Why Your Internet is So Slow and 8 Ways to Fix It

If you’re noticing slow internet speeds, it could be caused by anything from too many devices using your network, network congestion, outdated equipment or even your ISP throttling your connection. Solutions can be as simple as restarting your modem to disabling Wi-Fi on devices you aren’t actively using. Addressing these issues can help ensure a smoother and more reliable internet experience for your entire household.

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Why Your Internet Speeds Are Slow

Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, here’s a quick overview of the most common culprits behind slow internet and their solutions:

• You’re experiencing network congestion: Too many devices connected simultaneously can bog down your network. Upgrade to a higher-speed plan or adjust your router’s quality-of-service (QoS) settings to prioritize applications.
• You’ve reached your data cap limit: Exceeding your monthly data allowance can trigger speed restrictions. Monitor your data usage and consider switching to an unlimited data plan.
• You’re experiencing high latency: The distance data travels and your network setup affect response times. Update router firmware and minimize bandwidth-heavy activities during peak hours.
• You have outdated equipment: Old routers and modems can’t keep up with modern speeds. Upgrade to newer equipment that supports current internet standards.
• You have a slow internet plan: Your current plan may not meet your home internet needs. Upgrade to a faster tier or consider switching to fiber-optic internet if available.
• You’re running too many applications: Multiple open programs compete for bandwidth. Close unnecessary applications and schedule large downloads during off-hours.
• Your ISP is throttling: Your provider may be limiting your speeds. Contact your ISP or use a VPN to test if throttling is occurring.
• You have malware or viruses: Malicious software can drain network resources. Install and regularly update antivirus software to protect your network.

Start by Testing Your Speed

Before troubleshooting specific issues, it’s essential to establish a baseline of your current internet performance. Run a speed test on multiple devices if possible to see what speeds you’re actually getting versus what you’re paying for. This will help you determine whether the problem is with your overall connection or specific to certain devices or areas of your home.

How Slow Download Speeds Impact You

Download speeds determine how quickly you can retrieve data from the internet. When download speeds are slow, you’ll experience:

• Delayed loading of web pages and social media feeds
• Buffering during video streaming on Netflix, YouTube or other platforms
• Extended wait times when downloading files, apps or photos
• Lag when loading online games or shopping websites

What If Your Upload Speed Is Slow?

Upload speeds affect how quickly you can send data from your devices to the internet. Slow upload speeds can impact:

• Video quality during video calls with family and friends
• Posting photos and videos to social media
• Email performance when sending attachments
• Online gaming performance and responsiveness

How to Fix Slow Internet Quickly

Slow internet issues can often be resolved with simple fixes that don’t require extensive internet troubleshooting. Before diving into more complex solutions, try a few quick fixes that could potentially improve your internet speed.

• Reset your modem and router:

1. Turn off and unplug the power to both your modem and router.
2. Wait about 10 to 15 seconds, then power them back on.
3. Allow three to five minutes for them to reconnect.

This simple reset can help clear temporary issues to improve your internet connection.

• Perform a speed test:

1. When troubleshooting your slow internet, run an internet speed test to measure your download and upload speeds, so you know what kind of bandwidth you’re working with.
2. Take the speed test twice — once via a Wi-Fi connection and once via an Ethernet cable. That will tell you if your wireless network is the problem or if you aren’t getting the right speed from your modem.

• Switch frequency band:

1. Access your router settings via a web browser using its IP address.
2. In the wireless or Wi-Fi configuration section, choose between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

Switching to the 5 GHz band may improve internet speed, as it generally offers faster data transfer rates and experiences less interference, especially in densely populated areas.

You’re Experiencing Network Congestion

If your internet slows to a crawl during peak hours or when multiple people in your household are trying to connect, the number of devices could be causing network congestion.

• How much data the network requests and how much of it is transferred to that network causes congestion. The more connected devices, the more data is requested and sent over your home network.
• During peak usage hours, the amount of data requested by all of an internet provider’s users in the area exceeds the amount of data the network can effectively send. As a result, all local users experience network congestion.
• Fiber-optic networks are capable of handling a massive amount of network traffic simultaneously and generally experience less congestion than cable or DSL networks.

