The ongoing pandemic has resulted in a slew of issues, some of which were unforeseeable. As an example, consider the following. You’re compelled to work from home, and your internet connection is already stretched and slow. When you add in the fact that there are kids in the house who are gaming and streaming, you can’t get a good connection. This is when knowing how to limit the download speed of people on your Wi-Fi network becomes critical. Let’s do some work to limit download speed of other Users on Wi-Fi.
There’s no need to remove them from your network. There are a few options for accomplishing this. One option is to set a device-by-device internet speed limit from the router. Another option is to use parental control programs on your child’s tablet or phone. Then there’s tinkering with streaming apps like YouTube and Netflix’s settings.
1. Limit Download Speed with Router
Using your home router, you can regulate the internet speed for different devices connected to your Wi-Fi network. I’m using a TP-Link router, but this should work with any respectable brand or model. Visit 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a new tab or window in your browser and input your login credentials. For both ID and password, the default is normally ‘admin‘. If not, enter the credentials provided or call your ISP’s hotline.
Find the Bandwidth Control option and select Control Settings from the drop-down menu. You’ll need to enable bandwidth control and set ingress and egress values in this section. Note that these settings apply to all devices, including yours, so input bandwidth numbers in Kbps based on your internet subscription. Remember that 1MB = 1024 Kbps, so adjust your calculations accordingly. After that, select Save and then Rule List.
That’s where you’ll add an IP range and write rules to define which devices in which IP range will receive how much bandwidth or download speed. For example, you can check all the devices connected to your Wi-Fi network with allocated IP values. Select DHCP > DHCP Clients List from the drop-down menu.
We’re going to take a similar approach. We’ll assign each connected device an IP address from a pool of IP addresses we’ve created. The bandwidth for these IP addresses can then be assigned and controlled, allowing us to control internet speed for particular devices. To begin, return to the Rules list and click Add.
Take a look at the sample above. All devices in the 100 to 105 MHz range will have a maximum bandwidth of 1MB and no more. You have the option of selecting a different bandwidth value. You have the option of creating as many IP ranges as you wish. Simply ensure that your IP address is not included in the range, or establish a separate rule for your device’s allocated IP and set a bandwidth limit based on your plan. You understand what I’m talking about.
Another option is to enter a single IP address instead of a range of IP addresses when defining a rule. As we saw before, you can see all IP addresses in the device list. That is, for each IP address, you will create a separate rule and provide the same IP address in both sections. That would also work, and it takes less than a minute to add or remove restrictions.
If something doesn’t feel right, you can simply go back and delete IP range rules to remove the limits. You know, when the kids lash out at you and annoy you even more than normal. It’s worth noting that some powerful routers allow users to directly manage bandwidth, but you’ll have to look into that. The user interface and feature set are determined by the router’s make and model.
2. App Settings to Limit Download Speed
Assume your children are engrossed in YouTube, Netflix, or Spotify. The process for changing the settings will differ for every app, but here’s a broad concept. To limit the amount of bandwidth used by the program, select a lower video or audio quality. As a result, instead of watching films in 720p or 1080p resolution, you can choose 480p.
The same is true for audio streaming services, where you can select 144 kbps instead of 320 kbps or whatever options are offered. The goal is to minimize the quality of multimedia streaming without compromising the experience. Make an effort to strike a balance. Another option is to download the content rather than repeatedly streaming it. This can be done for songs. Create a playlist.
3. Parental Control Apps
TW has previously covered parental control apps, and some of them will be useful here. There are just two alternatives because there is no way to control the quality of the game being played. Request that your children play offline games or simple games that do not use a lot of bandwidth. If you encounter opposition, you can use one of the parental control apps to either block or time limit such games.
To keep the peace and quiet, we propose the second choice. The children will learn self-control in this manner, and everyone will be happy. Choose a time when you are not working or otherwise occupied. Again, the goal is to strike a balance so that everyone receives something they want in some way.
Wrapping Off: Limit Download Speed of Other Users on Wi-Fi & Devices
COVID-19 will be brought under control at some point. It is a matter of when not if. Meanwhile, you can use these strategies to manage how much bandwidth other devices on your WiFi network get. This will allow you to increase your bandwidth and continue your video call without lags or disruptions. This way you can easily limit download speed of other users on Wi-Fi so that you can save some for yourself. If we miss something, do let us know using the comments below so that we can include them here.
