How to improve internet speed

Improve Your Wi-Fi Speed in 10 Simple Steps

Banish slow Wi-Fi with these expert tips.

Aug 12, 2022 | Share
Internet Speed Guides

No one wants that—so we’ll walk you through ten simple steps to get faster Wi-Fi connections.

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Know your internet speed

Before you get started, download our free speed test app and run a quick test. It’s not part of our official list of ten things, but it’s good for context. Use your first speed test result as a baseline and compare the results as you go through each step—that way, you know if it’s helping.

You could also compare the results, to the maximum speed advertised with your internet plan. That way, you know if your speeds are actually underperforming or if it’s just time to upgrade to a faster plan.

Keep in mind, many ISPs guarantee speeds only over a wired Ethernet connection. It’s totally acceptable, even somewhat expected, to have a lower number than your advertised maximum speed, especially over Wi-Fi. What’s important is that you’re having a smooth browsing experience.

If your speeds are near where they should be, but you find yourself with sluggish internet, you’re probably overwhelming your current connection and need a faster internet plan.

Before you get started, run our internet speed test. It’s not part of our official list of ten things, but it’s good for context. Use your first speed test result as a baseline and compare the results as you go through each step—that way, you know if it’s helping.

You could also compare the results, to the maximum speed advertised with your internet plan. That way, you know if your speeds are actually underperforming or if it’s just time to upgrade to a faster plan.

Keep in mind, many ISPs guarantee speeds only over a wired Ethernet connection. It’s totally acceptable, even somewhat expected, to have a lower number than your advertised maximum speed, especially over Wi-Fi. What’s important is that you’re having a smooth browsing experience.

If your speeds are near where they should be, but you find yourself with sluggish internet, you’re probably overwhelming your current connection and need a faster internet plan.

Do you need more speed?

Use our How Much Speed Do You Need? Tool to see if you need more speed than what your current plan allows. If so, then enter your zip code below to find the fastest plans in your area.

12 tips to improve your internet connection and boost Wi-Fi signal

Jul 5, 2022 — 8 min read

Learn how to boost your internet signal to make it stronger, reach further and give you faster internet speeds.

12 ways to improve internet speed

Before you give up on having the fast Wi-Fi you’ve always dreamed of, try these easy tips and tricks to super-charge your home Wi-Fi.

1. Update your security to cut off bandwidth leeches

Extra users slow your internet connection by taking up internet bandwidth. Failure to add protection to your Wi-Fi network means opening up your network to freeloaders. That’s why Wired recommends all homeowners protect access to their routers with a complex password and WPA2 security.

Keeping your home Wi-Fi network safe from intruders is doubly important if your home is automated. Every connected device uses bandwidth, and the more outside devices that use your network, the less likely your automated home devices will get the bandwidth they need. Plus, failure to keep your network secure might provide strangers with a bit too much control over your coffee maker, air conditioner or automated security system.

2. Optimize your router settings

Testing different settings on your router could improve signal strength and speeds in your home.

3. Choose a new Wi-Fi channel

Try switching your router from a standard 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel to a 5 GHz channel to boost your internet speeds. This should result in getting more bandwidth and less interference.

Both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies offer multiple internet transmission channels, but 2.4 GHz only offers 14 overlapping channels, while 5 GHz offers 23 non-overlapping channels. Channel overlap can cause data packets traveling back and forth on neighboring channels to interfere with one another which clogs up bandwidth and slows down your connection.

Some routers are limited to the 2.4 GHz band. If your router is limited to 2.4 GHz, choose either channels 1, 6 or 11. These channels experience the least overlap from other channels, especially if you can get your neighbors to use only channels 1, 6 or 11.

4. Purchase a newer, high-end router

The biggest issue holding back your home’s Wi-Fi connection may be your aging router. Thankfully, there are numerous advantages to purchasing a brand new router, so you’d be investing in more than faster internet speeds.

A new router could also give you improved home security features and be compatible with a wider spectrum of devices. Additional security and compatibility help homeowners interested in automating their homes or making their network more secure.

5. Reset your router

It sounds simple, but sometimes resetting your router can speed up your internet. Just as restarting your computer can suddenly fix unknown computer issues, rebooting your wireless router can alleviate internet connection problems and boost your speeds.

6. Angle one Wi-Fi antenna up and one to the side

Wi-Fi signals spread out perpendicular to your router, but Verizon warns that Wi-Fi signals weaken when traveling through walls at an angle. Not all Wi-Fi routers have antennas, such as an all-in-one modem and router gateways. However, if your internet router does have antennas, you can angle them to help your Wi-Fi signal travel straight through walls and retain signal strength.

Boost your Wi-Fi signal by angling one antenna to be vertical so Wi-Fi signals travel directly from side to side through walls. Angle the other antenna to be horizontal so Wi-Fi signals travel directly upward and downward through the ceiling to other floors.

7. Check out antenna upgrades and omnidirectional antennas

Another alternative is to upgrade your antenna. Some router models are equipped with a visible antenna, and high-speed internet customers with these models are in luck. Why? Because some third-party manufacturers produce replacement antennas with more robust signals than the ones provided by your cable and internet provider. Some antennas are omnidirectional, so their positioning is irrelevant to maximizing your hardware upgrade — you won’t even have to angle the antenna to boost your Wi-Fi signal.

8. Move your wireless router to an elevated, clear spot

The location of your Wi-Fi router has a big impact on the strength of its signal. Position the device in a high, open space with limited obstructions for better Wi-Fi signal results. As we already mentioned, signals travel perpendicular to your router. If your router is on the ground, many of your Wi-Fi signals will travel horizontally along the floor and reach fewer parts of your home.

