A slow Internet connection can give you some of the most frustrating moments in life. Read ahead to find out how to fix this annoying problem yourself.
Having an Internet connection that works slowly is like having a million dollars in your bank account but not being able to remember your account number, PIN, or password―you have it but you cannot use it. It is like a joke played on you by fate―picture yourself spending 30 minutes to open a ten-minute long video on YouTube.
It is during these frustrating moments that you wish you knew how to get yourself out of the fix as soon as possible. Well, wishes often come true, at least as far as your broadband speed is concerned. Here we will provide you with the guidelines necessary for tackling slow Internet speed yourself.
Before we understand how to fix this issue, first let us understand what is the cause behind Internet speed getting so laboriously slow. One of the most common and often the silliest reasons is a faulty or loose connection of the Internet modem, or wireless router problems relating to connectivity.
Most of the time, a plug or connective wire may become loose and re-fixing it restores proper speed.
The next common reason for slowing down of your Internet connection speed is frequency interference from other circuits, if your connection is a DSL broadband service. In case of node connections such as Comcast, poor speed may be due to over utilization of the neighborhood node.
Other reasons include congested ISPs, malware attacks, inappropriate setting of QoS parameters, and interference from Wi-Fi radios, if your modem/ router has a built-in radio feature.
Troubleshooting Slow Internet Problems
It is highly probable that you won’t be able to identify exactly what is causing slow Internet speed at a given time. Since you know the common reasons that may be responsible, you can proceed along a trial-and-error method, taking all necessary steps and eliminating each possible cause from the mentioned one by one.
- Start with taking precautionary measures against the most dangerous of all slow-down causes―malware. Run a virus, spyware, or malware scan. Make sure to install all necessary anti-malware updates for better detection of any possible infections.
- If your virus scan result comes negative, heave a sigh of relief and move on towards resetting your modem. Switch off your modem, wait for a couple of minutes and switch it on again. This works in most cases when a virus is not the reason for a slow connection.
- If resetting your modem doesn’t work, run a system restore to undo any problematic updates that you may have installed, which may be the reason behind the low speed.
- An overburdened hard drive is one of the most common causes of slow Internet speed. This is one problem people often face, given the hordes of movies they keep downloading and flooding their hard drive with. Emptying some space on your hard drive might just do the trick that the previously mentioned steps failed to do.
- If you have Windows Vista, you may try deleting Internet cookies, temporary Internet files, and clearing history. This works mostly in case you use Internet Explorer on Vista. You can also try rolling back or updating the Vista drivers.
- Sometimes, when you are using Vista, you may experience slow Internet speed due to the fact that it uses enhanced IPv6 support and unnecessary network protocols. Turning off these additional network protocols and using a static IP are good ways of restoring decent speed. Also, opting for OpenDNS server instead of ISP DNS Server may also help.
- Running a disk defragmentation once every fortnight helps boost the overall performance of your computer, enhancing your Internet speed as a result.
- You may also consider a different web browser, if nothing else seems to work.
- Go to Network Connections in your computer’s Control Panel and right-click on Local Area Connection. Click on Properties and go to the General tab. Reject all other protocol check boxes with the exception of tcp/ip. Click on OK. This should help.
Most Firefox users claim that using TweakMASTER helps enhance the browser speed. Before you embark upon troubleshooting, make sure to conduct an online speed test to ascertain what is the ideal speed that you should expect from your service provider.
Most of the time, eliminating unnecessary programs and keeping your hard drive uncluttered helps in maintaining good speed. A regular virus scan helps keep your computer safe and the Internet browser galloping at the same time.
Another major cause for a slow connection is the installation of more than one firewall. Stick to one and get rid of the extra firewalls to get better speed. Hope that helps―seek professional troubleshooting if it doesn’t!