When you sign up for fibre, the advertised speed applies to the connection to your home, not necessarily to your devices over WiFi.
Once the connection reaches your router, WiFi determines the actual speed your devices receive.
How It Works
- Fibre brings internet to your home at full speed
- Your router distributes that connection
- WiFi sends it to your devices
Each step can affect performance, especially WiFi.
Why WiFi Speeds Are Slower
WiFi is affected by several factors:
Distance From the Router
The further you are, the weaker the signal.
Walls and Obstacles
Thick walls, floors, and furniture reduce signal strength.
Interference
Other devices and nearby networks can interfere with your WiFi.
Number of Connected Devices
More devices sharing the network can reduce available speed.
Device Limitations
Older devices may not support higher speeds or newer WiFi standards.
Wired vs WiFi Speed
- Wired (LAN cable):
Most stable and closest to your full fibre speed - WiFi:
Convenient, but speeds may vary depending on conditions
How to Check Your Actual Fibre Speed
To test your line speed:
- Connect a device to your router using a LAN cable
- Run a speed test
Result:
- If speeds are correct on cable, your fibre is working properly
- If speeds are slow on cable, there may be a connection issue
How to Improve WiFi Performance
- Move closer to your router
- Place your router in a central, open area
- Switch between 2.4GHz and 5GHz
- Reduce the number of active devices
- Consider a mesh WiFi system for larger homes
Common Scenario
“My fibre is 100Mbps but I only get 30Mbps on my phone”
This is normal over WiFi, especially if:
- You are far from the router
- You are connected to 2.4GHz
- There are multiple devices connected
Key Takeaway
Fibre delivers speed to your home.
WiFi determines how much of that speed reaches your devices.
If your speeds are lower on WiFi, the issue is usually your home network, not your fibre line.