I've been dealing with terrible internet at my apartment, where we connect to something called 'apartment Wi-Fi'—kind of like a hotel setup where you log in with your apartment number. Lately, my PC with an Intel Wi-Fi card hasn't been able to find or connect to the network properly. When it does connect, it's only for a minute or two and the speeds are really slow, around 0.5-1 Mbps, while my phone gets 200-300 Mbps right next to it. I've thought about getting a Wi-Fi extender, but I'm unsure if that would work with this generic setup, plus I don't have any Ethernet ports since I don't own a router. Any suggestions on what might be causing this or how to fix it?
3 Answers
It might be a reception issue if your PC's Wi-Fi card doesn't have an external antenna. Sometimes if the antenna is broken or comes loose, it can cause weak signals. Also, don’t forget to use a VPN for better security since it’s shared.
Considering your situation, it could be beneficial to talk to whoever manages the Wi-Fi in your complex. They might know about any ongoing issues since you’re not the only one experiencing slow speeds.
Yeah, but they want to charge us $75 for this awful internet and say they can’t fix it because it was set up by the previous owners. Plus, we’re paying for services like valet trash and ‘smart home’ features that hardly work either.
You might want to try using a USB Wi-Fi adapter. If your speeds improve with that, it could point to a problem with your PC’s internal Wi-Fi hardware. Just keep in mind you'll need to set it up manually for your PC to use the new adapter.
I don’t have an external antenna, but I do use a VPN. I didn't think about the security aspect given how poor the connection is.