In this article we will look at how to increase Internet speed on a computer, phone and via a Wi-Fi network. We’ll also give you some tips and names of useful programs that will help maintain high traffic speeds.
When choosing an Internet provider to connect the Internet at home or in the office, you must pay attention to the quality of speed. More specifically, Internet speed is equal to the amount of outgoing and incoming information on your computer in one second, which is considered an hourly speed unit. The reasons for the decrease in speed may be different, which we will discuss further. We will also tell you how to increase your Internet speed yourself.
Router speed limit
Open your router's control panel and check your internet bandwidth settings. Increase the value if necessary.
It is also recommended to measure Internet speed using a router and directly connecting the cable to the computer’s network card. If there is a noticeable difference in speed, the probable reasons why the Internet is slow are as follows:
- The router is malfunctioning. Sometimes resetting the settings and re-configuring, changing the firmware helps. Less commonly, the router needs to be replaced due to an irreparable breakdown/defect.
- The maximum throughput of the router is lower than the speed provided by the provider. Just replace the router with more bandwidth.
- The Internet cable in the provider's equipment is not connected correctly. There are common cases when a technician connects a network cable to a service port instead of a regular connector. When a router is detected, the speed automatically decreases. Therefore, it is important to inform your provider about a decrease in speed when using the router, in order to troubleshoot the problem.
#3 The Internet does not work well due to the router
The router, passing home traffic through itself, can also be the reason why the Internet does not work well. The user should check:
- Network cables to and from the router - are there any kinks, is the connector lock securely seated in the socket. Perhaps some wire needs to be re-crimped or replaced.
- Remember if your neighbors have the password for their home WiFi; perhaps someone is using traffic excessively. You can check this in the router’s web interface (type 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 in the browser’s address bar).
- If a computer uses WiFi traffic in an apartment building, the neighbors' home networks may interfere. In the web interface you can select a WiFi channel; you should search for the least loaded channel using brute-force methods; there you can also change the WiFi password.
Sometimes the reason why the Internet on a phone or computer on a home network does not work well is outdated firmware of the router. Updating the software may solve the problem, but keep in mind that most likely the router will have to be configured again.
Cookies are full
With each new visit to the site, the browser saves to disk some temporary files called cookies. The data stores information about site settings and speeds up identification. When you visit the resource again, the browser accesses the disk for the cache to speed up page loading. If the disk is slow and/or full of files, the duration of opening a page increases due to the cost of searching the cache. Therefore, clearing cookies sometimes helps speed up page loading. To delete the cache, open your browser settings, select the appropriate section and delete temporary files.
However, this method will not help if the problem is that your Internet is slow to load files, then the reason for the poor performance is somewhere else.
Update your network devices
Our networks now contain more than just traditional computers. You may have IP cameras, NAS network drives, streaming servers, and even a smart refrigerator or two. Some of these devices may cause congestion or other network performance problems.
Therefore, it is worth checking that their individual configurations are correct and that they have the latest software updates. This is one of the reasons why you should avoid purchasing network devices from other manufacturers. They usually do not get the same gadget fixes and updates from premium brands.
Outdated computer
The speed of the Internet is also affected by the components of the computer. Morally and/or physically worn out components reduce page loading speed, downloading or file transfer.
It is worth paying attention to the condition of the hard drive. A slow, worn out and fragmented HDD negates all the benefits of high-speed Internet. Therefore, replacing the HDD with an SSD will significantly improve the computer's response. At the same time, it is important to correlate the update of some components with the overall assembly. Sometimes it makes sense to replace the computer completely. And in some cases, improvements are visible after installing an SSD and increasing RAM.
This point also disappears if yesterday your Internet worked quickly, but today it has become slow.
Updating the network card firmware
The network interface hardware also benefits from firmware updates and patches. It's usually best to look for these types of updates on your motherboard or computer manufacturer's website. If it is an integrated device. If it is a USB device or expansion card, go to the support page for that device.
Firmware is the hard-coded internal code that controls network hardware at the most basic level. New firmware updates are used to fix bugs, improve stability, and even add new features to older hardware. All of these can improve network performance.
Energy saving modes activated
Some network cards support "green" technologies aimed at saving energy or optimizing the Internet. Sometimes these features don't work correctly or limit your bandwidth when you need maximum speed. Therefore, it is worth opening the properties of the network card in the “device manager”, and on the “advanced” tab, select and disable automatic speed limiting functions and other “green” technologies.
Also open the “power supply” section of the computer, where you can select balanced or performance mode. If the modes have changed, reset the settings to eliminate power restrictions.
Updating Network Drivers
It's not just your router that can benefit from a software update. Your computer's network card, be it Ethernet or WiFi, will also receive driver updates from time to time.
There may also be updates to the manufacturer's management software that can help by adding new features and settings. Drivers tell your operating system how to “talk” to the hardware. In this case, it is a network interface device.
If there are bugs in the driver or developers have come up with better ways to manage network traffic, a new driver will bring these improvements to your device.
Viruses and malware
When the Internet is slow, it is important to check the system for viruses. Because malware degrades system performance and reduces Internet bandwidth by loading the channel and/or deliberately using traffic redirection.
Applications running in the background
It is also worth checking programs running in the background, for example torrent clients and file download managers. Pause or limit your download speed.
