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Instructors and teaching assistants: teachingremotely.uchicago.edu
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Click the topic below to learn about how to improve your Zoom experience while on your home network.
Before you start working
You may have very limited bandwidth on your home internet connection and share connections with family members. Here are some things you can do to improve your home network performance when you're using Zoom.
What to do if your Wi-Fi connection is slow
Test your network speed. Check your internet speed. You'll want at least 5Mbps to use Zoom and other collaboration tools.
- Move closer to your Wi-Fi router. Getting closer to your router can improve signal strength. Wi-Fi extenders can boost the signal in other rooms.
- Restart your router or computer. Most routers have a reset button. If your computer isn't connecting but other devices are still working online, reboot your computer.
- Close other programs and limit streaming and large downloads while you work. Other programs on your computer may consume processor or network resources. Be especially sure to check for the following:
- Turn off your computer's cloud backup service such as Box Sync or Google Drive Sync.
- Turn off any software automatic updates.
- Turn off the Wi-Fi connection on your mobile phone and other nonessential network devices, or at least limit their use while you're on a call.
- Limit the number of browser tabs you have open. Many web pages like to "phone home" at intervals, creating extra traffic.
- Close as much desktop software as possible during video conferencing for the same reason as limiting the number of browser tabs.
- If you share a screen, only share your smaller screen, and not your larger one.
- When using your camera in a video chat, make sure the room lighting is steady and your background is a plain wall. Movement and lighting changes mean extra information about your video feed must be calculated and sent across the network. Even a seemingly minor thing like the sun streaming through a window and peeking in and out behind clouds can cause your video to become blurry and choppy.
- If possible, ask others in the house not to use the internet while you have meetings. They should also apply these tips to minimize crowding as much as possible.
- You may see better performance if you disconnect from cVPN during your Zoom session. However, you must disconnect from any secured systems that require a cVPN connection, then disconnect from cVPN. Therefore, you will not be able to share any screens from these systems during your Zoom session.
- Connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable during your Zoom sessions.
If none of these things help
- Call your internet service provider or check their status website to determine if there are any known issues. This will help you learn if the problem is widespread in your area or specific to your home.
- Use a mobile hotspot. A hotspot lets you share your phone's data with other devices to access the internet. Check with your mobile provider to see if a hotspot is an option for you.
Learn more about home Wi-Fi networks
If you are interested in learning more about improving your home network performance, start by reading Optimize Your Home WiFi Network: Increase Your WiFi Speed.
Related Resources
IT Services Knowledge Articles
These additional IT Services Zoom-related knowledge articles provide detailed information on installing the desktop/laptop app, scheduling meetings, Zoom functionality, and frequently asked questions.
Zoom Online Learning Resources
Support
Please contact IT Services for any questions you may have.