Everybody suffers from slow Internet from time to time. As the current society is completely connected to the Internet, not being able to access it correctly can be a little frustrating.
You should know that there are various causes behind that. And, there are multiple steps that you can take to troubleshoot those problems.
Here are 8 wonderful ways on how to deal with your slow internet connection:
- Understand Your Internet Plan and Speed:
You should understand that your Internet Service Providers will only provide you with the speed for which you are currently paying, and you may need to look for new internet providers if that is a problem. Therefore, you might be suffering from slow internet because your Internet plan is too low for your budget. You can look at other plans if you feel like you may get a better deal with alternative satellite internet service providers, but that is only if other options have failed.
You should first check and verify your Internet speed through your service provider. If you are paying for low-speed Internet, then consider upgrading your plans to increase the speed. However, if your plan consists of a desirable speed and you’re still having trouble with slow internet then conducting an internet speed test would be a wise move. You can check the actual speed of your internet utilizing sites such as speedtest.net or Speedcheck.
If your Internet speed does not match with the one you are paying for, then contact your Internet Service Provider immediately and ask them to fix it. This is the primary step you should take to troubleshoot your slow internet. If it still does not work, then try these other seven steps.
- Try Troubleshooting Your Hardware:
If your Internet Service Providers claim that they are, in fact, providing you with the speed that you are paying for and you have performed an internet speed test to confirm this, then you should first check your hardware. There are many cases in which faulty equipment results in a limited Internet connection. For instance, your laptop or phone may be damaged.
Therefore, rather than blaming your internet providers right away, you should check whether your hardware is okay or not. Check your internet speed by connecting it to other devices. However, if the problem of the slow internet still prevails, then you should check your modem or router.
First of all, reset your modem or router. There should be a “reset” button on the hardware. If that is missing, then you can try turning it on and off. Check your internet speed after doing that. If it still does not work, then you should consider changing your router or modem. ASUS RT-AC68U AC1900 4G Dual Band wifi router is integrated with ASUS AiRadar that sharply strengthens wireless connectivity utilizing beamforming technology, exclusive ASUS RF fine-tuning, and high-power amplification. Check out asus rt-ac68u review here.
- Check Your Wi-Fi:
If you are not using a wired connection and resorting to a wireless connection, it is possible that your Wi-Fi signal may be too weak. Having a weak Wi-Fi signal will result in the slow internet even if your internet speeds, as well as hardware, are excellent. To increase the strength of your Wi-Fi, you can try many things.
First of all, you can keep your router in a convenient area. It should be close to the place where you use Internet most of the time. The strength of wireless connections depends on the quality of router as well. Check if your router can reach required areas or not. Moreover, you should try altering channels of your router by using tools such as Wi-Fi Analyzer. This will help you prevent any sort of interference that your W-Fi may be facing.
Therefore, you can check the range as well as the strength of your wireless network to troubleshoot the slow Internet.
- Change Your Wi-Fi Password:
If you are still having problems with the slow internet even after adjusting your Wi-Fi range, then you should try changing your Wi-Fi password. If you do not have a password-protected Wi-Fi, then you should add a password immediately. In this world of advanced technology, there is a probability that other people, maybe even your neighbors, are using your Wi-Fi. They could have somehow hacked into your router, or are using your open Internet.
Therefore, I would recommend changing the Wi-Fi password and strengthening your wireless security in the case of a slow Internet, even after troubleshooting the Wi-Fi range.
- Terminate Plugins and Apps That Use Too Much Bandwidth:
If there are no problems with your hardware as well as Wi-Fi, then your Internet may be suffering because of the plugins and apps that can utilize a lot of bandwidth. One of the most prominent causative factors of slow Internet is torrent. If you are using torrent to download files or applications, then it will slow down your internet speed because it takes a lot of bandwidth.
Not only downloading via torrent, downloading of any sort will have an impact on the Internet speed. Therefore, try pausing or stopping all of the ongoing downloads and check the Internet speed once again.
Moreover, other plugins and applications use a lot of bandwidth when they function in the background. Please check for the activity of applications such as Drop box, Google Drive, or One Drive. Random ads also consume plenty of bandwidth. If you are facing ads, then use ad blockers that will help you get your desired Internet speed.
Automatic updates in your computer may also be the cause of this problem. You should turn-off auto updates and switch it to manual updates that can function only after permission. Overall, you should try closing all the applications and plugins that take up plenty of bandwidth.
- Change Your DNS Server:
In some cases, the DNS server that you are using may have problems with specific sites that you are browsing. What DNS servers do is that they analyze your address request and convert it into an IP address that can be easily used in computers.
However, the DNS server you are using right now may not be compatible with some of the addresses you want to browse. As a result, you will suffer from a slow Internet when surfing those sites. If you are having such a problem, then you should change your DNS server. However, if you’re current DNS server is working just fine, then it is time to take some serious action.
- Talk to Your Internet Service Provider:
If you are still facing slow Internet even after trying all those troubleshooting methods, then it is time to call your satellite internet service Provider.
Remember, it is always better to call your internet providers rather than contacting them through other methods.
Speaking to them verbally will force them to give genuine replies. However, if you text, they can always ignore your message and come up with a politically correct answer.
Call them and ask them to get your Internet fixed. You should already have contacted your internet provider because of the first step of troubleshooting. However, this time, tell them that you will have to change your internet provider if they do not have the correct solutions for your problems.
- Change Your Internet Service Provider:
If your Internet Service Provider is incapable of fulfilling your demands, then it is always wise to switch to another one. There are many reliable and trustworthy internet providers which will give you the desired Internet speed. Talk to them about the problems you faced with your last Internet Service Provider so that they can make sure you will not face the same issues when cooperating with them. This way, you will be able to surf the Internet at the speed that you desire.
Author Bio:
Melissa Weir is a North Carolina-based freelance writer and work-from-home mother of two. In her 10 years as a professional writer, she’s worked in proposal management, grant writing, and content creation. Personally, she’s passionate about teaching her family how to stay safe, secure and action-ready in the event of a disaster or emergency.
