by Charles Miller

I was on the phone with some clients, having just worked remotely, connected to their computer, successfully resolving some ongoing internet connection issues at their location in the eastern U.S. Then, while looking at her screen one asked: "What's the speed of my internet now?" I responded: "Prepare to be amazed at what you are about to see!" But let me back up and explain what led up to that moment.

This couple, whom I will call John and Jane Doe, had been complaining incessantly that their internet speed was too slow. "We need it to be faster" they said. They complained to me, they complained to their Internet Service Provider (ISP) AT&T. For the longest time I tried explaining to them that an obsession with speed is a distraction that often interferes with uncovering what could be the real problem that is making their internet seem slow.

When the couple had complained to their ISP about slow connections, AT&T was glad to charge them a higher price for a faster internet connection, but the complaints continued even louder. "We can't have both our computers online at the same time" she wailed. "I'll have to go to Starbucks to get any work done."

When I got involved, I connected remotely to Jane's computer so that I could evaluate their Local Area Network. One of the first things I did was to ascertain that the measured download bandwidth was 68.4 MBps which was more than adequate. I knew I needed to look elsewhere for the problem, and when I looked at their router's Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Client List I knew I had found it.

Connected to their home network were dozens of Internet of Things devices. There were computers, smart phones, televisions, printers, lawn sprinklers, stoves, refrigerators, solar panels, security cameras, thermostats, door locks, medical devices, light bulbs, light bulbs, and more light bulbs. Their existing router provided by AT&T simply did not have the processor power or memory to handle such a load, and so I prevailed on them to order a better router.

Days later when it arrived, I once again connected our computers remotely to configure the new hardware. Soon in the background I could hear the man of the house singing my praises. "This is faster than it's ever been!" "Everything's working great now!" he howled.

Here is where we get back to the question with which I started this column. As I, flush with success, was preparing to end the phone call, Jane asked: "Is it going to stay faster? What's the speed of my internet now?" That is when I responded: "Prepare to be amazed at what you are about to see." Remember that a few days before I had measured the download bandwidth as 68.4 MBps. With the new router connected, I revealed that the measured download bandwidth was now… wait for it… 49.4 MBps!

On the phone there was a stunned silence that went on for several seconds. I think Jane and John were staring at the number on the computer screen with absolute disbelief. I imagine they were completely flabbergasted, not being able to reconcile what their own eyes were seeing. They had seen all around them that their internet-connected devices were working better than ever with the new router, yet the speed test revealed their internet connection was actually running a bit slower than the day before. How could things possibly be better with a slower connection?

I had done nothing to slow the connection. That kind of fluctuation in speed is perfectly normal, so please do not make the mistake of thinking slower is better. Every internet-connected device has a minimum amount of bandwidth it requires. It also has a practical maximum it can use; anything above that maximum cannot be used.

At last I think they understood how an obsession with speed is a distraction that can keep you from understanding what the real problem is. When they had 68.4 MBps of bandwidth they were complaining that everything was slow and nothing worked well, but with the new router they said everything was much better, even though it just happened their bandwidth was running slightly slower at that moment. The truth is they would probably see no difference in their internet connectivity if they stopped paying extra for higher speed and went back to a lesser-expensive 20 MBps or even 10 MBps service.

The speed of their internet connection was never their problem, other than ineffectually obsessing over it.

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Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant with decades of IT experience and a Texan with a lifetime love for Mexico. The opinions expressed are his own. He may be contacted at 415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.

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