This article was co-authored by Luigi Oppido
and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA
. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
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This wikiHow teaches you how to increase your Internet's speed and consistency. While it isn't possible to increase your Internet speed past the speed for which you're paying your Internet Service Provider, most people don't get the most out of their Internet connections. By applying a mixture of general fixes, hardware solutions, and software updates—including changing your computer's DNS settings—you can optimize your Internet connection for speed.
Improving Your Wi-Fi Speed
- Turn everything off, including your modem, and then restart everything.
- Update the firmware on your router and modem.
- Switch Wi-Fi bands or channels.
- Move your router to a better location, such as up higher in the center of your home.
- Protect your network with a strong password so no one can leech off of it.
Steps
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Unplug your router and modem for a few minutes. This is commonly known as "power cycling", and it allows your router to clear out its internal cache and start from scratch. Restarting your router will also prompt it to re-select the least busy Wi-Fi channel, which is something that may change daily depending on your location. [1] X Research source
- You can program your router to restart itself daily from within its settings page .
EXPERT TIPComputer & Tech SpecialistLuigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.Expert Trick: If you're on your phone or computer and your Internet seems slow, try connecting on another device. If it's also slow on that device, you'll know the problem is with the Internet. If that's the case, turn off your modem and router for 30 seconds, then turn them back on and wait 5 minutes. If that doesn't work, call your Internet service provider. They'll run an automated test on their end to make sure your modem is working properly.
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Use a strong and complex password with WPA2 security. If more people are on your network, chances are that they are making your Internet slow. In that case, make sure your password is complex and secure your network using WPA2 security.
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Establish a line of sight between your computer and the router. If your router's signal has to travel through even one wall or appliance (e.g., a refrigerator), its signal will be weakened. A good rule of thumb is to have your router visible from where you're using your computer or mobile at all times. [2] X Research source
- If your router is on a different floor than you, you may not even be able to receive a signal. You can use a range extender if you have one.
- If your router has an external antenna, adjust it. If you can, pull the antenna out so it adjusts horizontally as well as vertically.
- Line-of-sight between your work area and your router is important, but it doesn't matter if there are several dampening appliances near the router. Dampening appliances can be anything from baby monitors to microwaves to refrigerators, so make sure that your router is far away from these items.
- Your router should also be up relatively high. If your router is at a lower level than the level at which you use your computer, phone, tablet, and so on, you'll probably run into Internet connection issues.
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These products boost your Internet signal to other rooms. Some are even wired , so they don't require using bandwidth to communicate.
- You can also try a mesh Wi-Fi router, which is a few units that work together to spread your Wi-Fi around.
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Move your computer closer to your router. If you are connected to the Internet via a Wi-Fi router, you'll find that your Internet speed drops as you move further away from your router. Stay as close as possible to your router for maximum Internet speed. [3] X Research source
- Make sure that your router and your computer have plenty of room all the way around to prevent overheating.
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Switch between 2.4 and 5 GHz. Although 2.5 GHz is the most commonly used connection , 5 GHz provides better speeds with a shorter range.
- However, if your router is limited to using the 2.4 GHz frequency, you can change the channel between 1, 6, or 11.
- You can do this by logging into the router's admin page in a web browser.
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Turn off Wi-Fi for systems that aren't using it, like security cameras. Like a freeway, your Wi-Fi network can only handle a certain amount of traffic before it slows down. If possible, make sure that your computer is the only connection to your router; this will give you the best Internet results. [4] X Research source
- It isn't always feasible to limit Internet access to one computer, but you can turn off and unplug things like smart TVs, extra computers, video game consoles, and anything else (e.g., an extra smartphone or tablet) that maintains an Internet connection even when turned off.
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If you have older firmware, you'll see a notification to update when you visit the router's admin settings. Out-of-date router firmware can prevent your router from maintaining a consistent connection. This is a process that varies from router to router, so you'll need to check your router's manual to verify the process. Typically, though, you'll go to the router's settings page , find the Update or Install Firmware button, and click it. [5] X Research source
- This is especially important if you just bought a brand-new router, or if you use a router that's more than a year or two old.
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Buy a new router. There's only so much that you can do with old technology. If your router and/or modem is more than a few years old, buying a new one will almost certainly increase your Internet speed and reception.
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Run an antivirus scan on your computer. Sometimes malware or viruses can interfere with a computer's ability to access the Internet. Running antivirus software will locate and remove any harmful programs on your computer.
- It's a good idea to run antivirus scans once a week or so, even if everything seems to be running fine.
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Go to "Settings" in your browser and update if prompted. An out-of-date Internet browser can result in slow webpage load times, choppy video, and many more symptoms commonly associated with Internet issues. For instructions on how to do so, click one of the following links:
- Update Google Chrome
- Update Firefox
- Update Safari
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Go to "Settings" in your browser and clear the cache. Cached files allow you to browse faster, but corrupted ones can cause slowdowns, so you will want to clear the cache once in a while.
- Websites will be a little bit slower to load the first time visiting them after clearing the cache; this is normal.
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Try using a VPN. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow you to avoid ISP restrictions by using external servers. While this usually won't improve your Internet speed if your ISP doesn't restrict or throttle your connection, using a VPN will prevent your ISP from volitionally slowing down your network.
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Use ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. Some computers can plug directly into the back of the router using an ethernet cable , which removes the lag time between the router's signal departing and your computer receiving the signal.
- If you use a Mac computer, you'll most likely need an Ethernet to USB-C adapter if you want to plug your computer into the router.
- You cannot connect mobile platforms (e.g., smartphones and tablets) to Ethernet without an adapter.
- If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you can purchase a USB-to-Ethernet adapter and easily plug in your cord that way.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do we know if the internet provider is responsible for all our computer's slow action?Community AnswerYou can call them and ask if you hit the data cap (which most ISP [Internet Service Provider] shouldn't, depending on where you live) but if it is and you're not getting the speeds they advertise, you could be throttled (your ISP is limiting how much data you are getting). Follow the steps above and make sure it's your computer. Sometimes it could be an old computer that has the issue.Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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QuestionCan my internet speed slow down if I am using a long internet broadband cable?Community AnswerYes. Your internet will slow down depending on the length of the cable going from the router to your computer.Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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QuestionIf we place our internet modem at very high height, will that increase our internet speed?Community AnswerNo. What you can do is move it closer and/or change the channel it's broadcasting. If you have an Android, look for a WiFi scanner app that will tell you what channel other routers are on and what channel your router would be best on. If you can, hard wire the computer into the modem.Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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References
- ↑ https://eu.battle.net/support/en/article/31851
- ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/wi-fi-versus-your-walls
- ↑ https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/turbocharge-your-home-Internet-connection-192588
- ↑ https://www.actiontec.com/wifihelp/wireless-network-capacityhow-many-devices-can-connect-wifi-network/
- ↑ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/a-quick-way-to-fix-your-Internet-connection-and-make-it-faster-update-your-routers-firmware/
About This Article
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John Panfil
Aug 31, 2016
"A lot of information, much of which I had no idea can affect internet speed. Going to go back through again and follow each step and tip and see what my end results will be. I suspect I'll gain internet speed." ..." more
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