Few things can derail your workday and productivity faster than a frozen screen. Maybe you’re pitching a new client, hosting a team meeting, or sitting in on a vendor demo when suddenly your audio cuts out, the video glitches, and everyone sits in awkward silence waiting for the connection to catch up.

When this happens once in a while, it’s annoying. When it happens regularly, it’s a business problem.

Dropped or poor-quality calls don’t just waste time. They hurt professionalism, productivity, and even your ability to close deals. And while it’s easy to blame “slow internet,” the truth is that most SMBs aren’t suffering from lack of speed. They’re suffering from inconsistent stability.

Let’s break down what’s really going on and what you can do to fix it for good.

Speed vs. stability: The hidden gap in your connection

Business internet plans usually advertise big speed numbers: 300 Mbps, 1 Gig, 2 Gig, etc. But your actual experience during a video call depends far more on stability than on raw speed.

Speed = the maximum rate at which data can move.

This is your download and upload capacity under ideal conditions.

Stability = how consistently your network delivers that speed.

This is what determines whether your call stays smooth or falls apart.

When stability drops, three things happen:

  • Latency: a delay between what you say and what others hear.
  • Jitter: packets arriving at uneven intervals, creating choppy audio.
  • Packet loss: pieces of data disappearing, causing video freezes.

Think of it like running a delivery fleet. Your trucks may be fast, but if one keeps stalling or veering off-route, your packages still arrive late. That’s exactly what instability feels like during a video call.

The peak hour effect: When everyone’s online at once

Your business doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

If you’re in an office park, a shared building, a coworking space, or even working remotely from a residential neighborhood, your connection can be affected by everyone around you. When dozens, or even hundreds, of other users start hopping online during peak hours, your network may slow down when sharing a cable internet connection, even if your plan looks fast on paper.

What “peak” actually looks like:

  • Hybrid teams logging on and off
  • Multiple businesses uploading files to the cloud
  • Video calls starting on the hour
  • Remote workers streaming training videos
  • Connected devices running automatic updates

If you’re using cable or fixed wireless access (FWA), this can create shared congestion, where your available capacity shrinks as your neighbors consume bandwidth.

Why fiber performs differently

Fiber uses dedicated capacity. This means you’re not competing with your neighbors for the same bandwidth. Plus, fiber provides symmetrical upload and download speeds, which is a huge advantage for businesses relying on video calls, cloud software, POS terminals, and real-time collaboration.

With Kinetic’s 100% fiber network, you get a connection that stays consistent even during the busiest hours of the day.

Counting devices (and hidden bandwidth hogs)

Most small businesses severely underestimate how many devices use their network.

Here’s a typical SMB setup:

  • Laptops and desktops
  • VoIP phones
  • Smart TVs and conference room screens
  • Security cameras (major upload demand!)
  • IoT devices like thermostats and sensors
  • Tablets, scanners, and wireless printers
  • Point-of-Sale (PoS) systems
  • Employee cell phones
  • Guest devices on public Wi-Fi

Even devices you aren’t actively using still pull bandwidth. Security cameras continuously upload footage. Point of Sale systems send payment data. Smart TVs and devices auto-update in the background.

That quiet device in the corner you forgot about? It’s still talking to the network.

How to get a handle on it:

  • Create a quick device inventory
  • Log in to your router’s dashboard to see real-time usage
  • Check which devices are using the most upload bandwidth
  • Look for automatic updates or background processes

Smart business network configurations can help:

  • Prioritize business-critical devices through QoS (Quality of Service)
  • Use VLANs to separate POS, staff, and guest networks
  • Run multiple dedicated Wi-Fi networks (a benefit of Kinetic’s Business Ready Internet)
  • Isolate bandwidth-heavy devices so they don’t slow down the entire office

These small adjustments can dramatically improve your video call performance, especially when combined with a stable fiber connection.

Diagnosing congestion: Inside your office or beyond it?

When calls freeze, most people don’t know where to look first. Here’s a simple way to pinpoint the cause quickly.

Step 1: Test wired vs. wireless

If a wired connection is smooth but Wi-Fi is slow, your router placement or Wi-Fi interference is likely the issue.

Step 2: Check your equipment age

Routers older than a few years often can’t handle today’s device loads or Wi-Fi standards.

Step 3: Compare morning vs. afternoon vs. evening

If speed drops only during predictable times, you’re likely dealing with external congestion. This is a common issue for cable customers.

Step 4: Evaluate office layout

Thick walls, metal racks, microwaves, or even HVAC equipment can interfere with Wi-Fi.

Step 5: Expand your coverage

If your business covers multiple rooms or outdoor areas, adding indoor/outdoor Wi-Fi extenders can keep the entire space connected.

If all else fails (especially if you’re relying on cable), it may be time to ask your provider the big question:

“Is my connection shared with surrounding businesses or residents?”

If the answer is yes, you’re at the mercy of their usage patterns. Fiber eliminates this bottleneck.

Secure access matters more than ever

According to Kinetic’s 2025 study, more than half of consumers feel unsafe using public or business Wi-Fi networks and want businesses to provide more secure, professionally managed access for guests and customers.

For your business, this means:

  • Customers expect secure guest networks
  • Employees need protected internal networks
  • POS devices must be isolated and encrypted
  • Strong, segmented Wi-Fi = stronger trust and better reputation

Security and stability are no longer “nice-to-haves.” They’re competitive differentiators.

Dependability drives business

Your business can’t afford to gamble on whether a video call will work. Not when collaboration, customer relationships, training, sales, and day-to-day operations depend on clear, consistent connectivity.

And the strongest foundation for that environment is fiber.

Kinetic’s business-class fiber delivers the speed, reliability, and peace of mind you need to stay connected—no matter how busy your workday gets. (Plus, it comes with advanced Wi-Fi, network security, and smart traffic management for the comprehensive solution your business deserves.)

Stop with buffering and Internet better™ with Kinetic.