You may be able to improve the signal and raise your internet speeds by setting up the router on the second floor if you have a multi-level home. Placing your router too close to materials like concrete or brick can limit its ability to broadcast to the rest of your home. The denser the objects around your wireless router are, the greater the signal loss.

9. Move your wireless router to a central part of your home

Placing your router in a central spot can help maximize where your signals travel. Since you probably won’t hang your Wi-Fi router like a living room chandelier, here are some alternative locations you can place your router to boost your Wi-Fi signal and raise your internet speeds.

Best places to put your internet router

Places to avoid putting your internet router

10. Configure or purchase a Wi-Fi repeater

Raising your internet speeds in certain parts of your house may be as simple as adding a Wi-Fi repeater. A repeater helps carry your Wi-Fi signal further while keeping the same SSID and password settings. Essentially, the repeater contains a wireless router that picks up your current Wi-Fi signal. Then another wireless router inside the repeater boosts and transmits the stronger Wi-Fi signal to other devices in your home.

You can also fashion a repeater out of an extra router. By connecting a second router to your first router via their LAN ports and configuring the settings, you’ll be able to use the extra device to carry your wireless signal. Some new routers have this feature built-in as “access point” mode, eliminating the need for you to mess with the device’s settings.

11. Add an internet extender

A Wi-Fi extender works similarly to a Wi-Fi repeater to boost your internet signal to other rooms. The advantage is that extenders are less likely to limit your bandwidth than Wi-Fi repeaters, and they provide connected devices with a strong internet connection. A powerline Ethernet kit uses a wired link to your router to provide Wi-Fi signals to other devices in your home. Because it’s wired, it doesn’t use additional Wi-Fi bandwidth to communicate.

A powerline Ethernet kit is usually a good way to boost internet for basement gaming equipment or devices in a garage. Since it requires wiring, though, it’s not the best internet boosting solution for everyone.

12. Take a speed test to determine what you’re actually getting

To figure out how fast your internet and Wi-Fi connections are, take an online speed test with a computer that’s connected to your home network. We’ll also tell you your ping time and upload vs. download speeds.

Your speed test results:

Download speeds transfer data to your home and are usually shown first when shopping for internet. Download speeds matter most for activities like streaming, shopping, and browsing social media.

Upload speeds transfer data from your home. Upload speeds matter for activities like video conferencing, uploading large files, working on online documents and live gaming.

Need more for the price?

Try these helpful hacks to improve your internet speed. Or if you just want more bang for your buck, check out providers near you with more speed for the price. Either way, we’ll help you find what you need.

Rather chat? Give us a call: (844) 451-2720

Pro Tip: For best results, use an Ethernet cord to connect your router or modem directly to your device before you run the test.

Why is my Wi-Fi signal so bad? 7 reasons Wi-Fi slows down

If you don’t get the internet speeds you pay for, your wireless internet router signal is probably the reason. Although many factors affect internet speeds, your Wi-Fi signal can make or break your home internet experience.

When Facebook won’t load upstairs due to slow internet, it may be time to make your Wi-Fi signal stronger at home. Use any or all of the following tips to boost your wireless Wi-Fi signal and speed up your internet.

First, let’s review why your internet connection might be slow. Continue reading for tips on these issues, as well as other considerations:

The bottom line

Remember, your Wi-Fi router is crucial in determining the internet speeds you get throughout your home. Using any of these tips can help you maximize your home Wi-Fi signal and enjoy faster internet at home. If you still aren’t getting the speed you need after trying these suggestions, it may be time to shop for new internet service near you.

Last updated 07/06/22.

Writer, Broadband & Data Content

How To Improve Internet Speed

37 Improvement Methods

Fed up of YouTube and Netflix buffering all the time?

In this guide, we’ll show you 37 different ways to improve your internet speed.

Using some of these methods, we were able to nearly double our home internet speed, from 25Mbps to over 40Mbps.

Contents

How to test internet speed

To find out how slow your broadband actually is, you’ll need to run an internet speed test to get a baseline reading.

Visit speedtest.net (or download the app) and click the big yellow “Go” button.

Once the test has finished, you should see something like this:

What does this mean?

Note this result down somewhere, so that you can say for certain if you’ve made any improvements.

If your speed test is actually pretty high but you still have issues with buffering, this could indicate that your internet is slowing down when others are using it.

Accessing your router settings

Some of the fixes in this guide will require you to login to your router settings on your computer.

If you’re not comfortable doing this, that’s fine – you can simply skip the methods that require changes to your router settings. It’s not as hard as it sounds though!

Open up a new tab and type your router IP into the address bar. Normally, it’s either 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, or 10.1.1.1.

If you’re not sure what your router IP is, you’ll need to find it manually.

To find it on PC, open the command prompt by typing “cmd” into the start menu/search bar. Type in “ipconfig” and look for the “Default Gateway”.

The login screen you see will look different on each router.

Typically, the username is “admin” and the password is “password” or “admin”. If these don’t work, Google “[router model] default password” to find your default login details.

How To Improve WiFi Speed

First, we’ll look at some WiFi-specific fixes.

Remember that your issue might not necessarily be related to WiFi signal, even if most of your devices are connected to your router via WiFi. So if the first 10 methods don’t work, it’s worth trying the general fixes we’ve outlined further down the page.

Some of these solutions (like upgrading your router) will cost you a few quid. Feel free to try the free ones first before spending any money.

Also, you might like to run our interactive troubleshooter to determine why your broadband speeds are slow. This can help you to decide which solutions to attempt first.

1. Switch frequencies

Most newer routers actually broadcast on two different frequencies – 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz.

The former provides better coverage over long distances. But the 5.0GHz broadcast is generally faster.