It’s also worth paying attention to third-party programs. Check the list of installed utilities. Remove programs you have not installed, including plugins and services of various search engines. You should also not keep “optimizers” on your computer that are supposedly aimed at improving the performance of memory, the Internet, system resources and services. Since such programs sometimes worsen the operation of the OS and slow down the Internet.
If you like to spend time playing online games, check if updates are being downloaded. If necessary, set a limit on downloading updates.
Applications running in the background can cause your Internet speed to slow down.
Tariff plan
The speed of the Internet is affected by the speed described in the provider’s tariff plan. The measurement is made in the form of received traffic volume per second. At the same time, some companies cleverly present speed by indicating “Mbit” instead of MB, which leads to confusion. So the “large” figure of 20 Mbit is equal to 2.5 MB. Therefore, a 100 MB file will download in 40 seconds, not 5.
It is also important to carefully study the terms of the tariff plan for hidden restrictions. For example, a provider is ready to provide unlimited Internet at a speed of 40 Mbit, but indicate in small print that the speed will automatically decrease to 4 Mbit when downloading 100 GB per month.
Users are often lured by high speeds of 100-150 Mbit. At the same time, they do not inform that the declared speed applies only to a local, internal, network with limited access to information. While the speed of global access is noticeably lower.
The reason for slow Internet may be in the tariff plan, if you did not switch to another tariff and did not notice any jumps in network speed.
Activated VPN
The Internet works slowly if a program for redirecting traffic is installed or a VPN plugin is active. Incoming and outgoing traffic passes through a virtual private network, which allows you to change the actual location, thereby gaining access to resources and services that are not available in a particular region. At the same time, the boarding school’s bandwidth is reduced by 10-20 times, for example, 3 Mbit instead of 70 Mbit without using a VPN.
Typically, speed limits are present in free virtual networks. In paid subscriptions, the bandwidth is higher. Therefore, it is rational to disable VPN and traffic redirection functions unless absolutely necessary.
Firewall active
The Internet is often slow due to the antivirus and/or firewall. Because by default, programs are configured to scan all incoming and outgoing traffic. Therefore, it is recommended to measure Internet speed with and without antivirus/firewall enabled. If there are restrictions, you should change the settings or find an alternative program where the Internet speed is not limited.
Weak Wi-Fi Signal
One of the most common reasons for slow network speeds is a weak WiFi signal or signal interference. Unlike an Ethernet cable connection, wireless connections can fluctuate wildly. Slight change in position or distance, radio interference at certain times of day, moon phase; at least two of these factors can slow down your Wi-Fi speed.
Improving Wi-Fi performance deserves its own article, so head over to The Best Ways to Improve Wi-Fi Signals and Improve Performance and get all the helpful tips you need to improve your wireless signal.
Problems with the provider
The speed of the Internet is largely influenced by the service provider. Some unscrupulous companies deliberately cut bandwidth in order to evenly distribute speed among other subscribers. Promote automatic reduction of speed when connecting a router or active traffic exchange. In this case, it is recommended to sever the relationship and use the services of another, honest provider. And frequent equipment breakdowns and interruptions in Internet supply are additional reasons for switching to another provider.
Router QoS settings
Many routers have QoS or Quality of Service settings that allow you to specify which types of traffic on the network should be given priority.
If you want file transfers to your NAS device to always receive the most local bandwidth, you can specify this by logging into your router and changing the QoS settings. Unfortunately, each router has its own unique QoS interface, so you'll have to consult your model's manual for details.
Conclusion
Low Internet speed is often caused by problems with the provider, wastage of traffic by background programs, failures in network equipment or an outdated computer. Therefore, it is important to diagnose problem areas one by one and troubleshoot problems. The article describes in detail why the Internet is slow and how to solve the problem. The list contains the most common reasons, including minor ones that users rarely pay attention to.
Have you experienced slow internet? Write in the comments what led to the slowdown, as well as the solution to the problem.
How to increase Internet speed through special programs?
Humanity loves to simplify its life. In order not to spend a long time going through the settings of your computer or router to increase Internet speed, you can use special programs. And they have a very wide selection. Let's look at the most interesting programs with the ability to increase the data feed speed.
- Throttle is a program that is a pleasure to work with. User-friendly interface and fairly clear menu. All you have to do is select the necessary parameters, modem type, and, of course, operating system. Please also specify the connection type. After pressing the “Go” button, the indicators will increase by 120% and even higher.
- Users of the Internet Accelerator highlight several obvious advantages: its ability to increase speed by 2 times or even higher, user-friendly interface and stylish design.
- dsl-speed program is compatible with dsl model modems. This is a fairly independent program. It can easily set maximum speeds, check your modem, and even adjust its settings.
- BeFaster program can create the appearance of active activity. In cases where you have to leave your computer, your provider can disable inactive points. The program will not allow you to do this. Another plus is the Russian-language menu, which is not available in other programs.
- Internet Cyclone program increases Internet speed up to 200% by preventing incoming data fragmentation. The program is compatible with all types of modems. High-speed modems are no exception.
Of course, this is not the entire list of existing programs. Manufacturers do not stand still, interfaces are updated, and capabilities are growing. Look through user reviews and choose a program that suits your parameters and requirements.
There are many programs that help increase Internet speed.
