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$24.00 (as of April 22, 2024 18:00 GMT +00:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)Suffering due to slow internet speeds can be frustrating, we get that. This is why we have covered this post. By the end of this post, you will have multiple tips and tricks that are tried and tested to speed up your internet connection.
It is never fun to get stuck on a loading webpage when you have to send that crucial email to your boss and call it a day, right? There’s a good chance that you are not alone as many Americans face internet issues daily. Multiple factors cause the internet to work slowly, such as too many devices on a single network, old equipment, network congestion, etc.
We will help you resolve the issues that may slow down your internet speeds more than usual. Below you will find different methods that will help you speed up the internet connection in no time. So, let’s take a look!
Ensure to Check Your Internet Speed
Before finding out the possible reasons for slow internet speeds, you must know two things.
- How much internet speed were you promised by your ISP?
- How much internet speed are you actually getting?
You can check the ISP service account to know what speeds you are paying for. For instance, your current internet service provider is Kinetic Windstream and the package that you have subscribed to offers 100 Mbps.
Similarly, you can look up your internet service provider’s official website to know what package you have subscribed to. However, if your ISP does not state what speed it offers, you will have to do some legwork. One of the simple ways is to call your ISP or engage in live chat support to know your package bitrate.
In addition, be attentive to the “up to” part of the internet service provider’s packages. All ISPs advertise their maximum speed limit rather than what they actually offer you most of the time.
It is highly unlikely to ever receive the internet speed that is advertised by the ISPs. This is a clever marketing tactic to bag more customers, which clearly works. You can only receive such speeds in ideal conditions, where we neglect that anyone else is using the same network as you.
It doesn’t matter what time of the day it is as someone will always be on the same network, such as your neighbors will be using the internet to stream Netflix, play online games, or use heavy software that requires high bandwidth
Run the Internet Speed Test
After identifying what internet speeds you’re getting, it’s time to run the internet speed tests. Doing this will help double-cross if you get the same services you have paid for.
Before commencing the test, stopping any data-intensive activities like heavy downloads, online games, and streaming videos is consequential. The more devices connected to the internet will eventually make the speeds slower.
It is best to carry out the internet speed test during the hours you mostly use the internet. For a typical weekday, it can be morning and evening. On weekends, it can be any time as most people are free and spend more time on the internet.
Whenever you decide to carry out the said test, focus on the results. It is crucial that your results do not vary a lot. Multiple websites allow you to take the internet speed test, such as Speedtest.net and Internet Health Test. You can use either of them based on your preference.
The test takes less than 30 seconds and provides you with download and upload speeds that your internet currently is providing you. The internet speed test will make you see how much speed are you getting. If the fluctuation is quite visible, maybe it’s time to consider getting a new ISP that provides stable internet speeds throughout the day. Check out these Windstream packages and find the best internet plans at affordable costs.
Furthermore, there are various other ways to boost your internet speed and we have mentioned them below.
Speed Up Your Internet Connection With These Tips
There are more than one ways you can boost your internet speed. Various unrelated aspects can cause the speed and connectivity to slow down, which is why it is wise to explore multiple options to find the real reason why your internet is not working at its fullest.
We recommend you re-run the internet speed test after every step to see any noticeable results.
Without any further ado, let us get straight to them.
- Switch Off Unwanted or Extra Internet-Connected Devices
Mostly, unused internet devices can snip out vast amounts of bandwidth. So, if you have multiple internet-compatible devices at home, such as smartphones, computers, laptops, Smart TVs, and gaming consoles sharing your home network, it can result in less available bandwidth for every device.
You may think that if you’re not using these devices, they are sitting idle. However, that’s not the case as they still use the internet in an idle state for updates. Such updates can take up a good amount of data. This way, multiple devices sitting in an idle state can make your internet work slow.
Try another internet speed test, but this time disconnect all the devices from the internet that you are not using. You will see a noticeable difference in the speeds as compared to before. Make it your practice to only enable the internet on the devices you are currently using. It has a good impact on your internet speed.