To change, simply open your WiFi settings and select the 5.0GHz network. You’ll most likely be on 2.4GHz by default.

If you only see one option, it’s likely your device isn’t able to pick up both frequencies. Or perhaps your router is only capable of broadcasting on 2.4GHz.

Most hardware manufactured prior to 2014 is unable to broadcast or receive signal on the 5.0GHz frequency.

2. Change the channel

WiFi isn’t only broadcast on different frequencies – there are different “channels” too. If you live next to a lot of other houses/apartments, different routers can interfere with each other if they’re on the same channel.

Connect to WiFi on your phone and download the “WiFi Analyzer” app on Android or an alternative like “Network Analyzer Lite” on Apple devices.

Find this screen:

Ideally, your connection should be on a channel of its own, like all three of the WiFi routers (represented by the coloured curves) are in the image above. On other apps, this information may be displayed as a table rather than a graph.

If your connection is on the same channel as a bunch of others, you’ll need to login to your router settings and change the channel.

To do this, go to your wireless settings and choose a channel that doesn’t have any other access points using it, if possible. If there are no free channels, choose the one with the fewest other connections on it.

3. Improve your signal strength

Apps like WiFi Analyzer will also tell you how strong your WiFi signal is. In the screenshot above, you can see that the signal strength of the router on the right is better than the signal strength of the other two hotspots. This is because it’s the closest router to the phone that took the screenshot.

If you generally get quite poor signal, you can switch to the 2.4GHz wireless network, as it generally works better over long distances.

But if you’ve got a really big house, you might need to get a WiFi range extender. These products take your current WiFi signal and boost it, giving you better speeds and greater reliability.

They can cost a decent amount, but are pretty easy to set up. If you’ve got signal problems and can’t find a better spot for your router, they’re definitely worth a try.

4. Move your router

If you get poor signal but don’t want to invest in a WiFi extender, try and move your router to a new location.

The best places to put a WiFi router:

5. Eliminate interference

It’s not just your neighbours’ WiFi that can cause interference issues. Even stuff like microwave ovens and baby monitors can mess with your signal.

Try and connect to the internet with all of your nearby electronic appliances turned off. If this helps to improve your speed, find a new place for your router away from these devices.

If you don’t want to move your router, do the test again, but turn each device back on one by one until the internet slows down. Once it does, move the offending appliance away from your router.

6. Check your WiFi receiver

It’s easy to blame your poor old router for slow WiFi, but how well are your devices actually picking up its signal?

If you’ve got a piece of hardware that’s over five years old that always seems to have slow internet, it could be that its WiFi receiver is faulty.

Custom-built PCs don’t normally have the hardware necessary for WiFi installed by default. If you’re using a plug-and-play USB solution, this could be slowing you down. Switch to an adapter that plugs into a PCI-E slot on your motherboard for better reception.

To test how good your device’s WiFi receptors are, simply take it to a friend’s house (preferably someone you know who has good broadband speed). 😛

If it’s still slow, you might need to replace your device’s networking card or upgrade to a new piece of hardware.

7. Stop WiFi bandits

If someone else is using your WiFi they could be hogging your bandwidth, slowing your connection to a crawl.

Make sure you’ve set a WiFi password that’s really tough to guess – avoid using just your name, pet’s name or date of birth. Go ahead and change it in your router settings just to be on the safe side – the password reset field should be located in the wireless access point options.

While you’re here, make sure your “security mode” or “security protocol” is set to one of the following:

Basically, use something with WPA2 in it. Avoid WEP, and “none” (open network – no password) at all costs.

8. Get a better WiFi router

Some routers (particularly old ones) just aren’t good enough to provide a consistent WiFi signal.

If you’re still using a family heirloom from the late 90s or the crappy router your ISP gave you, it might be time for an upgrade.

You don’t have to spend £200 on a new modem/router combo. Just look for something in the £50-£70 range from a trusted brand. Once installed, you should notice better WiFi coverage and most importantly, faster broadband speeds.

9. Switch to a wired connection

In some households, there’s simply nothing you can do to get better WiFi. Many people make the switch to wired connections because they’re often faster and more reliable.

You’ll need a separate Ethernet cable for each device you want to connect to your router. If you don’t have enough Ethernet ports on your router, you’ll need an Ethernet splitter to turn one port into two (or more).

Each device you’re going to connect will a) have to have a free Ethernet port and b) be close enough to your router for you to connect the two (unless you use powerline adapters – more on this below).

A router with eight Ethernet ports.

Going wired won’t be much help for phones or tablets though – they’re unlikely to have an Ethernet port.

10. Use a powerline adapter

Is your router too far away from your computer, Xbox or PS4 to connect the two with an Ethernet cable?

To make the switch from WiFi to Ethernet without the need for a 30m long cable, you can use a handy gadget called a powerline adapter.

Basically, they use your electricity lines (that you’ve already got in your house) to transmit internet data. Don’t worry – this won’t disrupt your mains power supply.

Here’s how to set them up:

Normally they’re sold in sets of two, with two included Ethernet cables. You can buy more though to connect multiple devices to your router.

How To Improve Your Internet Speed

No luck with any of the methods we’ve discussed so far? Or are you using mostly wired connections in your house?

If you’re still buffering all the time, read on to find some non WiFi-specific fixes.

11. Unplug (and plug back in) your router

Sometimes it’s the simple stuff that works really well.

If you’ve had your router running for ages, it might need a quick refresh to boost its speed back up to what it should be.

Simply unplug the power cable on the router end. Wait a few minutes, and plug it back in again. Then try a speed test once you can reconnect to the internet.

