Can anyone make sense of Randburg?

It seems like the boundary was drawn with imaginary ink. When Mufasa sat with Simba discussing everything the light touches, chances are he was on Northcliff Hill looking at the distance between Linden and Olivedale. It’s the home of every business under the sun (60% of which are panelbeaters). A place where property values quadruple based on your area code, Bajaj taxis run free, and enough SM Content to fill Helen Zille’s feed for a month.

The issue with such a broad spectrum of areas (seriously, we get Ferndale, Blairgowrie, Linden, Cresta and Fairland, but Bordeaux, Sundowner and Boskruin?) is that there are more areas (with vastly different needs) to cover. Some areas are Fibre ready. Others distracted by the DSTV Satellite dishes. Randburg covers dozens of suburbs with a mix of old homes, new estates, and whatever those container things on Malibongwe are.

Randburg boasts vibrant suburbs, such as Linden

No two neighbourhoods have the same network conditions, meaning no two are fully alike. But, before you blame your ISP (us), here are some common causes and what you can do about them.

1. Your Wi-Fi, not Randburg, is the real problem:

People love to blame their (Vox) Internet Connection, when the real issue is their Wi-Fi.

Is your Router hidden in a cupboard, underneath the TV, or eye candy for the fish tank? (it happens). You may be making life harder than it needs to be.

We’ve covered this before, but try this before Tweeting:

  • Move the Router to a centralised open space with a bit of elevation
  • Keep. It. Off. The. Floor.
  • Avoid microwaves, cordless phones (ignore if you were born post 2010 – we don’t have the energy), or thick concrete walls.
  • Reboot. Always reboot, then reboot again. \

Sometimes, that’s all you need, really.

2. Stop spreading the Bandwidth.

Easier said than done, especially if you’ve come into contact with a teenager in their natural habitat (it’s like the Animal Planet, just with phones).

Individually, a single video call, YouTube binge, PS5 Update, Smart TV and Wi-Fi Camera might not seem too bad. Add them up? They can (and will) bring your Connection to a screeching halt (cue Animal Planet noises).

Workaround? Slow it down or pause your large downloads until after everyone is asleep (yes, this includes device updates. Sorry, son).

3. Your Layout is Against You

Maybe your estate agent was really pushy. Maybe you saw the large window and garden for the price. Maybe you were still in your twenties buying your first home prematurely, got caught up in the moment, and spend every waking minute regretting your decision to purchase whilst longing for your old rental place (sorry, bad experience).

Point is, many large homes have thick brick walls that drastically weaken Wi-Fi signals. Notice that your excellent Connection in the lounge doesn’t quite translate to your Throne Room (IYKYK), that may be a coverage issue rather than an Internet one.

Workaround?

Invest in Mesh, or place your access points more strategically, Batman.

These are our top three reasons, but fear not, because there are other causes:

  1. Many Wireless users report slower Internet during Peak-Time due to congestion.
  2. Your Router may be past its sell-by-date.
  3. Temporary Network Maintenance or Faults DO happen (what, your ISP doesn’t inform you?)
  4. You’re on a bad website (not THAT bad, the kind that takes forever to respond)
  5. Your device (not the Router, the actual laptop/PC/Phone) may need attention (think network drivers, background softer, missed updates or Malware).
  6. It’s just your unlucky day.

So, when do I complain about how poor my Randburg Internet is?

If you’ve restarted, retested, confirmed that coverage is fine and ruled out outages, it might be time to give your ISP a call (would help if they have 24/7/365 support – oh wait).

The more info you can provide (start dates, devices affected, and consistency), the faster your provider can investigate. The key thing is that Randburg, bless its soul and big as it may be, might not be a connectivity nightmare after all – sometimes, the problem lays within the Internet itself.

So from Ferndale to Cresta, Bromhof, Northriding and beyond, you’re sorted. A little troubleshooting often solves problems in minutes. And, if that doesn’t work, you at least have a few workarounds to feel productive for the 9/10 times you can fix the problem at all (and probably score family brownie points).