- Place the Router in the Perfect Spot
The Wi-Fi router sends the radio signals out in all directions. These signals have a high frequency, but they are short-range. The radio signals can be slowed down with the objects in their path, which impacts their signal quality and results in reduced Wi-Fi internet speeds.
You can have the router relocated to a place that is near your room. Being anywhere close to the router will make the internet on your device work fast. However, if the router is placed somewhere far, the signals will not be strong, which will subsequently make the internet work slow.
Try being close to the router and take a speed test, and then compare it to the one you took before. There will be clear results that will show you the importance of placing the router somewhere closer to you.
- Reboot Your Wi-Fi Router
Just like rebooting your computer is a good idea after it starts acting a bit sluggish, you should also consider rebooting your Wi-Fi router. Rebooting your computer helps clear all the cached memory and background processes that you don’t need.
Similarly, your Wi-Fi router is a small computer, which holds memory and background processes. It also caches information and can use an occasional reset to its benefit. This will help you see a great difference in the internet speeds. You will notice how fast your internet speed will increase when you reboot your Wi-Fi router.
- Ensure That No Unwanted Guests Are Using Your Wi-Fi
An unprotected Wi-Fi connection quickly becomes a hub for the crashers. It is essential that your Wi-Fi router is always protected with a difficult and complicated password. The devices today are smart enough to automatically connect to an unprotected Wi-Fi network, which results in a divided bandwidth.
As mentioned earlier, if multiple internet devices are connected to your network, the internet will not be working at its full potential. The chances are if you live in an urban area and have a password-less Wi-Fi router placed in your house, your neighbors will intentionally or unintentionally connect.
If your Wi-Fi router gives you the option to remove Wi-Fi freeloaders, then you should get it done as soon as possible. However, if your router does not have that option, you can simply change your password.
It will be a hectic process to reconnect all your devices back again, but it will help you remove all the unwanted guests from your Wi-Fi router with ease.
- Go for a Wired Connection
If your devices are quite close to your wireless modem and router. Consider using a wired Ethernet connection if possible. It will take a load off your Wi-Fi router and will provide you with fast speed via a wired connection. Your bandwidth will automatically improve for other devices on the same network.
The available ports on your router can be used to connect a wire straight to your device. This will make your device experience a flawless internet connection, and your router will be able to provide fast internet speed to all the devices connected through Wi-Fi.
- Buy a New Computer, Router, or Modem
One of the primary causes behind slow internet speed lately can be old equipment. It just not has to be your router or modem, as it can be your outdated and old computers.
Your current router may not be using the latest technology and Wi-Fi standards. This is why it might not able to support the higher bitrates. Getting new equipment will help you get fast internet speed, which will enable you to surf the internet smoothly.
You should ensure that the router you are using is not outdated as it can become the reason for the drop in your internet speed. The latest equipment allows a seamless flow of the internet, and you should consider it.
Be it a router or a device, if it’s older then surely it will not be able to work with the latest standards. This will leave you speed-limited, which is something we are trying to avoid.
- Turn Off Unwanted Apps via Task Manager
Most applications on your computer may draw internet while they are running. However, many apps run in the background and constantly download and upload the data. It is essential that if you are not using such applications, they are turned off completely even from the background.
On a Windows computer, you can close all such apps using Task Manager. It will help you see which apps are pulling down the most data, even when running in the background.
- Use a VPN to Skip ISP Throttling
If you notice that on accessing certain websites or applications your internet speed goes down, there is a good probability that your internet is throttled by the ISP. It is a process where an ISP purposely slows down your internet speed.
There are various reasons behind ISPs doing this, but it makes your internet speed go down. However, if you use a VPN, you can hide your online activities from your ISP. If they cannot see what you do on the internet, they will not be able to throttle your internet connection.
Furthermore, your VPN works at its fullest when your internet speed is good. We recommend you get the best phone and internet bundles offering good speed and a discounted price.
Wrapping Up!
There you go! These are the reasons why your internet speed is not being that fast lately. However, the aforementioned solutions will help you fix the issue immediately. Regardless of which method works for you, it is crucial to try them all as it is possible there is more than one factor responsible for the lousy internet speed that you are experiencing.
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