If you are using 5G home broadband (that plug-and-play, no-cable white box), you must have experienced: smooth at the beginning of the month, but as soon as it's the end of the month or every night at 9 PM, the internet slows down to make you doubt life.

Many people think the router is broken, or want to switch providers. Hold on! Before spending money, first check if you fit into one of the following 3 unique "causes of death" for 5G broadband.

🛑 Part 1｜Cause of Death Diagnosis: How Many Do You Have?

Culprit A: The Cost of Misplacement (The 5G Signal Killer)

Symptom: Fast next to the router, but speed drops/disconnects immediately upon entering the room.

Truth: Hong Kong homes are filled with reinforced concrete load-bearing walls. If you place your router inside a TV cabinet, against a wall, or blocked by an aquarium/metal object, the 5G signal gets "sucked dry" by the wall before reaching the router. With a weak source signal, there's no signal left when you enter the room.

Killer B: The Overlooked Fair Use Policy

Symptoms: Smooth sailing at the start of the month, but suddenly slow at month-end to the point where even YouTube buffers (yet at the same location).

Truth: While most 5G home broadband services in Hong Kong advertise as "unlimited", the devil is in the details—the Fair Use Policy.

When your monthly usage reaches a certain threshold (commonly 200GB - 500GB, depending on the contract). The system downgrades your priority, potentially causing speeds to plummet from 100Mbps to 5-10 Mbps.

Suspect C: Evening Traffic Jam (Not Related to Wi-Fi)

Symptoms: Regardless of the beginning or end of the month, from 8-11 PM every night, the 5G throughout the house slows down, with Speedtest numbers fluctuating like a rollercoaster. Truth: 5G home broadband receives signals from mobile network base stations.

Truth: During the evening prime time, you're not competing with your family members; you're competing with mobile users from the entire building or the whole street for the same base station resources. When many people in the same area are watching videos or gaming, the bandwidth allocated to you naturally decreases.

🛠️ Part 2 | "Zero Cost" Self-Help Three Tricks

Before considering switching providers or paying more to upgrade, please complete these three steps first, as 80% of the time there will be improvement.

Move 1｜Relocate the 5G Router: Near the "Window", Not the "Wall"

This is completely opposite to the logic of placing traditional fiber optic Routers in the "center of the house"!

• Golden Rule: The 5G Router is a "receiver". It must be placed in a position that is near a window, open and unobstructed, facing the direction of the base station.
• Specific Method: Place it on a table near the window, about 1 meter above the ground.

Move 2｜Avoid "High Usage" Actions

5G broadband is most vulnerable to simultaneous heavy traffic.

Actions like mobile cloud backups (iCloud / Google Photos) and PS5/Steam game downloads consume significant bandwidth. It's recommended to set backups to "only occur during late-night charging". Save large downloads for overnight when you're asleep.

Tip 3｜Make Good Use of LAN Cable

• Target: TV boxes, computers.
• Method: Since the router is already placed by the window, if feasible, try to use a LAN cable to connect the router and your main devices.
• Principle: Reduce Wi-Fi interference, allowing devices to directly access the fastest speed of the 5G network.

📺 Part 3｜3 Myths You Must Dispel

Myth A: Will upgrading to a more expensive 5G plan make it faster?

Truth: Not necessarily. If the problem stems from "main wall blocking," even if you pay hundreds more to upgrade, the signal still won't enter the house, and you'll still be competing with others for the base station at night.

Myth B: Is Gaming Lag Due to Slow Speed?

Truth: 5G is ultimately wireless transmission, with interference resistance not as good as fiber optics. If you are a professional esports player, 5G broadband is inherently not suitable for you.

Myth C: Does 'Unlimited' Equal 'Truly Unlimited'?

Truth: The 'unlimited' in 5G home broadband almost always has a fair usage policy clause in the contract details.

💰 Summary Recommendation: Is 5G Broadband Right for You?

The biggest advantage of 5G home broadband is "convenience, no installation required, and easy relocation", but the trade-off is "stability".

• ✅ You are suitable for it: Renting tenants (who don't want to sign long-term contracts), residents of village houses/tong lau (without fiber optic coverage), one- to two-person households (with low usage).
• ❌ You are not suitable for it: Families with several members simultaneously watching 4K content, gamers, users with extremely high monthly usage (exceeding 1TB), should considerinstalling fiber optic.