Q&A for How to Speed Up a Slow Internet Connection

Return to Full Article

Coming soon

Add New Question

Question

My system has been running at 2.1 Mbps download and 0.9 Mbps upload for some time. In the last week or so, my tests show it running at 1.0 Mbps download, 0.9 Mbps upload, and it is noticeable. No major changes have been made, so what might have happened? How can I find where the 'lost' bandwidth has gone?

Community Answer

You can first try uplugging power from your router and/or cablemodem for one minute, then plugging back in to reset it. You may also want to scan your system for malware, which can greatly impact your speed, by using a free program such as SuperAntiSpyware.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 15 Helpful 18
Question

Why is data not free?

Community Answer

The ISP (internet service provider) corporations are in the business of maximizing profits. Any "humanitarian" policies that a corporation might try to implement would probably result in the Board of Directors being sued by the stockholders. In today's political environment, corporations can get away with murder, such as customer service ratings below used car salesmen, Time Warner selling 100 Mbps connections when their system can't really provide more than 10 Mbps, and the monthly bill that goes up a couple of times per year. There will never be free data in this universe.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 13 Helpful 11
Question

How do I speed up the ping for my internet?

Community Answer

Ping is a measure of latency from your computer to your router. To lower this number you can move your computer closer to the router if you are using wireless internet. But the best way to lower ping is using an ethernet cable to connect your computer to your router.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 7 Helpful 6
Question

How can I increase my data speed on an Android device?

Community Answer

You can try placing your phone into airplane mode, then turning airplane back off again, this will refresh your connections. Also check your settings, there is usually an option for cellular networks, where you can choose a new APN or affiliated carrier for a stronger signal.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 5 Helpful 3
Question

Do obstacles like walls, trees, and buses slow down the speed of WiFi?

Community Answer

Yes, it is possible, they can block the upcoming signals provided by ISPs, but if you have a wired connection like broadband it will not affect it.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
Question

My internet speed is 240 Mbps, but Firefox only downloads at 1 Kbps per second. Why is this?

Denneisk

Top Answerer

This has many possible reasons. It could be that your ISP is throttling your network connection because it's overloaded. Another could be that somewhere along your line from your router to your PC has a slow cable or interface that isn't fast enough to support 240 Mbps. You might have lots of other downloads going on that can be slowing you down. You could also have your download speed throttled in the software. Finally, the server you're downloading from simply might not upload fast enough. Try checking if your browser is set to throttle any downloads. Then, check if you have any other downloads going on. If those don't work, check your internet adapter and see if it's running at 1G speed. If all is well on your end, you can contact your ISP to inquire why you're getting such slow download speeds.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
Question

My modem is too slow, it is hsdpa 7.2mbps, what can I do?

Community Answer

Try changing the subnet mask on your router to 255.255.255.128 (255.255.255.0 causes data to mix up). On all windows computers you have, type "ipconfig /release", followed by "ipconfig /flushdns" and "ipconfig /renew".

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0