Buzz
Whether at home or in the office, a fast and efficient internet connection is essential for daily life. Slow and unreliable networks can cause frustration, waste money, and leave you dissatisfied. With the growing number of internet-connected devices at home and work, improving internet speed has never been more important. Follow step 1 to learn how to boost your internet speed and maximize your device's network performance.
Steps
Check Hardware and Services
Run a speed test. There are numerous free online tools available to test your internet speed. Search for “speed test” on your preferred search engine and try out a few services. You may need to install a plugin to run the speed test.
- Different testing services may yield varying results, even if you test the same service twice. This is understandable because testing servers are located in different regions, and the number of users online can affect network speed. It’s best to run multiple tests and calculate the average.
Compare your network speed results with what you’re paying. Check the speed of the plan you’ve subscribed to. Many service providers advertise speeds “up to” a specific number, meaning they can’t guarantee consistent performance at that level.
- If your connection is consistently slower than the speed you’re paying for, contact customer service and request a fee reduction or a speed upgrade to match your payment.
- If it’s been a while since your last upgrade, explore higher-speed plans at reasonable rates. Reach out to local providers for more details.
- Don’t fall for the megabit/megabyte trap. Internet service ads use megabits, not megabytes. There are 8 megabits (Mb) in 1 megabyte (MB). So, a 25 megabits per second (Mbps) plan translates to about 3 megabytes per second (MBps).
Restart your modem. Sometimes, a simple reset can significantly improve internet speed. Try turning your router off and on to see if it helps. Just make sure you have your login details handy in case your computer prompts for them after the reset.
Change your Wi-Fi channel. If many people in your building are using the same Wi-Fi channel, your network speed may drop noticeably. Use tools like inSSIDer for PC or KisMAC and WiFi Scanner for Mac to find less crowded channels. Switching to one of these can reduce interference and boost your connection speed.
- If you find an open channel, switch to it for faster internet. Refer to your router’s manual or support page for instructions on accessing and changing wireless channels.
Reposition your wireless router and computer. If you’re using a Wi-Fi router, poor signal strength can slow down your connection or cause dropouts. Sit as close to the router as possible or move your computer nearer to it for a stronger signal.
- If your router is outdated, consider upgrading. Newer models offer significant improvements in connectivity and speed.
- Dusty, dirty, or loose cables connecting your DSL modem to the wireless router can also degrade performance. Use compressed air, available at electronics stores, to clean the ports.
- Keep electronic devices in well-ventilated areas to prevent overheating.
Try using Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. If possible, connect as many devices as you can via wired connections. This will improve internet speed for those devices and reduce interference with wireless ones like tablets and phones.
Secure your network. If you don’t set a password for your wireless network, you not only make yourself vulnerable to surveillance but also allow others to freely use your connection, effectively stealing your bandwidth. It’s best to properly secure your wireless network, especially in densely populated areas like apartment complexes.
Check your DSL filters if applicable. When setting up DSL, you connect a wire from the phone jack to a rectangular filter box. On the other side, there are two wires: one connects to your phone, and the other to your modem. If you’re using a DSL connection through a landline, ensure you have a high-quality filter to optimize signal speed.
Avoid running multiple devices simultaneously. Turn off smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and other devices when not in use. If too many devices are pulling data from the internet, especially for activities like streaming videos or gaming, your network speed will slow down significantly.
Check your data cap. Many service providers impose data limits that aren’t immediately obvious. Log into your account page or contact customer service to verify if you’ve exceeded your limit. Typically, exceeding your data cap results in reduced speeds until the end of the billing cycle.
Clean up your browser and operating system
Scan for viruses and malware. Viruses, adware, and other malicious software can significantly slow down both your internet and computer performance. Regularly scan your system to ensure it’s free from infections.
- If you don’t have antivirus software installed, get one immediately and keep it updated.
- Antivirus programs may not catch everything, so use tools like Spybot or Malwarebytes to detect and remove stubborn malware.
Clear your browser cache. As you browse the web, your browser stores information from websites to load them faster on subsequent visits. Over time, this stored data can slow down your browser. Clearing the cache can improve performance if your browser is running slowly.
- Follow this guide to clear the cache for any browser or device.
Remove browser extensions. After years of using a browser, you may have installed too many extensions. Now is the time to remove some (or all) of them. Extensions can reduce browser performance and consume bandwidth by loading ads and tracking data.
- Refer to online guides for instructions on removing extensions from any web browser.
Update your browser. Browsers are continuously developed, and newer versions often offer better performance than older ones. Check if you’re using the latest version and update if necessary.
Switch to a different web browser. If your current browser is overloaded with extensions and plugins, it might be better to switch to a new one rather than trying to remove everything. Some browsers are known for their speed, and you may notice a significant performance boost.
Clean up your hard drive. A slow computer can negatively impact your browsing experience, making it seem like your internet is sluggish. Refer to online guides to clear out old data from your hard drive.
Shut down your computer regularly. To avoid intrusions or system slowdowns, turn off your computer daily. Enable automatic security updates for all programs.
Uninstall bandwidth-hogging programs. Your computer might have programs installed that consume bandwidth without your knowledge. Check your list of installed programs and remove any that you don’t use or don’t remember installing. Be cautious when deleting unfamiliar programs—research online to ensure they aren’t essential.
- Uninstall programs on Windows.
- Uninstall programs on Mac OS X.
Adjust bandwidth speed (Windows 7)
Open Run by pressing (Windows logo + R). Then type gpedit.msc in the Run window. A new window will appear.
Select Administrative Templates. Then, choose "Network" under the "Administrative Templates" section.
Select and double-click on "QoS Packet Scheduler". You can find this option on the right side of the screen.
Select and double-click on "Limit Reservable Bandwidth". By default, this setting is marked as "Not Configured". However, even if the bandwidth limit shows 0%, Windows 7 still reserves 20% of the available bandwidth.
Click on "Enable". Set the bandwidth percentage to 0% and select "Apply". Click "Okay" when prompted.
Run Disk Cleanup and restart your browser. Your computer will now utilize 100% of the available bandwidth. You should notice a slight improvement in download speeds.
Warning
- The gpedit.msc file is part of the QoS Packet Scheduler and is only available on Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Enterprise, and Windows 7 Ultimate, as well as newer versions of Windows.
Tips
- Try closing all browser tabs before starting your web browsing session.
- You can use the TCP Optimizer program to fine-tune your internet connection.
