Are you suffering from slow internet speeds at home?
Also: How to convert your home’s old TV cable into powerful Ethernet lines
Connectivity drops, bottlenecks, lagged content streaming and downloads, and slow speeds are all common problems with home internet services — and it may not be the fault of your internet service provider (ISP). True, the routers typically provided by ISPs are basic and may not be able to handle modern-day data demands, but there are ways to improve your speed relatively easily in 2023.
Below, we explore common reasons why your internet might be slow and offer suggestions for fixing them.
If you have constant speed problems, your bandwidth is the first thing you should consider.
Ensure you are on a package that can cope with today’s array of devices and their demand for bandwidth. ZDNET’s Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols noted that a minimum speed of 30Mbps is recommended.
While many areas are only served with cable connections, fiber provides the best speeds. If you want a fiber service but your ISP doesn’t offer one, in some cases, you can register your interest with your ISP — and if enough people follow suit, this might mark your location on the map for earlier installation projects.
Also: The top satellite internet services compared: Starlink and alternatives
The general rule is that you will need more bandwidth if you have multiple devices and streaming services on the go.
Your internet provider may throttle your service if it decides you use too much bandwidth. This is more common when you are on a basic package. If this is the case, you must call your service provider. You might also need to renegotiate your package, upgrade, or, if you aren’t being offered a good deal, switch providers entirely.
If you are already on a high-speed package and you are suffering slow internet speeds, despite the service you’re paying for, you should check your connection. If you are paying for a subscription of up to 30Mbps, for example, and are only receiving speeds of 2 or 3Mbps, it may be an issue with your internet service provider (ISP).
The free services below will ping and check your download and upload speeds.
It’s also worth checking in with your provider to see if there is an outage or other known issue in the area. An easy way to do this is to type your ISP’s name and “outage” into a search engine or visit its website for live outage notices.
Also: The best internet speed tests
You could also ask neighbors if they are having trouble. Several years ago, my whole street was booted offline after a maintenance worker accidentally sliced through our main fiber cable. (You can imagine the uproar).
Flickering lights on your router (often yellow or red, but it depends on your router model) may indicate a problem outside your home, such as with physical cables or junction boxes.
Sometimes, being unable to access web domains is not down to
