7 Reasons for Slow Internet Connection and How to Fix Them
The most annoying thing in today’s world is not missing your favorite show or getting late for the office rather it is the time when you experience a slow internet connection. While playing online games or streaming movies, you might face slower internet speed, resulting in a delay in streaming or an annoying buffering icon appearing in the middle of streaming.
Slow internet connection occurs from time to time due to many reasons. In this post, we are going to discuss some of the reasons you are facing slow internet speed and how to fix them. Let’s get started and see how to get rid of this annoying situation.
Check Your Internet Speed and Plan
One of the obvious reasons for facing slow internet is because you are not getting what you are paying for. Sometimes the advertised speed is not what you get in reality. The first step is to check the speed of your internet at speedcheck.org.
After the speed test is completed, check out the download speed, whether it is the same as that you have been told or lesser than the advertised speed. If the speed is lesser than the advertised speed, make sure to contact your service provider’s customer support to resolve the issue.
Data Caps Limit
If you have been streaming a lot of movies and playing online games without stopping, data caps could reach their limit, resulting in throttling of speed. Most of the service providers offer limited data caps, which might not be enough for heavy streamers and gamers.
If you are one of those streamers and gamers or have multiple devices connected to the internet, Spectrum internet packages are one of the best options to avail. Whether you opt for 100Mbps speed or 940Mbps fiber connection, you don’t have to worry exceeding your data caps.
If for some reason Spectrum isn’t offering the services in your area, you can simply search for service providers in your area offering unlimited data caps. You will never face speed issues because of the unlimited data cap.
Turn off Your Router
When was the last time you turned off your router – probably you don’t even remember. It is time to give your router some break. To avoid slow internet speed, turn off the router every month and give it a break for a few minutes. If you have a separate modem, reset that too.
Some of the routers also come with a programmable timer that allows you to set a timer. Even if you forget to turn off the router, it will turn off your router automatically. If you think that resetting your router will boost the internet speed exceedingly well, it will not. However, it will help to inject some speed to your internet connection. Just try it whenever you are facing a slow connection.
Upgrade Your Equipment
If you are lucky enough to live in the coverage area where fiber internet is available, you might face the speed issue. However, the speeds might not be optimal if the equipment (modem/router) is outdated. In other cases, you might have an updated router/modem, but your laptop or Xbox is outdated, you are still going to face slow speed.
In the first case, you need to buy a new router with an extensive throughput, which could largely boost the speed on your devices as much as 5 GHz. If you are a hardcore gamer, just check out for the gaming routers available on the market.
In the second case, sometimes updating your device can give a boost to the internet speed. If that doesn’t work, simply purchase a new PC, laptop, or whatever device you are using for connecting to the internet.
Reposition Your Router
Mostly in homes and offices, the internet is connected wirelessly. But sometimes even though the speed test is showing the speed that you have paid for, but the signals are weak. It can cause latency filled browsing or streaming experience. There is nothing to worry about because with a simple tweak you can boost your Wi-Fi signals.
The first one does not require any investment. Just reposition your router and place it in the center of the house that would help to boost the Wi-Fi signals. However, if that does not work, just spend a few more bucks to buy a Wi-Fi extender. Wi-Fi extenders will boost the signals and won’t leave any dead spots or weak signals in any part of your house.
Limit the Downloads and Apps on other Devices
Wi-Fi can help you connect several devices simultaneously. Nevertheless, some apps are running in the background that would juice out the internet speed. Make sure to limit those apps and turn off when in idle state. This would help increase internet speed without doing much.
If you are downloading heavy files, you may face slow internet speed. The ideal way to deal is to stop downloading those files for a particular time and resume when you have completed your important work. Especially if you are downloading movies from torrent websites, facing slow internet connection is obvious.
Optimize Your Web
Troubleshooting slow internet can be a headache and take a while. However, you can’t troubleshoot the internet while sitting at a café or in some public place. In that case, the simple way to speed up the internet is to optimize your web. For instance, you can try Opera Mini that is well optimized to save data. If you are using Google Chrome, you can simply install extensions to optimize your web and enhance the speed.
In case you are facing a slow connection over Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection, you can simply tether your smartphone. However, it must also be loaded with a data plan and you need to keep watch on mobile data limits. Pause downloads and streaming services to complete your important tasks.
Summing Up
The aforementioned tips and fixes will surely help optimize your internet speed. Not all of the stated problems and fixes require any technical knowledge.
