Why is My Internet So Slow?
Over the past two decades, having a 24/7 high speed internet connection has become essential for many businesses. We use it for voice communications, virtual meetings and remotely accessing shared work and resources. Choppy speech, disconnecting from Zoom or Teams meetings, and frustrating messages like ‘this resource has been removed’ can not only have a serious impact on your work life but can also take their toll on your mental health. Because of this, it’s worth getting your systems right.
We’ve written this guide to help you find out why your internet speed is slow and give you tips on how you can increase it. You’ll need access to your router equipment that runs your connection in order to check everything properly.
10 Reasons Your Internet Speed Is Slow
If your internet is currently slow, here are some things you can look into that could help fix it:
1. Outdated or Poor Quality Router
An old router or one that is inefficient can have a significant impact on your internet speed. Routers like many devices become obsolete and are unable to provide you with the speed your ISP is offering. Even a new router may be unsuitable for your needs. Some are designed for simple tasks like browsing the internet but will struggle with actions like HD streaming and gaming.
2. A Cable is Partially Disconnected
The network cables that connect PCs to the router/and or switches are a standard make, and universal. Checking each one carefully to ensure it is plugged in correctly and has not come lose should be one of the first things you check.
3. Firmware or Drivers Need Updating
It’s good practice to keep your driver software on your devices and the firmware in your network infrastructure updated. It’s sometimes the case that a newer driver than the automated one installed is available that might be designed to resolve the issue you are seeing.
4. You Don’t Have Enough Bandwidth
You (or others who are connected to your network) could be overloading the internet connection, causing slowdown for all users. When there are multiple devices connected trying to use the same internet connection simultaneously, this can slow down your own network. The problem can be resolved in a few ways. Reducing the number of devices using your network at once can be a quick way to resolve it but for busy offices, this may not be viable. A better solution may be to upgrade the infrastructure of your network or sign up to a faster internet connection.
5. Your Network is Suffering From High Latency
Put simply, your network is not managing to get the packets of data to their network destinations rapidly enough. Latency is how long your network takes to perform this task, normally measured in milliseconds.
6. Your Wi-fi Signal Isn’t Strong Enough
Wi-Fi signals can vary widely around your property and/or the place you are working at. If the signal is weak, the connection will be slow, stutter or be unreliable.
7. Your Internet Service Provider’s Network is Congested
Your ISP may have times when their current systems don’t have enough capacity to cope with the peaks of customer demand. When your ISP’s network is unable to handle the number of users on it at one time, this can cause your internet speed to drop. A reliable internet service provider should not struggle with these issues.
8. Your Connection is Being Deliberately Slowed
Most ISPs reserve the right to artificially throttle the speed of your ‘unlimited’ connections if you are using ‘more than your fair share’ of ISP capacity. If you have a monthly data cap restriction, they may notify you if you’re close to using your limit and throttling your internet connection speed before cutting you off.
9. Malware or Viruses
Your internet connection can be severely impacted by malware or viruses without you even knowing you have been infected. They cannot only slow down an infected device but can impact your internet directly, stealing bandwidth and causing you to have a slow or unresponsive connection. Malware can even redirect your internet traffic, cause ads to pop-up and perform other actions that exploit your internet connection.
10. Inefficient Browser Settings
If your browser settings are not set up correctly, it can slow down your internet speed. If your browser has lots of extensions running, this can cause pages to load slower.
Your browser also stores temporary internet files, known as cache, which help speed up load speed whenever you revisit a site. Your cache can build up over time which can actually have a negative impact and end up slowing things down for you.
How to Fix Slow Internet Speed
Depending on the problem you’ve identified, there are a number of different things you can do to increase your internet speed.
1. Restart Your Router and Network Switch
‘Turn it off and on again!’ We’ve all likely heard this response when asking for IT support at one time or another. There’s a good reason for it too as it can be a very effective solution as it can help clear memory, refresh your network and stop all running processes that could be impacting things. Restarting equipment should always be the first thing you try when attempting to solve any technical issues.
Find your network switch and router, and power off. The restart process is the same for a modem, router, or gateway (modem/router combo unit):
- Unplug the power cables from the back of the router and or network switch.
- Wait for 2 minutes
- Plug the power cables back in.
- Wait for equipment to restart (up to 15 minutes)
2. Check Your Router Cables Are Correctly Plugged in
A loose cable is all it can take to cause connection issues. Modern IT networks consist of cables that plug into sockets like this:
You’ve probably seen a row of 2,4, or 8 of these sockets built into your switch/router. They are designed to allow individual devices to plug into each socket. To check everything is ok:
- Firstly, check every connection by disconnecting and reconnecting. Make sure that you get a click as you do it. It’s not safely connected without this.
- Unfortunately, it’s perfectly possible to accidently plug one port into another one in the same row since the connections are all the same. Doing this will cause the whole network to glitch, slow down and in some cases completely fail. Trace the connections of every device you have and unplug any unused cables or connected in a loopback.
3. You may need to update the firmware/drivers on your devices
How to Update Device Drivers
Using Device Manager:
- Open Device Manager: Press Windows + X and select Device Manager.
- Locate the Device: Find the device you want to update from the list.
- Driver: Right-click on the device and select Update driver. Choose Search automatically for updated driver software to let Windows find the latest driver1.
Manually Downloading Drivers:
- Visit Manufacturer’s Website: Go to the website of your device’s manufacturer.
