How to hack broadband and speed up your network

Disconnect other devices using the internet. Every device connected to your home network reduces the available internet speed, especially when in use. Turn off devices such as consoles, smartphones, tablets, and smart home systems whenever possible to speed up your network.

• You can also switch devices like your computer, smartphone, and tablet to airplane mode to reduce internet traffic.

Pause downloads or turn off streaming software. If you're downloading large files or streaming movies on your computer while using the internet on another platform, slow speeds are inevitable. Turn off streaming programs and pause all downloads to make the most of your internet bandwidth.

Use the 5 GHz band if available. If your router supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, choose the 5 GHz network to avoid sharing the internet connection with other devices. You can typically find the 5 GHz connection in your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other internet-enabled device's Wi-Fi menu.

• The name of the 5 GHz band may vary by router manufacturer, but it's commonly labeled "Media", "5", "5.0", or similar next to the network name.

Use an Ethernet cable. If the previous methods don't work, directly connecting your computer to the router (or modem) with an Ethernet cable is a guaranteed way to boost internet speed by eliminating common issues with wireless networks.

• This option is not available for smartphones and tablets.
• If your Windows/Mac computer lacks an Ethernet port, you can buy a USB 3.0 (or USB-C for Mac) Ethernet adapter and plug it into one of the available ports on your computer.

You need to make sure you're connected to the internet. To change network settings, your computer must be connected to the internet.

Click on Change adapter options (Change network adapter settings). This option is under the "Change your network settings" heading at the top of the page.

Select your current network. Double-click on the Wi-Fi network name (or Ethernet if you're using an Ethernet cable). This icon with a computer image is located in the center of the page. A window will pop up.

Click on Properties at the bottom left of the window. Another window will open.

Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) (Internet Protocol version 4). Click on the text line in the center of this window to select it.

Click on the Properties button near the bottom of the window. A new window will open for you to change the network properties.

Check the box labeled "Use the following DNS server addresses". This option is located near the bottom of the window. When you check this box, the next two text boxes will appear at the bottom of the window.

Enter the DNS address. You can use a different DNS address than the one your computer usually uses to slightly improve connection speed. Both Google and OpenDNS provide free DNS addresses:

• For Google — Enter 8.8.8.8 in the "Preferred DNS server" box, then type 8.8.4.4 in the "Alternate DNS server" box.
• For OpenDNS — Enter 208.67.222.222 in the "Preferred DNS server" box, then type 208.67.220.220 in the "Alternate DNS server" box.
• You can also mix Google's and OpenDNS's addresses (for example, use 8.8.8.8 as the primary server and 208.67.220.220 as the secondary server).

Save the changes. Click OK at the bottom of the first "Properties" window, then click Close at the bottom of the second "Properties" window and select Close in the "Status" window.

Clear your computer's DNS cache. You can do this by opening the Command Prompt program, typing the command ipconfig /flushdns, and pressing ↵ Enter.

• Clearing the DNS cache will fix any website loading issues you may encounter when you open your browser next time.

You need to make sure you are connected to the internet. In order to modify network properties, your computer must be connected to the internet.

Click on System Preferences… (System Settings). This option is located at the top of the drop-down menu. The System Preferences window will open.

Click on Network (Network). This globe icon can be found in the System Preferences window.

Select the internet connection. On the left side of the window, click on the name of the Wi-Fi network (or Ethernet connection if you're using a cable) that your Mac is connected to.

Click on Advanced… (Advanced). This option is located at the bottom-right corner of the window. A new window will pop up.

Click on the ＋ at the bottom left of the window. This will create a text field in the "DNS Servers" column.

Enter the primary DNS address. Input the address for the primary DNS server. Both Google and OpenDNS offer free DNS servers you can use:

• For Google — Enter 8.8.8.8 here.
• For OpenDNS — Enter 208.67.222.222 here.

Enter the secondary DNS address. Click the ＋ again and enter one of the following addresses:

• For Google — Enter 8.8.4.4 here.
• For OpenDNS — Enter 208.67.220.220 here.

Click on OK at the bottom of the window. This will save your settings and close the "Advanced" window.

Click on Apply at the bottom of the window. This option will apply your settings to the Internet connection.

Clear the DNS cache on your Mac. You can do this by entering sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder;say DNS cache has been flushed into Terminal and then pressing ↵ Enter.

• Clearing the DNS cache can help fix issues with loading websites that you might encounter the next time you open your browser.

• On Windows computers, you can disable custom DNS settings by returning to the network's Properties window and checking the "Obtain DNS server address automatically" option.
• You can remove custom DNS settings on a Mac by going back to the network's Advanced window, selecting the DNS address, and clicking the — button under the DNS Servers section of the window.

• Changing DNS servers might violate laws in your country or workplace regulations. Be sure you're not violating any laws or policies before proceeding with this action.