And Comcast isn't the only company that's competing for first place in the gigabit internet race. AT&T is working on its GigaPower service, and Google is working on Google Fiber - all of which promise to be the next big thing as far as lightning-fast internet connection speeds are concerned.

But gigabit internet, which reports claim could be 50,000 times faster than internet speeds of today, is still a long way off simply because there's no infrastructure. So, until the fiber cables are laid and the services are in place, what can be done to improve connection speeds at home?

Recently, on the Kim Komando Show, Ernie from Portland, OR, asked the following question: Will hooking up two (or more) routers make my internet faster?

The short answer to that question is no, usually, it won't.

Here's why: Think of your internet connection like a pie that is shared with everyone at the table. If you have an additional knife (or another router in this case) to cut the pie with, you still would have the same amount of pie that you'd need to share. What you'd really need is more pie.

However, purchasing an additional internet connection and a dual WAN router could increase speeds, albeit it would be more costly. And, unless you need a business class of service, this option likely isn't worth the additional investment. It would be more cost effective and much less complicated to see if your internet service provider has a higher tier of service.

Otherwise, keep reading and learning. There's a lot more that can impact your connection speeds. And we want you to know how it all works and how to optimize your connection.

Common misconceptions

The example above provides insight into some of the most common misconceptions about how your home Wi-Fi works, and what causes speed delays to begin with.

1. Routers are the source of your internet: This is false. Routers are merely boxes that broadcast your internet signal over a certain distance so that multiple computers can connect to your network.

2. Routers provide access to the internet: In certain aspects, this is true. Routers do make it possible to connect to a local network, however, a router on its own is quite useless. For a router to work it must connect to a modem, which connects to a cable port on the wall that is activated by your internet service provider.

3. Modems are the source of your internet: Again, this is false. On its own, your modem is just a worthless device. Without an internet service provider, you will have no internet.

Why does this matter? Well, it just goes to show that there are a lot of different variables that can impact the overall speed of your internet connection. You can have a top-notch modem and router, but if you've purchased a plan that offers mediocre speeds, your connection will suffer. The same is also true if you have a great internet service, but are using old, outdated equipment in order to connect.