There are few things more frustrating than trying to do things online and being held back by slow internet. This is the 21st century, we should be able to take fast broadband speeds for granted by now. Unfortunately, as we all know, that is not always the case.
If you only notice your internet being excruciatingly slow once in a while, well, that can be inconvenient but glitches happen and we just have to put up with it. But if your internet is making a habit of slowing down to an unacceptable level, then it’s time for you to take matters into your own hands.
Check Your Devices
First you need to establish that your internet service or router is actually the culprit. If you have more than one device, say a laptop and a phone, then check both their speeds. Yes, there is even a speed test for mobile devices now.
If your phone is working great, but your laptop is running slower than a snail, then you should immediately check it for viruses. Extensions you’ve accidentally downloaded to your browser could be responsible, as well. But if both your devices are slow, then the problem is either your internet service or your WiFi, and here are some things you should try.
Upgrade your wireless router.
If you have had your wireless router for more than a few years, or you bought an older model because it was less expensive, then you may just have to accept the fact that it is time to upgrade it. Technology advances at a fairly quick pace, and your router may just not be up to distributing the signals it’s receiving from the modem at the speed they’re coming in.
One way to check this is plug your laptop directly into the modem itself, and then test the internet speed again (try using speedtest.net). If the numbers you’re seeing are significantly faster than the ones you got on WiFi, then the router is definitely the issue. If the equipment belongs to your service provider, then you should request a newer one. If the router is yours, just search around your local area for deals, there are almost always affordable models on sale.
Move your router.
You may not be aware that routers can only cover a certain amount of space. They can also be slowed down by walls and ceilings. So, if possible, you should try moving your router closest to where you most often go online.
If this helps, but you really need to have decent speeds even at the furthest reaches of your home, then you may want to look into getting a simple repeater. It can grab the WiFi signals at the outer edge of the router’s range and extend it to areas where the signal is weak. This is particularly useful for boosting your WiFi signal to outside your home, if the thicker exterior walls are blocking it too much.
One thing you do want to pay attention to, if you decide to buy a WiFi booster or repeater, is what the signal speed limit is. It won’t do you any good to buy a repeater, if it can only transmit data at 2.4GHz, while your internet package is providing you with 5GHz signals.
Contact your internet service provider.
Still having a problem? Then maybe it’s coming from your internet service provider. There may be something wrong with the equipment that services your home, or maybe there is work being done in your general area that is affecting everyone in your community temporarily. There’s a very good chance that is the case if your problem has started fairly recently.
In either case, though, contacting your internet service provider will give you the answer one way or another. If it is just your location that is experiencing difficulties, then they will very likely dispatch a service repair person and that will hopefully resolve your issues permanently. Or, say for example, you are with Verizon FIOS for your internet, you could buy your own router to use with FIOS.
with If it doesn’t, don’t panic yet, there is still one more very likely solution to your problem.
Upgrade your internet package.
If you are still experiencing difficulty, then there is a very real possibility that the things you are using the internet for require more bandwidth than you are getting with your current internet package. Intensive programs, high-quality videos and other types of usage often have significantly higher requirements than what many other people might need for regular usage.
If not, there is another thing you need to consider. Are your internet speeds consistently slower at certain times of the day or evening? For instance, do you happen to notice it getting faster if you’re up late at night gaming?
Your network can get bogged down when too many people are using it at one time, and that doesn’t just include the people in your home. If you are in a densely populated area, you will almost certainly notice a slowdown in your internet speeds right after most people would be returning home from work, or finishing dinner. In either case, upgrading your internet package may be your only solution.
If it’s possible to just try an internet package that is at least a level above what you currently have to see if it makes a significant difference, without committing to a long term package, then that would certainly be the best way to start. If your provider doesn’t provide what you are looking for, then maybe it’s time to start shopping around for a new one.