12. Update your router’s firmware

To ensure your router is performing as well as it possibly can, you can update its firmware. Manufacturers typically issue firmware updates every few months to keep their hardware running as efficiently and securely as possible. Some modern routers will perform this update automatically.

To install a new update manually, you’ll need to go to the manufacturer’s website and download the appropriate firmware file from there. Searching for “[your router brand + model] firmware” should help you find it.

Next, login to your router and upload this file. Normally you’ll find the upload button under “gateway” or “firmware” settings. Consult the router manual if you’re having any trouble.

13. Do a factory reset of your router

This can sound scary, but it’s not so bad really. You’ll only need 15 minutes or so to reconfigure your router once it’s been reset. It’s definitely worth reading the manual first so you know what you’ll have to do to get the router back up and running.

To do the reset, look for a button on the underside of the router. You might need a paperclip to press it in.

This can improve your internet speed because over time, settings may have been changed which aren’t optimal for your current setup. Or, the router may have been configured incorrectly when it was first installed.

14. Use better DNS servers

When you visit a website, your computer sends the domain name (for example, google.com) to a domain name system (DNS) server. The DNS server will then return the IP address associated with the domain name, which the browser requires in order to be able to connect to the website.

Most routers will use the DNS servers that your ISP runs. However, sometimes they’re just unresponsive, or have really poor latency.

To resolve this, simply tell your computer or phone to connect to different DNS servers – there are plenty of free ones out there.

Here’s how to do this on Windows 10. We’ll be using Cloudflare’s DNS server – 1.1.1.1 and its backup, 1.0.0.1.

If you don’t have a shortcut to your control panel on the taskbar like we do, simply type “control panel” into the start menu to bring it up.

On Mac, the process is pretty similar.

On mobile devices, you’ll normally find the option in settings > WiFi/wireless. It might be located under an “Advanced” or a “DNS” tab.

15. Change quality of service (QoS) settings

This one is for those of you who notice your internet slowing to a snail’s pace when other family members get online.

Using your router’s QoS settings, you can tell it to prioritise your traffic, effectively giving your device/application a separate fast lane.

If your router has this function, login and find your QoS settings.

Don’t change any of the rules already defined. They help ensure video, VoIP and other traffic is prioritised correctly.

What you need to do next will depend on how your router’s QoS works.

On some routers, you can simply drag and drop different traffic types, like gaming, video streaming and bulk downloads, to create a list in order of priority.

You may also be able to prioritise by device. To do this, you’ll need the static IP address or MAC (not Mac) address associated with your specific console/computer/phone.

To find your static IP on Windows, open up the command prompt and type “ipconfig”. Hit enter, and look for “IPv4 address”.

On Xbox/PS4 and most mobile phones, you can find the static IP under advanced networking settings. On Mac OS, go to system preferences > network > your active connection (on the left) > advanced > TCP/IP – and then it’s displayed under “IPv4 address”.

Your MAC address on the other hand is normally found on a sticker on the outside of the device, but on smartphones you’ll have to look for it in advanced networking settings or in hardware info. Look for a string with six groups of two digits/letters, for example: “ 01-23-45-67-89-AB” .

Once you’ve got your static IP/MAC address (depending on what your router uses), add a new QoS rule. You may be able to tell the router to give your device a specific amount of bandwidth, or to prioritise it based on an ordered list.

Don’t put it above VoIP or other essential traffic types. Also, make sure you have your old settings noted down in case you need to return to them if there’s no “reset to default” button. It’s also a good idea to consult your user manual because every router has a different way of handling QoS settings.

16. Cut down on broadband usage

If your router doesn’t have a QoS feature, you may need to cut down on how much internet you (or your family) is using on unnecessary downloads. There’s a few ways to do this:

On Windows, press control + alt + delete (all at the same time) and click on “Task Manager”. Navigate to the “Startup” tab.

To get this list up on Mac, go to System Preferences > Users and Groups. Then choose your user and click on the “Login Items” tab.

From here, click on any non-essential programs that are likely to use bandwidth (like Skype), and click “Disable”. This will stop them from opening on startup and hogging your internet while you use your computer.

Here are some other things you can do:

If you’d prefer to have anyone in your house be able to use as much internet as they want, whenever they want, you might want to consider upgrading your broadband plan.

17. Remove unnecessary traffic from the network

The truth is, you don’t know how much broadband your household devices are using when they’re switched on. These days, nearly everything requires constant software updates, many of which are downloaded automatically even when you’re not using the device.

Turn off every single internet-connected piece of hardware in the house. This includes phones, FireSticks, smart TVs, games consoles – the lot.

Leave only your computer or phone on and do a speed test. If your speed improves, you now know that network congestion is what’s causing the issue.

To fix this, you have a few options:

18. Change your DSL filter

Most routers require the use of a little box called a filter (sometimes called a microfilter).

It sits in between the phone socket and your router – one end plugs into the wall and the other into your modem. These filters help to remove phone line noise and prevent broadband interference.

Make sure that you’ve got a filter installed for both your phone and your modem (you can use the same filter for both). Also, ensure that your filter is the right type (ADSL or ADSL2+) – some will work with both.

19. Swap out your phone

Certain brands of cordless phone can interfere with your internet signal, even with a good DSL filter installed.

Don’t throw your home phone away just yet though! Simply unplug it and see if you notice your speeds increase. If you do, it might be worth changing your phone to a newer model with less interference.

20. Upgrade your cables

Most people (ourselves included!) are using Ethernet cables that are so old no-one remembers where they came from.

If you’ve got ancient cables, it might be worth upgrading. Be sure to replace the one connecting your wall socket or DSL filter to your router and the ones connecting your router to your computer/other devices.

