Is Your Home Network Impacting Your Neighborhood’s Internet? A Personal Experience

Recently, I received a rather surprising call from my internet service provider (ISP). A technician expressed the need to visit my home to inspect my network setup. According to him, my configuration was somehow affecting the internet experience of my neighbors.

As an IT technician and web developer, I was initially skeptical. I’ve set up a straightforward connection using their modem alongside an Archer C7 router, which feeds into a single Ethernet cable connected to my physical PC. The remainder of my devices access the network through Wi-Fi. Given this simple layout, I struggled to understand how my setup could be contributing to widespread network issues.

With the call confirmed as legitimate (the technician’s number matched that of the official ISP), my curiosity piqued further. What could possibly be causing these concerns? Given my configuration, it seemed implausible that I could inadvertently create a network loop or similar disruptions in their VLANs.

An Unexpected Solution

After a brief evaluation, it turns out the root of the problem was surprisingly simple: a coaxial cable issue. When we slightly adjusted the coax by moving it a couple of inches and securing the connector, not only was the issue resolved, but I also saw an improvement in my internet speed—an increase of around 10% on various speed tests.

This experience has been a valuable reminder of how even minor issues in hardware can lead to significant impacts on overall network performance. If you ever face a similar situation, consider checking the physical connections before diving into complex troubleshooting. You might just find that a small adjustment can lead to a smoother online experience for you and your neighbors.