Reasons why Wi-Fi works better on mobile

Have you noticed that Wi-Fi on your mobile phone is faster than on your computer? Although it may seem strange, since we would expect the computer, being more powerful, to have a better connection, this can happen.

Understanding why Wi-Fi sometimes works better on our mobile phones than on computers can seem like a mystery, especially when we assume that computers, due to their greater power, should offer better connectivity. Although we would expect, at best, similar performance on both devices, there are times when Wi-Fi just seems to fly on our mobiles while on PCs it seems to crawl. In this article, we explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and offer solutions to ensure that your wireless connection is also optimal on the computer.

What Causes Wi-Fi to Work Well on Mobile and Poorly on PC

If you notice that Wi-Fi works much better on your mobile than on your computer, you are going to wonder if there is any problem with the PC. It is very likely that there is, and in that case, you will have to take certain measures to ensure that the wireless connection works better, with good speed and stability. But why can this happen?

Compatible Standards

The first reason is due to the different types of Wi-Fi standards available. First, the router will offer different standards. For example, you may have a modern router that works through Wi-Fi 6. If you have a compatible mobile, then you will have very good speed and signal quality.

However, your computer may only be compatible with the Wi-Fi 5 standard, which is the previous one. In that case, you will not be able to achieve maximum speed and you will be more limited. It does not mean that the PC is bad, but simply that it is compatible with an older standard.

Limited Network Card

Another cause is that your computer has a limited network card. It doesn't mean it's not working well, but you will have trouble reaching maximum speed and having good coverage. This can especially happen if you use an internal card, like those that come with a laptop.

In this case, although you can connect to the Internet wirelessly, it is possible that Wi-Fi works better on the mobile because it may have a more up-to-date network card. This will make the signal arrive better and there will be higher speed for browsing.

Incorrect Band Usage

You should also consider the use of different Wi-Fi bands. Nowadays, modern devices can connect to both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. The first one has greater coverage, although the speed is more limited; on the other hand, the second one will offer higher speed but only if you are close to the router.

Your computer may not be dual-band and only work on the 2.4 GHz band. This will make it unable to compete in speed with the mobile, which would connect to the 5 GHz band. But it could even happen that on the PC you are using the wrong band without knowing that you can use a different one and have better quality.

System-Level Problem

Another common cause is that there is some problem at the system level on the computer. For example, it may be overloaded or there may be some program interfering, and that will prevent the wireless connection from working properly. If it is not optimized, problems of this type can appear at any time.

But besides, there is also the problem of malware. A virus in the system can cause Wi-Fi to malfunction. It could even cause the connection to be constantly cut off or that we cannot use the network card. If you have downloaded any suspicious files or installed any application that could be problematic, this could be the cause of what we mentioned.

What to Do to Make Wi-Fi Work Well on the Computer

So, what can we do to make Wi-Fi work well on the computer? Let's give some recommendations so that you don't find that the wireless network works better on the mobile than on the PC. This way you can browse normally and not have any problems.

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