Look for Category 5e/6 Ethernet cables when shopping online. Each category (often abbreviated to “Cat”) refers to certain strict specifications that the cable must be manufactured in accordance with. Cat 5e for example will transmit data at up to 1Gbps, which is plenty fast for most households.

The higher the category number, the better the cable. But be sure that you’re buying from somewhere fairly reputable. If the seller lies about the cables being Cat 6, then you might as well have kept using your current cables.

21. Ensure you’re not dropping out

Also make sure that your Ethernet cables aren’t too long – data can begin to drop out over long distances. This will force your computer to have to wait for lost TCP packets to be retransmitted, slowing you down significantly.

Cat 5e or higher cables should be able to transmit data at full speed over 100 metres. However, if your cables are Cat 4 or lower, data might begin to drop out much sooner.

Consider getting a powerline adapter instead of using a super long Ethernet cable if your speeds and latency are suffering. To test if this is the cause of your slow internet, try putting your device next to your router and connecting the two with a much shorter cable. Then do a speed test and see if it’s any faster.

22. Install a broadband accelerator

The wiring used to transfer internet data to and from your home can pick up heaps of interference from other electronic devices around the house.

Broadband accelerators like the BT iPlate can help to resolve this issue by filtering out electronic interference. Installation is easy – you’ll just need a screwdriver to attach it to your phone socket.

Note that this gadget will only work if you’re on an ADSL internet connection.

23. Try Speedify

Get this: you can combine the bandwidth of multiple internet access points, allowing you to create a single ultra-fast connection.

Speedify is a software application (available on PC, Mac, Android and iOS) that allows you to combine your WiFi, Ethernet, 4G (cellular), dongle, and public hotspot connections. By utilising all of these streams at the same time, it allows you to download (and upload) data much faster than using a single connection would allow.

This is the free version, but you can prioritise certain networks on the paid program to avoid using up your precious mobile data.

Pro tip: look for reputable public WiFi that you can pick up. By using Speedify, you can take advantage of one or more of these hotspots without being stranded if it drops out.

Just remember not to use public hotspots when transmitting private information, like when you’re doing internet banking.

24. Scan for malware

If you’ve got any sort of computer virus, no matter how serious, it’s likely to be using up a good deal of bandwidth. Hackers often use infected PCs to perform activities online, like mining Bitcoin or visiting websites as a part of a DDoS attack.

To scan your computer for infections, download and install the free version of Malwarebytes.

Once it’s installed, click “scan now” and leave it for an hour or so to do its thing.

When it’s done, it’ll display a list of potential malware.

Hit “Quarantine Selected” unless you’re 100% sure the file is safe.

On this computer, Malwarebytes detected a “PUP” – a potentially unwanted program. These aren’t normally dangerous, but can slow your computer down, so it’s a good idea to remove them.

25. Upgrade your browser

Let’s face it: Microsoft’s browsers suck. Both Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge underperform when it comes to speed and add-on availability.

Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox generally work much better. Consider upgrading if you’d like to have your pages load faster.

26. Install an adblocker

Internet ads aren’t just annoying, they also use up heaps of bandwidth. Video ads and popups in particular can make certain pages really slow to load.

To block them from showing up, simply install an adblocking extension. The best one in our opinion is UBlock Origin. It’s available for Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

If you’re browsing on a mobile or tablet, download the Brave browser from the app store. It blocks ads by default, without the need for any extensions. Plus, it functions just like Chrome, so it’s easy to get used to.

27. Clear computer/browser caches

Caches are file repositories designed to speed up your computer. However, if they get clogged up, they can actually slow you down.

To clear them all in one easy step, download and run CCleaner.

Use the checkboxes on the left to select what you’d like it to clean. Remember to check the options under the “Applications” tab too!

Click “Run Cleaner”.

If it removes more than 20GB or so, this should perk your browser up and improve your speed a fair bit.

28. Remove toolbars

Why remove toolbars?

Any browser extension – toolbars included – is simply another thing your browser has to load every time you visit a new web page. If you have more than one or two add-ons installed and your PC is fairly old, chances are this is slowing your browsing down considerably.

To remove them, try to spot an “X” to click on the toolbar. If you can’t find one, navigate to your browser extension/add-on settings to remove it.

Click on the “Programs” tab.

Select “Manage add-ons”. Then, click on the add-on you want to remove, and choose “Disable”.

On Firefox, type “about:addons” into your address bar. If you’re using Chrome, go to “chrome://extensions”. You can then choose add-ons and toolbars to disable.

Likewise, on Microsoft Edge, click the three dots in the upper right, go to extensions, and click the blue switch to disable add-ons.

You’ll want to get rid of any extensions you’re not using on a daily basis. For most people, the only add-on you’ll want to keep installed is an adblocker.

29. Remove unnecessary software

Like toolbars, unnecessary programs can slow down your browsing, especially if they’re related to your internet use.

You should see a list of all currently installed programs. Click on an application and follow the prompts to uninstall it.

You’re safe to uninstall pretty much anything you don’t want to have, but remember:

30. Update your apps

On mobiles and tablets, it’s possible to continue using the old versions of certain applications indefinitely.

This could be slowing you down significantly, as old apps may be poorly optimised by modern standards.

Navigate to the Google Play or App Store and update any applications you use to access the internet. Don’t turn automatic updates on though. If you do, your device will be frequently downloading patches, which could slow your internet right down.

31. Upgrade your device

If you’re running hardware that’s 10 years old or more, it’s possible that it’s simply incapable of handling modern internet speeds.

To test if it’s really your phone/computer holding you up, try and see how fast your speed test is compared to a more modern device using the same connection. If it’s much slower, it’s probably time for some new hardware.

