Appreciation post: the wifi timer on my phone that saved me 80 hours of lost work

Was in a cafe in Medellin two weeks ago. Laptop said full bars. Zoom call dropped three times in 10 minutes. Client got pissed. Finally ran a speed test. 2 mbps down. Had been working there for six months thinking the connection was fine. Now I check every spot before I even open my laptop. Anyone else get burned by assuming the wifi is good?

2 comments

2 Comments

william3208d ago

You ever notice how the wifi icon lies to you? It'll show full bars but you're basically on dial-up. I just use a speed test app before I even sit down now.

dakota7878d ago

Hang on, I actually kinda disagree with that... the bars are showing signal strength to the router, not your actual internet speed. It's like looking at the gas gauge and expecting it to tell you the engine's horsepower or something. My router can be screaming fast but if my ISP is having a bad day or five people are streaming 4K, those bars aren't gonna change. They're just doing their job, showing the connection between you and the box in your closet. The speed test app is good for checking the real issue, but the bars are just a different kind of info. They're not lying, they're just not telling the whole story.

-1