To the owners of Viasat satellite internet, frequent slow speeds, high latency, buffering, or outages, it is better to remember that there are some main reasons. There are other cases when your Viasat connection can be problematic, so troubleshooting should help identify the problem and hopefully make your Internet work properly again soon.
Weather Interference
Another factor that makes Viasat internet slow or even unavailable is weather conditions that are often quite severe. Excessive flow of water or blows of snow or wind may interfere with satellite signals and lead to poor performance. If you find that your concerns come out or even aggravate during storms, this environmental disruption is probably to blame.
As for the satellite functionality during bad weather, it is rather difficult to work on the signals that can be transmitted. But service should return to normal because the weather is always likely to improve at some point. You could try to find the expected downtime by looking up the weather of your ZIP code.
Network Congestion
Even, according to its Viasat plans, the company frankly states that internet speeds could be subject to variations depending on the time of day and total network usage in your area. Similar to public WiFi anyone accessing it also brings more devices within the same satellite beam slowing down the Internet speeds for all.
The major episodes of bandwidth day can be said to be during the evening when everybody is at home watching a video or playing an online game. However, long periods may signify that your subscription service faces the problem of overload in your region. Switching to a Viasat plan with unlimited data sometimes does the trick but comes at an added cost in the form of a higher monthly fee.
Line of Sight Obstruction
The dish placement outside your home requires a direct line to steer the satellite signal and get the best bandwidth. This connection can be hindered by anything that can block the signal such as trees, buildings, poles, or even by a storm. Hence, making sure your dish faces towards the southern sky as much as possible will make internet speeds better.
Should there be any hurdles emerge after the equipment has been initially put in place, Viasat will dispatch a technician to assess if the equipment can be realigned. At other times, throwing the dish even higher or putting a mast will do the trick in achieving the necessary alignment. They would like you to have a good internet experience so call them anytime you find your connection is hampered by physical issues.
Old or Damaged Equipment
Like most electronics, the parts used in satellite internet can sometimes break or get seriously damaged if exposed to the weather elements. If your dish or modem/router is more than 5 years old, then getting new equipment could enhance the speeds and the stability. Cables can also be covered by dust or animal nests which can cause equipment interference to be blamed for poor connectivity.
Perform the speed tests when directly connected to the modem, so the problem can be identified at which stage the speed has dropped. If WiFi speeds are slow but a device connected through an Ethernet cable to the modem gets better speeds, tweaking the router or even upgrading to mesh networks can provide consistent connection in large homes. However, physically damaged satellites cannot be operated through DIY repair for this, a professional will have to fix it or install new upgraded dish gear that is bought directly from Viasat internet.
In Summary
Satellite internet generally only operates at slow speeds and speeds related to weather, traffic, obstructions, or faulty equipment. Before you accuse Viasat of causing slowdowns, you need to find out when and where this happens and then adjust the influencing factors that are around your system. Consult with a professional for a technical opinion to know if acquiring a new subscription plan, changing the location of the dish, or the hardware can make that bandwidth from the skies more potent. So keep smiling and browse happily, you will be painlessly browsing again in a few minutes.