Note that some old devices may have an OK speed test, but browsing will still be really slow. This is because their hardware is simply incapable of handling modern web pages, despite the machine having access to a high-quality broadband connection. So if the speed test seems fine but everything is actually really slow, you may still need to upgrade.

If you don’t want to buy a new computer/phone just yet, try uninstalling unnecessary software, clearing your caches, and upgrading to a better browser (as we talked about above). It might be software issues rather than hardware problems that are slowing your old device down.

32. Make sure you haven’t hit your usage cap

Most broadband plans used to be sold with a monthly bandwidth cap. If you hit it, your internet would be slowed down tremendously until the end of the month.

Nearly all plans sold in the past 10 years should provide unlimited data. But if you’ve had your plan for longer than this, there’s a chance you’ve still got a cap.

Log into your account on your internet service provider’s website or ring them to see if you’ve got a monthly limit.

33. Call up your ISP

If none of the above works, it could be that your internet service provider isn’t providing as much speed as you should be getting. This could be for any number of reasons.

Commonly, people experience super-slow speeds at night, when everyone in the neighbourhood is online. This happens because the ISP isn’t providing enough bandwidth for everybody to use at the same time.

They may say that other factors could be causing the problem, like poor WiFi signal. But if you’ve already tried our methods to solve common internet speed issues (like switching to Ethernet), the problem is likely to be something else.

Good ISPs will arrange to perform a line test once you call them. This means they’ll send a person around to your house to test your phone line cables for damage. If the cables need replacing, you might have to pay to have this done.

If your provider makes excuses or simply won’t give you what you’re paying for, you can lodge an official complaint with their complaints department. If this still doesn’t work, you can escalate the issue. Ofcom has a handy guide explaining what you should do in this situation.

34. Change your broadband plan

If your current provider won’t fix the problem, it’s probably a good idea to switch to a company that’ll give you the service you’re paying for.

Similarly, if you’ve found that you’re receiving the speed you’re entitled to but it still isn’t enough, you’ll want a better plan to stop those HD streams buffering.

Look for fibre plans, especially those that offer an average speed of over 40Mbps. Also check out customer reviews of the provider, so you can get a good idea of how reliable they are before buying.

35. Talk to your neighbours/the council

Sometimes there’s nothing your ISP can do to improve your internet speed, because the phone line infrastructure in your street is too poor. This can be a particular problem in rural areas.

If you know any geeks in your town, try asking them how their internet is, and see if they’ve got any tips to boost your speed. They might know of a smaller provider who can hook you up with faster broadband than what the major telcos offer.

If you have no luck with this method, contact your council and ask them about the infrastructure in your area. See what their plans for the future are regarding upgrades, and lobby them if necessary. In this day and age, there’s really no excuse for poor broadband speeds in first-world countries.

36. Switch to a dongle

If there won’t be any infrastructure upgrades in the near term, you may be better off using a wireless dongle or a MiFi device to access the web.

They connect to the internet just like your phone’s 4G connection does. However, you get a USB stick you can plug into your computer in order to get online without having to set up a hotspot. Plus, you can access the internet no matter where you are (as long as you have signal).

There are a few potential downsides to using a dongle:

If you’re using mobile data but still get slow downloads, read our guide to improving 4G speeds.

37. Move house!

If neither your ISP nor the council will do anything about your slow speeds, and a dongle won’t work for you, moving might be your only other option.

In general, the fastest internet speeds are available in and around major cities.

Use this handy tool to find the average internet speed of nearly any postcode in the UK.

This report by speedtest.net lists the average broadband speed of each major American city.

Conclusion

You’ve reached the end of our guide!

Hopefully you were able to fix your sluggish internet. If you’re still having trouble, feel free to contact us.

If you’ve got an awesome method for boosting broadband speeds that we haven’t mentioned, we’d love to hear it! Drop us a comment if you’d like to share your secret to ultra-fast internet. 😉

How to improve Internet Speed Including Wi-Fi?

You have to realize that any number of things could be responsible for a lag in your internet speed. It might be your Wi-Fi or router configuration, your PC settings, or even your ISP (internet service provider). Regardless, the solutions we have listed below should help you fix the problem.

Reset Your Router Now and Then

If you are worried about the internet speed on your PC, you are most likely using a router. These devices are handy go-betweens that help you manage your data connection and traffic, especially when you have connected multiple devices to the internet. But routers can only do so much before they begin to slow down.

Thus, to keep your router working and providing a top-speed internet connection, you need to reset it now and then. Switch it off for about 5 minutes after every 2 hours of use. You will notice a marked difference in the form of faster internet.

Use Ethernet

To set up an Ethernet connection on your Windows 10 PC, for example, you simply need to do the following:

You should be good to go now.

Poke and Tweak Data Cap

Once in a while, your internet connection gets sluggish because you have exceeded your data cap for the month or year. Data caps are essential limits that ISPs set on the volume of data that users can send and receive within a particular period. In essence, once you cross this limit within the period, your ISP cuts you off or limits your internet speed.

The only way to keep on using the internet, if the problem is from your ISP side, is to contact your ISP. You can also immediately renew your subscription if you find out that you have exhausted your data limits. Then you can restart your router to reset internet connection and everything should be working fine.

Adjust Your DNS Settings

To boost your internet speed using DNS settings, you need to do the following:

Deactivate Metered Connections

Another simple means of speeding up your internet is to deactivate your metered connections from the Windows update settings page. What you need to do is the following:

Now, you can restart your PC and check if your internet speed has increased.

Stop Apps from Running in the Background

Background apps also tend to affect internet speed on PCs. However, deactivating them is very simple. All you need to do is:

Once you have turned off the background apps, initiate the restart process on your Windows PC and check your internet speed afterward.

