Before you marry a person, you should make them use a computer with slow internet to see who they really are. It’s a joke attributed to Will Ferrell, but really, we all know the dark and angry person we become when our internet loads websites slower than usual. It’s frustrating, takes a long time, and watching videos load slowly and in low quality can make us angrier and ruin our day. It means having to work slower than you’d like, unproductive time staring at a loading screen, and possibly a call to your local internet service provider (ISP) when the speed is extremely bad.
However, not all internet problems need you to wait for your company’s technician for two to three working days. Sometimes, it’s slow for a temporary reason you or someone you share your Wi-Fi with, and by performing these diagnostics and self-repairs, your internet can go back to being the way it was before.
You’re Too Far from the Wi-Fi Source
Most ISP companies install a Wi-Fi source in your home, most likely close to your phone. Unless you have other routers spreading the source equally throughout the rest of the house, it’s likely that the further you stray away from the source, the worse your internet quality will be. For example, if your Wi-Fi source is in your living room, you’ll have better internet there compared to your room on the second floor at the opposite end of your home.
Being far away from your Wi-Fi source means that you’re also likely to lose signal that causes interference. Having a cordless phone next to your laptop can cause interference, resulting in poor internet performance.
Your Computer May Have a Problem
If your computer doesn’t have anti-virus software, is relatively old, and is low on memory,you might notice two things: it’s running very slowly and browsing the internet on it is not very fun. That’s because so many things are using the internet, which is why there’s not enough bandwidth for your own use. If your computer has spyware or viruses, these are interfering with your internet connection and using a portion of it to monitor your internet history and keystrokes.
To improve your connection, you have to have anti-virus software and run a sweep of your computer to remove any bugs that could harm your computer use and slow down your internet. Upgrade your memory, since low disk space may lower parts of your computer’s operating system to continue functioning, including your internet.
Too Many Users
Check who else is using the Wi-Fi in your home. Depending on your average Wi-Fi speed, some Wi-Fi bundles can’t handle the load of too many people or people with high-volume usage before its speed starts to go down.
See if anyone in your house is using the Wi-Fi to stream videos, play online games, or download large files. If they are and you need fast internet immediately, ask them to pause their download so that the internet can go back to its regular speed.
Maybe You’re Paying for Slow Internet
As mentioned earlier, some internet plans aren’t meant to take on so many users or large files before it starts to slow down. So, if it does, you might need to call your provider and find out what plan you have. Run a diagnostic on Speedtest.netto make sure you’re getting the internet connection you paid for. If it is, it might be that your plan is not enough for your household and you may need to upgrade your plan to fit everyone’s use without having to slow down your internet.
Turn It Off and Turn It On Again
While it seems like an extremely simple solution, I’ve found this has solved my slow internet many times, especially when everyone in my house experiences slow internet. Turn your router and modem off, wait a minute, and then turn it on again. Run troubleshooting steps on your computer and check your speed.
Your Wi-Fi Is Overlapping with Your Neighbor’s
With nearly every household owning its own Wi-Fi network, there may be a channel overlap. If you and your next-door neighbor, for example, both get your Wi-Fi from the same provider and both name it “This Is Nacho Wi-Fi,” your computer might mistake their Wi-Fi for your own and try to connect. As a result, your Wi-Fi isn’t connecting to your device. This is a prevalent problem with housing complexes and apartments where the range of routers often overlap.
You might have to change your Wi-Fi settings. Give your Wi-Fi a unique name, choose a modern router that can choose which channel to use without overlapping (if you don’t know what this means, give your ISP technician a call).
Turn Off Background Programs
There are software applications, browser add-ons, and other background processes you might not see are consuming network resources. However. When it comes to software applications, I wouldn’t recommend you open task manager and end all the tasks you’re unfamiliar with since some of these programs are necessary for your computer to run. Instead, consider removing unnecessary add-ons because these take up some of your bandwidth even when not in use. Or troubleshoot your network to find unnecessary tasks running that you are familiar with and you can close.
When your internet is slow, check out these problems first before calling your ISP provider. Usually, fixing your internet speed can take minutes without having to wait for repairs. However, if your speed remains slow after performing diagnostics or you find processes you’re not familiar with, it is best to let the professionals handle your internet repairs.
