Network Maintenance
You need to ensure that your home network connection is performing well. You can do so by tracking how many devices are connected and then removing the ones that are unwanted and irrelevant.
Running network maintenance will also let you know if you are outgrowing your system i.e. maybe you are experiencing slow internet because you need to upgrade your internet connection, the router, or just add another one. After all, one router is apparently not enough for the whole household.
Activities That Can Affect Your Home Network Connection
We have established that too many devices connected can have an impact on the network connection, but there is also another factor that is affecting your internet connection and possibly slowing down your devices. Let’s look over them below;
Unknown Activity
You may not be aware of what online activities are being performed on your home network connection. That is why you need to do a network assessment every once in a while.
You shared the Wi-Fi password of your home network with many other users and they could be using the network bandwidth. Your home network could be providing internet to appliances, tablets, cameras, and other devices that you didn’t consider when setting up the network.
Running a network assessment will allow you to determine what traffic is running on your home network connection.
Low Bandwidth
Maybe the number of devices isn’t the reason why your internet connection has been so skittish lately. When was the last time you has your internet connection plan upgraded? Maybe it’s time to sign up for a high-tiered internet speed. That way your home network connection may allow you to stream movies smoothly, even with multiple devices connected.
Best to go for an internet speed that is able to meet the online requirement of all your connected devices.
Network Interference
It includes interference of other Wi-Fi signals with your home network connection, such as your neighbor’s Wi-Fi, or waves frequency emitted from appliances like microwaves, etc.
Final Thoughts
It is important to perform regular maintenance of your home network connection and checking who is connected and not connected is one of the steps that you need to accomplish. That will help you to free up the bandwidth that was otherwise taken up by unwanted devices.