Get Rid of Cookies, Trackers, and Ads

Similar to the burden that background apps can place on your OS, website cookies and trackers can also drastically slow down your network. Thus, to regain a fast internet speed, you need to get rid of these cookies and trackers.

Similarly, you can clear out the trackers on your browser by using the Clear Tracker option which is almost certainly one of the main features of your Windows browser. You should do the same for ads since they also clutter up your internet flow and speed.

Wipe Out Temporary Files from Primary Drive

In the spirit of clearing out unnecessary things that drag your internet speed, you should also consider wiping out the temporary files that have accumulated inside your hard drive. Some of these are the remnants of uninstalled programs while others are from old Windows files. Regardless, wiping these out is likely to reduce the load on your network and allow your OS to connect to the internet faster.

All you need to do to wipe out temporary files on your Windows hard drive is initiate the Clean Manager process. The quickest way to achieve this is to do the following :

This is one of the best solutions on how to increase internet speed.

Update Your Drivers

Use Any Number of Browsers for Your Needs

There is no doubt that some internet browsers are a bit quicker than others. This has to do with how well such browsers can efficiently manage the various tabs and windows you have open while you use your PC.

There are many different browsers and each one has its strong points. Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge might be popular but they are not perfect. You can also try Opera, Brave, or even Mozilla Firefox. Keep them as backups if you must, but use them as effectively as you need to. Whichever gives you the best time for feedback is the best fit for you.

Don’t Shy Away from Anti-Malware Packages

Most of what we have already highlighted as capable of overloading your network and consequently slowing it down can come through malware. Some malware programs can attach themselves to your network and become a burden to it. Thus, until you take action, these malicious files or programs will not only wreak havoc on the speed of your OS but also that of your internet.

Adjust the Position of Your Router

You might want to adjust the position of your router relative to your Windows PC once you notice a lag in your internet speed. This is a simple way out of the problem of slow connections but it is often very effective.

We mentioned this solution in the last suggestion on speeding up your network, but that does not mean that it is not useful. In fact, given how easy it is to do, it should be one of the first options to come to your mind once you find your network is running slowly.

Granted, the idea of wireless networks is to transcend the limitations of wires. But the advantage of using wired networks is that you don’t have to worry about distances and obstructions that might get in the way. Thus, you can simply move your router closer to your PC when you want faster speeds. You would be amazed at how effective an answer this is to questions on how to improve Wi-Fi speed.

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Try Alternative Data Plans

Try Alternative ISPs

Taking it further, the problem might be the ISP itself. Maybe they have a broadband issue or technical problems that might not allow you to connect to the internet faster. In this case, you can either wait for them to resolve their problem or switch to a different ISP.

Thus, make sure to keep an ear out for developments involving your ISP. Once you realize that they are facing issues that could tamper with the stability or speed of your internet connection, get a move on to some other ISP.

8 Tips To Increase Internet Speed

Are you troubled with slow internet? Do you Want to Increase internet speed? Here are the easy steps to check your internet speed on PC and Android and how to speed up a slow internet connection on a Windows pc.

Internet is a large network that connects computer devices all over the world. With the help of the internet, we can share information and communicate with anyone from anywhere. In the earlier days, the internet works through a series of networks that connects to the devices with the help of telephone cables. In the 21st century, a drastic change came across internet usage and wired internet usage turned into wireless. With the increase of internet users, there may be chances of a decrease in internet speed.

Most of the internet users can not get real internet speed which they pay to their internet service providers. Slow internet speed wastes the time and irritates them. For this problem, here I give effective steps to increase internet speed.

Table of Contents

Let us see some background about Internet and its speed

What do Bandwidth, Ping, Download, and Upload mean?

Bandwidth – Bandwidth is the maximum amount transmitted in a given amount of time over an internet connection. It is calculated in mega bites per second(Mbps).

Ping – The Ping is the response time of your Internet connection. The more responsive connection will be experienced with a fast ping. Ping is measured in milliseconds(ms). 20ms is a good ping and is suitable especially for gamers. Ping is also known as latency.

Download Speed – The Download speed is how fast you can transfer data from the server to your device. For Example, Streaming a Tv show or a movie on the OTT platform or on YouTube. All the connections are designed to provide a faster download speed. Always, download speed will be more compared to upload speed.

Upload Speed – The Upload speed is how fast you can transfer data from your device to others. For Example, uploading or posting a picture or video on Facebook or Instagram or publishing a video on YouTube. Uploading speed is very important to transfer large files to the server or web. Mostly, YouTubers need high upload speed to transfer their video to YouTube.

Why should I Test my Internet Speed?

As we see, there are a lot of internet service providers available in the present scenario. They have different internet plans at various prices. According to the plan, the amount of internet and its speed depends. Sometimes, you may have internet speed issues, and speed matters a lot in many situations. In those worst times, you may get a doubt about your internet speed.

So, to clear the issues with the internet like the speed of internet and knowing about the service provider. By testing your Internet Speed, you will be able to know about your download speed, upload speed, connection plan, and also details about the service provider.

Recommended Internet Speed

In the below table, I have listed recommended Internet bandwidth depending on various activities. These recommendations are listed per device only.

Hint: To get better internet speed, your PC must be fast for that you need to use PC tuneup utilities like AVG PC Tuneup Unlimited(20% discounted link).

Top 3 Ways to Check your Internet speed

Go through this article, to get complete and detailed information about testing your Internet speed on PC, Mac, and Android.

1. How to Check your Internet speed on PC/Mac

Video Tutorial

We turned this article into a Tutorial video and provided it below for our reader’s convenience. If you are in hurry and not about to read the whole article, then simply watch this tutorial video.