- Download the Driver: Find and download the latest driver for your device.
- Install the Driver: Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions to install the driver.
How to Update Firmware
- Check for Firmware Updates: Visit Manufacturer’s Website: Go to the support section of your device’s manufacturer website.
- Download Firmware: Look for firmware updates specific to your device model and download them.
- Install Firmware Updates: Each manufacturer may have specific instructions for updating firmware. Typically, you’ll need to run an executable file or use a special tool provided by the manufacturer.
Tips for Managing Your Internet Bandwidth
Use Quality of Service (QoS) Settings
QoS allows you to prioritise certain types of traffic on your network, ensuring that critical applications like video calls or gaming get the bandwidth they need. To enable QoS: Access your router’s settings (usually via a web browser), find the QoS settings, and configure them to prioritise your important devices and applications.
Monitor Bandwidth Usage
Network Monitoring Tools: Use tools to monitor which devices and applications are consuming the most bandwidth. Many modern routers have built-in monitoring features.
Adjust Usage: Based on the data, you can limit or schedule bandwidth-heavy activities during off-peak times.
Set Bandwidth Limits
Device-Specific Limits: Some routers allow you to set bandwidth limits for specific devices. This can help ensure that no single device hogs all the bandwidth.
Application-Specific Limits: Similarly, you can limit the bandwidth for certain applications, ensuring that essential services remain unaffected.
Use a Guest Network
Separate Network for Guests: Set up a guest network to keep your main network’s bandwidth dedicated to your primary devices.
Bandwidth Controls
Implement bandwidth controls on the guest network to prevent it from affecting your main network’s performance.
Limit Background Applications
Close Unnecessary Applications: Ensure that background applications and updates are not consuming bandwidth unnecessarily.
Schedule Updates
Schedule large updates and backups during times when the network is less busy.
Other things to consider include:
Don’t forget the option of simply checking how much bandwidth you are getting from your ISP vs the package you have purchased. If you have an option to increase the bandwidth, with modern FTTP connections, 1Gb is often available.
If you are on FTTC, consider upgrading to FTTP if available, since the difference is startling; at the very best you will receive 80Mb from FTTC vs 1000Mb from FTTP. The cost differential in 2024 is negligible.
How to Reduce High Latency Network Issues
High network latency refers to the delay that occurs when data travels from one point to another across a network. This delay is typically measured in milliseconds (ms). When latency is high, it means that data packets take longer to reach their destination, resulting in slower response times for network-dependent activities.
Common signs of high network latency include:
- Slow loading of websites or applications
- Delays in sending or receiving data, such as emails with large attachments
- Lag in real-time services like online gaming or video conferencing
Several factors can contribute to high network latency, including:
- Physical distance: The farther data has to travel, the higher the latency.
- Network congestion: High traffic on the network can slow down data transmission.
- Server performance: Overloaded or under-resourced servers can increase latency123.
Reducing network latency often involves optimising these factors, such as using faster servers, reducing network congestion, and minimising the physical distance data needs to travel.
How to Improve Weak Wi-Fi Signal
If you have a weak Wi-Fi signal, you can try the following:
- Check Your Router Placement: Place your router in a central location, away from walls and obstructions. Elevate it if possible to improve signal distribution.
- Reduce Interference: Keep your router away from other electronic devices that might cause interference, such as microwaves and cordless phones.
Advanced Steps:
- Change Wi-Fi Channels: Use your router’s settings to switch to a less congested channel. This can reduce interference from other nearby networks.
- Switch Wi-Fi Bands: If your router supports dual-band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), try switching to the 5 GHz band, which is typically less crowded and offers faster speeds over shorter distances.
- Use a Wi-Fi Extender or Mesh Network: If you have a large home or areas with weak signals, consider using a Wi-Fi extender or upgrading to a mesh network system to improve coverage.
- Limit Bandwidth-Hogging Applications: Applications like streaming services and large downloads can slow down your connection. Try to limit their use when you need a faster connection.
How to Fix ISP Network Congestion
Just as your own network can become congested, your internet service provider’s network can suffer from the same issue. There’s not much you can do about this beyond using the internet during off-peak times. If the issue becomes unbearable, we recommend switching to an internet service provider that is not plagued with congestion issues.
How to Fix ISP Throttling
ISP throttling can be quite frustrating. Here are a few steps you can take to address the issue:
- Check Your Data Usage: Ensure you haven’t exceeded any data caps that might trigger throttling.
- Use a VPN: A Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help mask your online activity, making it harder for your ISP to throttle specific types of traffic.
- Optimise Router Settings: Enable Quality of Service (QoS) on your router to prioritise important traffic like streaming or gaming.
- Contact Your ISP: Sometimes, a direct conversation with your ISP can help resolve the issue. They might offer a plan with higher data caps or better speeds.
- Switch Providers: If the problem persists, consider switching to a different ISP that offers better service and fewer restrictions
Conclusion
Internet and network speed issues can cause a real headache and can affect our modern lives in many different ways. Following the steps above will give you a good start in getting to the root cause or causes of your problems.
As a managed service provider that’s been around for more than 50 years, SES Computers offers a free cyber security and IT review. Contact us to see how we can help you resolve your network problems. We are very experienced in this area, from providing our own managed connections to taking on a malfunctioning network and fixing it.
+44 1305 820300