Evening Wi-Fi failures on a smartphone: main causes and solutions

Why Wi-Fi slows down at night: main reasons

When we go to bed and decide to watch a movie or browse social networks before going to bed, we often encounter an unpleasant situation – Wi-Fi “slows down” or disappears completely. This problem is quite common, and it is influenced by a number of factors. Let's consider why the Internet connection on a smartphone can slow down at night:

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• Why Wi-Fi slows down at night: main reasons
  • Network overload during peak hours
  • Automatic updates
  • Power saving or smartphone sleep mode
  • Interference with other networks
  • Outdated or overloaded equipment
• How to fix: tips and solutions
  • Check and change the Wi-Fi channel
  • Turn off automatic updates at night
  • Check if power saving modes are active
  • Update your router or firmware
  • Limit the number of active devices
  • Use the 5 GHz network
• Useful table: main problems and solutions
• Tip: Use additional network devices

Network overload during peak hours

Despite the popular belief that the Internet should work better at night due to less load, after 10:00 PM many users switch to watching movies, TV shows, or games – this creates network load in certain areas, especially in apartment buildings with a single Internet provider.

Automatic updates

Many smartphones, apps, and even routers themselves are set to update at night by default so as not to disrupt the user during the day. This leads to a temporary slowdown, especially when multiple devices are updating at the same time.

Power saving or smartphone sleep mode

At night, many devices go into a power-saving mode, where Wi-Fi may be unstable or slow. Some smartphones also turn off Wi-Fi when the screen is locked.

Interference with other networks

At night, the impact of signals from neighboring Wi-Fi networks can increase when everyone is home. If your router is operating on a congested channel, this can cause failures or packet loss.

Outdated or overloaded equipment

If you are using an old router or have a large number of connected devices, at night, when everyone is home and using the Internet, the old equipment simply cannot cope with the load.

How to fix: tips and solutions

To ensure that Wi-Fi on your smartphone works stably at night, you need to review the settings of both your router and the phone itself. Here are a few proven ways:

Check and change the Wi-Fi channel

Go to your router settings and select a less busy channel (for example, 1, 6, or 11 for the 2.4 GHz band). You can do this using free smartphone apps like WiFi Analyzer.

Turn off automatic updates at night

In your smartphone settings or Google Play/App Store, turn off background updates at night or choose a time when the Internet is less busy.

Check if power saving modes are active

Enable the option in your smartphone settings that allows you to keep your Wi-Fi connection on in standby mode, or completely turn off power saving at night if it's important to you to stay online.

Update your router or firmware

It's worth replacing your old router with a dual-band one (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). Also, don't forget to update the firmware regularly – this will improve the stability and security of the connection.

Limit the number of active devices

Turn off or pause internet on unnecessary devices at night. For example, smart TVs, speakers, or computers that are not in use at the moment.

Use the 5 GHz network

If your router supports 5 GHz, switch to it – this range is less prone to interference and provides higher speeds at close range.

Useful table: main problems and solutions

Tip: Use additional network devices

If you have a large apartment or house, you should use repeaters or Mesh systems, which allow you to create stable Wi-Fi coverage throughout the entire area.

As a reminder, we previously wrote about repairing the battery cable – what to do if the cable breaks?

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