Working from home comes with its perks, like being able to spend more time with family and avoiding the traffic on your commute to the office. However, remote work may be inconvenient in more ways than one, introducing its own set of problems, such as distractions and network connectivity issues. If you’ve never experienced interruptions in your internet connection, consider yourself among the most fortunate of us.

Network interruptions are quite literally the worst – they get in the way of important meetings, delay urgent emails, and much more. If you’re often inconvenienced by disrupted Wi-Fi, keep reading for some quick tips on how to fix your internet connection by yourself when you can’t afford to wait in a 40-minute phone queue to speak to a representative of your service provider.

1. Confirm Whether It’s the ISP or the Router
This is a relatively easy way to find the source for your interruptions. It is true that sometimes the source of your connectivity issues may come from the side of your ISP, but before you call them and wait in line, check your router. Connect your device (laptop/desktop) to the router directly using an ethernet cable. If the manufacturer of your device has done away with the ethernet port, you can use an ethernet adapter. It’s always a good idea to keep one handy somewhere around the house…just in case. If the interruptions disappear when you use the ethernet cable, then the issue is not your ISP – congratulations, you just saved yourself 40-minutes!

2. Test Your Router
Now that you know your ISP is on their p’s and q’s, it’s time to test your router. Switching your network connection back to Wi-Fi, move around your home with your device until you have located all the nooks and crannies with the weakest signal. Theoretically, you could stop your network diagnosis here, and just switch your workspace to a part of your home where the signal is strongest. However, if you would like every corner of your home to have a strong network signal, you may proceed to step 3.

3. Fix Your Router
There are 3 easy ways to fix weak signal spots in your home due to issues with your router. You could move your router around until the signal strength in your favourite workspace is improved.

Keep in mind that this will likely expose other parts of your home to weaker signal strength. Your second option is to buy a whole new router altogether. This may or may not fix the signal strength in your home’s blindspots. It’s a gamble, but never hurts to try. The third option, and my personal favourite, is purchasing a Wi-Fi range extender. You can place these around your home to boost the Wi-Fi signal in dead zones while still maintaining signal strength in all the other areas of your home.