Introduction
Slow internet? Don't worry, we've got 10 ways to fix your internet
speed. Today, we'll be analyzing the cause for slow internet and fix it step
by step.
I've been a victim of slow internet speed for a long time, voice breaking
in audio and video calls, video buffering, unable to attend any courses and
much more to name. Feeling Familiar?
I've done all the research to increase my internet speed, spending several
days and sleepless nights to increase my internet speed. There are several
ways to do this, I'll be listing each one by one, step by step,
elaborately.
1. Restart Your Modem and Router
The all time solution to fix anything in technology, any thing, is giving
the machine a quick restart. Restart your modem and router, Give it a 5
minute break, then switch it on. Most of the bugs should be
fixed.
This will remove cached files in the router that'll increase your router
speed, router performance and remove any network congestion, at least
temporary.
2. Move your Router to a better place
Sometimes, moving your modem and router to a better place, a place where
you can get more network signal, can increase your internet speed multi
folds. This has been the cause of problems in many apartments, in many
apartments where there's not much space to keep your router and modem in a
better place, where you'll get good network coverage.
If your modem and router were fixed in such a place, like me, Skip to the
next step.
3. Remove Unused Devices
Removing Unused Devices can tremendously increase your WiFi speed, even
when you have a capable router. Doing so will remove unwanted congestions
and can be a great temporary fix for your issues. You can remove your smart
devices like Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and etcetera when not in
use.
I've temporarily removed my Smart devices and even phones while attending a
call or a meeting. But, as I told you it was temporary. If you had removed
all unwanted devices and still face this issue, then skip on the next
step.
4. Connect to the router with an ethernet cable
If you have a computer, you should do this step. Ethernet is very
faster than WiFi and connectivity issues are the least. If the speed is
good in ethernet, chances are that the fault can be due to
congestion.
This can be a quick fix when you have a call and you want to speed up
your internet (obviously).
5. Change your Router
As I told you before, if the speed doesn't improve, then it's time to buy a
new router. Using your ISP's default modem cum router in the long run isn't
a very good idea, especially in times like when Work From Home (WFH) and
Online Education has become the new trend.
If you're hesitant to buy a new router, or you aren't quite convinced, then
here's the explanation.
Your ISP default modem cum router isn't a very capable one. Even if you
connect a few devices, you'll still get a slow internet speed. To resolve
this, the only way is to buy a new router. And in most of the default
routers, the maximum radio frequency band is 2.4GHz.
If you buy a new router, you'll get access to a 5GHz radio frequency band.
Now, you'll have 2 bands, one is the 2.4GHz band from your old modem cum
router and the 5GHz band from your new router.
Use the new 5GHz router for your important devices like smartphones,
laptops, personal computers and etcetera and the 2.4Ghz band for your smart
devices and peripherals or anything that can be labelled less
important.
This is a really effective way to increase your WiFi speed, at least has
been effective in my case. Now, I am experiencing significantly less
internet slowdowns and connectivity issues and I constantly get 150-200
mbps speed even after connecting 6 to 8 devices.
It is not necessary to buy a router but it is recommended. Check out the
other steps before buying a new router since your WiFi slow down may not be
because of congestion.
6. Turn your WiFi off and on in your device
If the problem isn't your modem or router, then the problem maybe on the
device. This may not be relevant if the problem persists on multiple
devices, but trying this won't hurt. Try switching to Airplane mode for a
few minutes and turn it off. You can also do a quick reboot. You can do this
for mobile phones.
For laptops and computers, try switching the WiFi off manually
(recommended) or through software if you've got a switch, remove the WiFi
adapter if you've got an adapter, or simply switch on airplane mode if you
have it available. Try rebooting your laptop too.
Rebooting helps to clear cache and clearing cache stored on your RAM can
boost your devices performance and speed.
If the speed improves, it's fine. If it doesn't skip into the next
steps.
7. Update WiFi drivers
Sometimes, the fault can be on the Operating System. I have the 3 major
operating systems: Windows, Linux and macOS. I always have some problem or
the other with Linux. WiFi automatically gets disabled, Bluetooth gets
disconnected and more like these.
If the internet is slow on one device, then problem's on that device. Make
sure you regularly update your device to get bug fixes and etcetera.
8. Contact your ISP
Continuing from step 5, I've been facing only a few issues now-a-days.
But that's probably due to the site's server issues or the problems on the
ISP's side. You can't do much about the server issues but, you can contact
your ISP regarding the problem though.
Sometimes, the problem's not on your router but on your ISP. This can be
resolved by contacting your ISP's customer care, preferably by phone and
they should immediately come up with a solution. At least that's the
solution in my case.
9. Your Wireless Network can be compromised
This is not meant to scare you, but chances are that your WiFi network's
credentials might be compromised. Slow internet is often a symptom of
security incident.
What should you do if you've got hacked?
You should disconnect all the devices from the network and notify this to
your ISP. You should install antivirus and analyze what type of malware it
is. Backup all your important files and documents to a secure disk
(preferably external). Quarantine the network and research about what
should you do next.
How not to get hacked?
Prevention is always better than cure. So, that's why I've dedicated a
small space on how not to get hacked. Here are a few simple steps that help
you surf the internet safely if you adhere to it:
-
Do not install any pirated software such as games, productivity apps,
multimedia apps, and etcetera. Installing these apps may act as a
backdoor for malware to enter your machine. Even visiting these
websites can inject malware into your machine.
-
Install antivirus to your device. Installing an antivirus software
can prevent your device from getting infected by malware. Installing an
antivirus and firewall software from a reputable brand like
Mcafee can help you surf the internet safely. Pay for a
monthly or yearly subscription and you'll be good to go.
- Learn more about various forms of attacks like Phishing, Trojan Horse and etcetera. Knowledge about these can be handy in many a times.
These are some ways to surf the web safely. You should always do your
research to be safer. But, these are some common ways you can be
safe.
10. Get an extender
If you have a few bucks to spare, then getting an extender can be a great
choice.
An extender captures the signals from your router, then it amplifies or
extends the signals which is processing, then finally outputs by
transmitting it. This way you can make your home completely WiFi accessible.
You can get strong signals everywhere and you don't need to move out of your
seat to make a call!
An extender can be really cheap and easy to set up. Getting one from Amazon
is safe and hence recommended.
In case you need to speed up your system, here's how to do it.
Related Post: The Ultimate guide to make your computer faster
These are all the ways I've tried and most of it were successful in
improving my internet speed. Let me know in the comments if it helped
you.
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