Speed up your internet for back-to-school activities

If the young learners in your home are headed back to school, you may need to give your internet connection a boost, especially if you also have work-from-homers and gamers simultaneously accessing the internet. Multiple students learning from home paired with other everyday internet users could cause your Wi-Fi to slow if it’s not equipped to handle these activities.

Modems, hotspots or Wi-Fi extenders are what you need to ensure your internet and Wi-Fi connection is strong in every part of the house as students in your home head back to school.

So, what do these internet devices do for you?

• Modems: This device physically connects your home to your internet provider.
• Routers: Creates your home network to bring an internet connection to your devices.
• Hotspots: Works like a router by routing a cellular network to your phone or computer.
• Wi-Fi extenders: Extends the area of reach for your Wi-Fi connection and helps to avoid dead zones caused by walls and other obstructions.

Placing your new equipment in the right spot in your home is critical to its performance. Some of the best places to put your Wi-Fi equipment include a central location, on a high shelf and away from concrete or brick walls.

You’ll also want to ensure any modems are compatible with your internet provider and plan.

It’s a good time to check Amazon for internet device deals during their Back-to-School sale. Don’t worry, you don’t even need a school-ID to take advantage of the sale, with regular prices up to almost 20% off. We picked a few of our favorite internet-speed boosters to share with you:

Options to boost internet speeds for back-to-school online work

Explore internet tech products to boost your Wi-Fi signal. From routers to Wi-Fi extenders and hotspots, you’ll find what your network needs to support back-to-school online activities.

TP-Link AX5400 Wi-Fi Extender

TP-Link AX5400 Wi-Fi extender: If you have a large home with several occupants online simultaneously, this 5400 Mbps tri-band booster has Wi-Fi 6 technology and can support 96 devices. This extender has four external antennas that provide a stable signal across your square footage.

Rating: 70% of 1,745 Amazon reviews are 5-star

Cost: $$$

Amazon Back-to-School Savings: 17% off

NETGEAR Unite Explore Hotspot

NETGEAR Unite Explore Hotspot: For a home with up to four or five residents, this mobile Wi-Fi hotspot provides up to 450 Mbps in download speed and can connect up to 15 devices.

Rating: 54% of 469 Amazon reviews are 5-star

Cost: $$$

Amazon Back-to-School Savings: 8% off

TP-Link AC1750 Smart Wi-Fi Router

TP-Link AC1750 Smart WiFi Router: This smart Wi-Fi router works with Alexa and boosts parental controls. The dual-band router upgrades to 1750 Mbps high-speed internet and works with all internet service providers (ISPs), such as AT&T, Verizon, Xfinity, Spectrum, RCN, Cox, CenturyLink and Frontier. A modem is required for most ISPs).

Rating: 71% of 71,791 Amazon reviews are 5-star

Cost: $$

Amazon Back-to-School Savings: N/A

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 Cable Modem

ARRIS SURFboard SB8200 Cable Modem: This cable-only modem is approved for gigabit plans from Xfinity, Cox and Spectrum. It has two 1 Gbps ports and can reach 1 Gbps speeds. It’ll power most home internet needs, especially for a large family.

Rating: 74% of 18,859 reviews are 5-star

Cost: $$$

Amazon Back-to-School Savings 11% off

Resources for tech discounts, free or reduced internet and more

As another school year kicks into gear, don’t wait to get the most out of your internet connection to keep your students, gamers and work-from-home family seamlessly online. If your internet plan is just too slow to even boost with a Wi-Fi device, consider checking your address to see if there is a better internet plan available at your home.

Check out our guides and resources:

The latest student and teacher internet deals and tech discounts

How to get free internet for students

Off-campus student internet guide

Staying safe on public Wi-Fi

Can a mobile device replace your home internet?

Guide to low-income internet options

Cheap internet providers

Keep your kids safe online