Internet in student apartments

If you live in a shared apartment with other people, you probably already know how unfair the distribution of Wi-Fi coverage can be. Typically, all the members of the apartment share the cost of the internet connection and the wireless signal is distributed to all the rooms from a central point (usually the living room). To solve this problem, you might use a Wi-Fi extender which often does not provide adequate coverage.

Usually, any network expert would tell you to take into account the use that each person will give to the connection. However, nowadays, and especially when it comes to young people, we can assume that their needs and consumption are the most extreme and demanding: streaming, gaming, podcasting, virtual meetings, live broadcasts, and all of this synchronized. That's what's usual in places where young people live together. Therefore, the ideal solution would be to have a wired network in these flats, but in reality, we assume that this is not and will not be the case.

The problem with student flats is that you can't install cables and optimize connectivity, so you're left with the option of repeaters (and if there is high demand, it's difficult for them to cover what you need). The ideal solution to maintain stability would be to do it as they do in offices, with a wired trunk network. However, a flat is not prepared for this type of cabling, so the only option to achieve optimal, cleaner, more stable, and integrated connectivity with the building is with plastic fiber optic cable. In fact, a single 100 Mbps FOP kit can be a very good investment for your student room and guarantee you perfect stability while integrating with the house wiring without the need for construction work. Additionally, once you leave the flat, it's easy to disassemble the kit and put it in another house. Here, in this tutorial, Toro Tocho explains how to do it.

But here we will give you some tricks for the majority who cannot invest in anything to improve connectivity in their room.

Tips to improve shared Internet connection

• Adjust schedules: prioritize the connection for those who work from home during specific business hours or have fixed virtual classes if there is an agreement to share the computer.

• Contract the appropriate speed: The more people need to use the internet simultaneously at home, the greater capacity is needed. As a large number of devices connect to the same WiFi network, it is also necessary to increase from 300 Mbps to 600 Mbps or 1 Gbps.
• Signal booster: If the router is far away from the study or work area of any of the people living together, it is necessary to use this device to enjoy better quality, although what we recommend here is to first cable as much as possible. For this, FOP is the most practical solution.
• Restrict the use of devices and programs: It is necessary to disconnect all devices that automatically use the WiFi network and are not being consciously used. Likewise, certain programs that take up a lot of bandwidth should be closed (you can find out which ones here), and refrain from abusing online games while other roommates need to use the internet for work or study.

As we said, if you want to invest in a fast, stable internet without added lag, investigate a bit about FOP, you may be surprised.