Internet Speed Troubleshooting

🐌 Problem: Slow Speeds Across All Devices

If every device in your home is experiencing slow speeds, the issue is likely with your internet connection or router, not individual devices.

Quick Fixes to Try First:

1. Restart your modem and router
   • Unplug both devices from power
   • Wait 30 seconds
   • Plug modem back in first, wait for it to fully boot (2-3 minutes)
   • Then plug router back in
   • Wait another 2-3 minutes for everything to reconnect
2. Test with a wired connection
   • Connect a laptop directly to your router with an ethernet cable
   • Run a speed test
   • If speeds are normal on ethernet but slow on WiFi, the problem is your WiFi (see WiFi section below)
3. Check for outages
   • Visit your ISP's status page or Twitter account
   • Ask neighbors if they're having issues
   • Use your phone's cellular data to check ISP status websites

Deeper Troubleshooting:

1Test at different times of day

Run speed tests every few hours for a full day. If speeds are consistently slow 24/7, contact your ISP. If they're only slow during certain hours (usually 7-10 PM), that's network congestion.

2Check what's using your bandwidth

• Close all apps and browser tabs except the speed test
• Pause any downloads, uploads, or cloud syncing
• Temporarily disable automatic updates on all devices
• Check if someone else is streaming or gaming

3Test your modem directly

• Disconnect your router completely
• Connect computer directly to modem with ethernet
• Run speed test
• If speeds are good here but slow through router, your router is the bottleneck

📶 Problem: WiFi is Slow But Ethernet is Fast

If wired connections are fine but WiFi is slow, your wireless network needs optimization.

Common WiFi Issues & Solutions:

Issue #1: Router placement is poor

• Move router to a central, elevated location (not in a closet or basement)
• Keep it away from walls, metal objects, and appliances
• Don't hide it behind furniture or in cabinets
• Position antennas vertically (if your router has external antennas)

Issue #2: WiFi interference

• Move router away from microwave ovens, baby monitors, and cordless phones
• Change WiFi channel in router settings (try channels 1, 6, or 11 for 2.4GHz)
• Use 5GHz band instead of 2.4GHz when possible (faster but shorter range)
• In apartment buildings, lots of neighboring WiFi networks can cause interference

Issue #3: Too many devices connected

• Older routers struggle with 10+ devices
• Disconnect devices you're not actively using
• Consider upgrading to a WiFi 6 router if you have many devices
• Use ethernet for stationary devices (desktop PC, smart TV, gaming console)

Issue #4: Outdated router

• Routers older than 4-5 years may not support modern speeds
• Check if your router supports your internet plan's speed
• Look for WiFi 5 (802.11ac) or WiFi 6 (802.11ax) routers
• ISP-provided routers are often lower quality - consider buying your own

⏱️ Problem: High Ping / Lag During Gaming or Video Calls

Low bandwidth (Mbps) isn't the same as high latency (ping). You might have fast speeds but still experience lag.

Solutions for High Latency:

1. Use a wired connection

   WiFi adds 5-20ms of latency. For gaming and video calls, ethernet makes a noticeable difference.

2. Enable Quality of Service (QoS)
   • Log into your router settings
   • Look for QoS or "Traffic Prioritization"
   • Set gaming or video conferencing as high priority
   • This prevents other devices from hogging bandwidth
3. Close bandwidth-hungry applications
   • Pause downloads, uploads, and streaming
   • Close cloud backup services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive)
   • Disable automatic updates during gaming/calls
4. Check for background processes
   • Windows Update downloading in background
   • Game clients updating (Steam, Epic, etc.)
   • Security software running scans
   • Browser tabs with auto-playing videos
5. Consider your internet plan

   If multiple people are using the connection simultaneously, you might need more bandwidth. A 100 Mbps plan can struggle with 3+ people streaming/gaming at once.

📉 Problem: Speeds Slow Down During Evenings

If your speeds are great during the day but terrible from 7-11 PM, you're experiencing network congestion.

Why This Happens:

Cable internet is shared bandwidth. When everyone in your neighborhood gets home and starts streaming Netflix, your speeds drop. This is especially common in apartment buildings and dense suburbs.

What You Can Do:

• Upgrade to a higher speed tier: If 300 Mbps drops to 150 during peak hours, upgrading to 500 Mbps means you'd still get 250+ when congested
• Switch to fiber if available: Fiber connections are dedicated lines, not shared, so they don't slow down during peak hours
• Schedule heavy usage for off-peak hours: Download games/updates overnight, schedule cloud backups for early morning
• Optimize what you have: Use 5GHz WiFi, close unnecessary apps, prioritize important traffic with QoS

Unfortunately, there's no magic fix for ISP network congestion besides switching providers or upgrading your plan.

💻 Problem: One Device is Slow, Others Are Fine

If only one device has slow speeds, the problem is with that specific device, not your network.

Device-Specific Troubleshooting:

For Computers (Windows/Mac):

1. Restart the device
2. Update WiFi drivers (Device Manager > Network Adapters)
3. Scan for malware/viruses
4. Check Task Manager/Activity Monitor for bandwidth-hogging processes
5. Disable VPN temporarily and retest
6. Try forgetting and reconnecting to the WiFi network
7. Test with different browsers

For Phones/Tablets:

1. Restart the device
2. Forget WiFi network and reconnect
3. Update iOS/Android to latest version
4. Check if Low Power Mode is enabled (can throttle speeds)
5. Clear browser cache and app data
6. Disable any VPN or data-saving features

Check if device supports your WiFi speeds:

• Older devices may only support WiFi 4 (802.11n) which maxes out around 150-200 Mbps
• Single-antenna devices will be slower than multi-antenna devices
• Some phones/laptops don't support 5GHz WiFi

🌐 Problem: Some Websites Load Slow, Others Are Fast

If only certain websites or services are slow while others work fine, the issue might be DNS, routing, or the website itself.

Solutions:

Try a different DNS server:

1. Go to your network settings
2. Change DNS to one of these:
   • Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
   • Google: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
   • Quad9: 9.9.9.9
3. Restart browser and retest

Clear browser cache and cookies:

• Chrome/Edge: Ctrl+Shift+Delete
• Clear cached images and files
• Restart browser

Disable browser extensions:

• Ad blockers and security extensions can sometimes slow down page loading
• Try loading in Incognito/Private mode (disables extensions)
• If it's faster, disable extensions one by one to find the culprit

Check if it's the website:

• Visit downdetector.com to see if others are having issues
• Try accessing the site from your phone using cellular data
• The problem might be on their end, not yours

📞 When to Contact Your ISP

You should contact your internet service provider if:

• You're getting less than 70% of advertised speeds consistently (tested via ethernet)
• Your connection drops multiple times per day
• Speeds are slow 24/7, not just during peak hours
• Your modem/router lights are showing errors (red or amber lights)
• You've tried all troubleshooting steps and nothing helps
• Your service has suddenly gotten much worse recently