Sick of Slow Internet Speeds: If you’re like most of us, you use the internet all day, every day, or at least for a decent amount of time every week. These days, we get online to send emails, check and post on social media sites, browse and buy goods, book services, chat with friends, research, and much more.
There’s nothing worse, though than trying to get jobs done using the Wi-Fi. And finding that the connection is slow and drags out every task. If you’re sick of this happening, read on for some ideas of the causes behind the problem.
A Virus is Eating Up Bandwidth
One of the most common issues that lead to slow internet is when you have a virus on your computer sitting in the background, running. And chewing up bandwidth or otherwise stealing resources. And slowing your internet down. You can reduce the risk of this happening by ensuring you install internet security software on your computer to keep hackers, and in turn viruses, at bay.
Choose a comprehensive product designed to protect you against numerous threats, such as viruses and spam, spyware, ransomware, and other malware. It should also protect your privacy when you browse and buy online and send real-time threat alerts.
Programs on Your Device Are Causing Problems
Similarly, you may not have a virus causing trouble on your machine, but the bandwidth may be eaten up excessively by other things on your computer. Often, we don’t realize that we have multiple background programs or games running at setup, and just generally, as we use our devices.
Take the time to go to the settings section on your computer to see which applications are set to run on startup each time you use your machine. You can stop them from doing so and free up processing power in turn.
The Modem Isn’t Well-Located or Otherwise Not Working Properly
Another tip is to consider if your internet may be slow due to an issue with your modem. It might be located in a spot in your house that doesn’t get the best reception. And thus your computer can’t run optimally when you try to get online. Or, perhaps the modem is in an okay spot but where you work is too far from this device, so the signal strength between the two gadgets is too low. If so, you may need to work in a different area of your home or buy a range extender.
If these changes don’t solve the slow internet problem, you should also test your modem to see if it keeps dropping out or losing power. Resetting it might work wonders for you. However, modems don’t last all that long these days, either. So if your router is old, it may be time for you to upgrade to a new product.
Also, note that your router may not be able to do its job correctly if you’re using wireless connections rather than wired Ethernet cords to get your modem to talk to your computer. Wireless systems performance goes up. And down a lot, so it’s wise to use a wired setup for a period to see if this resolves your problem. If so, you know that the wireless service is causing the internet to slow down.
Your Internet Plan Isn’t Adequate for Your Needs
Many of us utilize unlimited internet plans now since prices have come down for this utility. However, if you’re not on this kind of service, you may have slow internet due to going over your monthly data allowance and having your Wi-Fi throttled back to a slow speed as a result. Check how much data you use on average every month and see if this is more than or close to your internet allowance.
If so, it’s worth upgrading to a higher-level plan to avoid such annoyances in the future. Talk to your internet service provider to see if they can offer you a good deal on a better plan. If not, research other companies to source a more appropriate option.
Some other reasons why your internet may be too slow for your liking are that there is network congestion in your area that’s causing havoc or other devices in your home that keep interfering with the internet connection, such as Bluetooth gadgets, TVs, monitors, Christmas lights, radios, or even microwaves.
Investigate all the above factors to see what’s having a negative effect on your home. And you’re sure to have a solution soon. If not, consider speaking with an online tech consultant or having someone come to your home to investigate further.