Internet speed is calculated as how much data the connection can download or upload per second. There are a lot of methods to check Internet speed like the speed tests by Ookla, and fast.com. The result may vary a little bit from method to method, but all the results look similar. Choose a better method to test your Internet speed for good results. So, now I will show a simple method to check your Internet speed on Pc using the Ookla service.

In this section, I will show you a simple method to check your Internet speed on Pc by Ookla

Total Time: 2 minutes

STEP-1: Internet connection

Before running a speed test, make sure that you are connected to the Internet. If not, Turn it ON.

STEP-2: Opening Ookla Speedtest

Open any browser and search for the Speed test.
You will find Ookla at the top of the results.
Click on it to open.

STEP-3: Ookla Interface

After clicking on the link, you will see the interface of Ookla as showing in the below screenshot.
On the left bottom, you will find your Internet provider and IP address.
And, on the right bottom, you will see your server.

STEP-4: Speed Test

Click on “Go” to run the speed test. It takes some time, and during that time it tests the download and upload speed of your Internet connection. After completion, you will get results in three categories like Ping, Download Speed, and Upload Speed.

Materials: Software

2.How to Test Internet speed on Android Mobile Phone

Testing Internet speed in Android Phone is done by visiting Internet testing sites or by downloading testing apps. There are a lot of apps available in the Playstore to check your Internet speed. We have to do is just download and install the application on your Mobile Phone. Now, I will show you step by step procedure to check your internet speed on your Android Mobile Phone.

3.How to Check your Wi-Fi Speed

Wi-Fi stands for Wireless Fidelity and it is similar to WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network). Wi-Fi works with the same principle as other wireless devices, which uses radio frequencies to send and receive signals between devices. Wi-Fi transmits signals in the Gigahertz range. Wi-Fi network is to provide local internet access to all the devices that are in their range and connected to it.

Follow the below steps to check speed of your Wi-Fi connection

How to improve the speed test results

There may be many reasons to get low results than expected in the Internet speed tests. Follow the simple tips, and they may improve your test results as well as your Internet speed.

Also after following the tips, if you still face an Internet speed issue, then it is better to follow the below tips.

When you don’t want to waste time with manual methods and are ready to spend a little amount to save your time.

You must have an Antivirus product like AVG security (20% discounted link) and a PC tune-up product like AVG PC Tuneup (20% discounted link) for better performance.

Instead of using two products, I recommend you AVG Ultimate (20% discounted link) which gives you unlimited protection and tuneup for your unlimited devices.

When you don’t want to spend money, then follow the below tips to speed up the internet manually. There are many methods to increase internet speed :

Video Tutorial:

Click on the below video to watch this article in the form of a video, or else you can skip this section and continue reading.

1. Remove Virus or Malware from PC

2. Clear Temporary data on your computer

Following steps to clear temporary data in your computer:

3. Change the value of limit reservable bandwidth to ‘0’(zero)

Following steps to change the value of limit reservable bandwidth to 0(zero):

This method increases your internet speed by 20%.

4. Increase internet speed with registry editor

Steps to increase internet speed with registry editor:

5.Increase internet speed by increasing the browsing speed of browsers

Chrome:

Firefox:

Opera:

Internet Explorer:

I can suggest you use Brave browser which is the best secure and fastest browser.

6.Update your hardware drivers regularly

If you have no idea about updating hardware drivers. I have written a separate article about it. Read how to update hardware drivers. You can also use the IObit Driver booster to update drivers automatically.

Offer: Our readers get a special 25% discount on all IObit products. Visit our IObit discount coupon page for the promo code.

7.Reduce data usage

We can get good internet speed by reducing data usage. Please read the below articles to get more techniques to speed up internet connection.

8.How to Improve Internet speed for Gaming?

After following the above-stated tips, you will find improvement in your Internet speed.

Follow and apply all methods and steps in this article, you can find an increase in your internet speed.

There are some more methods to increase internet speed by using the command prompt. I have written a separate article about it. Read How to increase internet speed by using cmd.

Conclusion

Internet speed can fluctuate a lot and it won’t be stable all the time. Also, the weather conditions can affect the internet speed. As everyone dislikes having a low-speed internet connection and any other internet speed issues. Testing the Internet speed at regular intervals of time to ensure whether the speed of the internet is good or not. Having awareness about the methods to check your Internet speed will be useful at any point in time. There are a lot of sites and applications available to test the speed of the Internet.

For better Internet speed, use a wired Ethernet connection instead of wireless. We suggest using AVG PC Tuneup unlimited(20% discounted link) to boost your PC speed.

Follow and apply all methods and steps in this article, you can find an increase in your internet speed.

There are some more methods to increase internet speed by using the command prompt. I have written a separate article about it. Read How to increase internet speed by using cmd.

Thanks for reading my article about Increase internet speed. If you like this article do me a favor by sharing it with your friends. You can also follow WhatVwant on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube for more tips.

How to Check & Increase Your Internet Speed – FAQ

What is Ping?

Ping is the time taken for a small set of data transmitted from your device to a server on the Internet and back to your device again.

What does a speed test does tell me?

Speed tests measure the speed of your internet connection – How fast your device can upload and download data.

How fast should my Wi-Fi be?

A speed between 50Mbps to 100Mbps is pretty average for homes with three to four people.

Is 20Mbps is good for working from home?

You want at least of 10Mbps of download speed and 1Mbps of Upload speed of dedicated internet bandwidth for each person working from home.

What is the minimum Internet speed for Fortnite?

3Mbps is the minimum speed for Fortnite.

How many Mbps is a GB?

1Gigabyte = 8×1000 Megabits

Is 20Mbps good for Zoom?

Zoom recommends having at least 3Mbps of upload speed for crystal clear zoom video conferencing.