How to Solve Congestion

If your internet speed issues stem from network congestion, try:

• Adjust your router’s quality-of-service (QoS) settings. These settings act like an air traffic controller for your network — they help your router prioritize your network traffic, meaning the most important data will get where it needs to go before any other data is handled.
• That means you can stay on your late-afternoon Zoom meeting while your kids watch Disney+ after school without any interruption or slowdown.
• Not every router offers users access to the QoS settings, however. You may have to upgrade your router if you need to prioritize and organize your network traffic.

You’ve Reached Your Data Cap Limit

If your internet plan comes with a monthly data cap, your service provider might slow your network down as you reach or exceed your allotted data.

• These overages can come with fees, depending on your plan and provider.
• If your plan includes a data cap, make sure you’re aware of how much data you use per month so you can stay under your limit.
• Most routers don’t allow users to check their data usage, so you’ll have to find some third-party router firmware to help you monitor your network data usage.

How to Lower Your Data Usage

Determine how to effectively monitor your data usage, then do the following:

• Work to stay under your data cap. The more household members and devices connected to your network, the more data consumption you’ll see.
• If your household relies on streaming content — such as Netflix, Hulu or Disney+ —  for living room entertainment, know that streaming can quickly eat up a lot of your allotted data, especially if you’re streaming in HD and 4K.
• An unlimited data plan, however, removes any consequences from hitting your data cap.

You’re Experiencing High Latency

Latency refers to the amount of time it takes for you to send data over your network to another location and for that data to return to your device.

• The act of sending a small packet of data from one computer to another is referred to as “pinging” that device, and the ping is the measurement, in milliseconds, of the network’s latency.
• Latency is caused by the location of the server you’re connecting to, the type of network connection you have and your router. The longer the distance your data has to travel, the higher your latency.

How to Improve Latency Issues

You can improve internet latency by:

• Updating your modem and router’s firmware
• Reducing simultaneous streaming or large downloads during peak hours
• Making sure no user or application is using an unexpectedly large portion of your bandwidth
• Connecting critical devices via Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi when possible

You Have Outdated Equipment

If you don’t remember the last time you upgraded your modem or router, it may be time to do so, since they have a useful lifespan of about seven years.

• If you rent your modem and router from your internet provider, the odds are you won’t have the latest and greatest equipment (but you won’t have the most obsolete, either).
• Many users rent their router and modem from their ISP, but you can purchase your own equipment. Doing so ensures you won’t end up stuck in the past when it comes to internet speed, and it can save you money in the long run.
• You also won’t have to worry about annoying equipment-return protocols if or when you change ISPs.

New Equipment Features to Look Out for

Upgrading your equipment will require shelling out some money but it’s a long-term savings move. Here’s what else you should keep in mind:

• Look for routers with Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 for speeds and reduced latency, multi-gig Ethernet ports to handle faster internet plans, and DOCSIS 4.0 modems that support speeds up to 10 Gbps on cable networks.
• Advanced features like QoS prioritize critical applications to prevent lag, while WPA3 encryption and automatic firmware updates protect your network from emerging threats.
• Make sure the modem and router you plan to buy are supported by your ISP before you spend your money.
• If you’re not interested in purchasing your own equipment, you can reach out to your ISP. If you’ve had the equipment for over five years, consider asking them to upgrade your modem and router. Even if they can’t accommodate your request, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

You Have a Slow Internet Plan

Sometimes your equipment is working the best it can, but your internet plan is simply too slow for your needs.

• What constitutes “slow internet” can be subjective. For example, a heavy gamer who regularly downloads large files might define “slow” much differently than someone who only uses the internet for emailing family and friends.
• If you frequently stream 4K video and play online games competitively, you’ll likely need download speeds of at least 200 Mbps. If all you’re doing is checking your email and browsing the internet, you can start as low as 5 Mbps.

How to Upgrade or Change Your Internet Plan

Regardless of what you consider slow, if your internet plan speeds aren’t matching up with your usage, consider the following:

• Switch to a faster internet provider, plan or connection type. In most cases, upgrading with your current provider is the simplest way to go.
• However, you could also choose to change your provider or change your connection type, such as going from cable internet to fiber. The latter choices will depend on availability in your area.

You’re Running Too Many Applications

When surfing the internet, it’s not uncommon to accumulate multiple open browsers or applications.

• Unfortunately, your computer has only so much processing power, so it can only do so much simultaneously.
• As the computer and your internet work to keep everything running, it can cause the connection to slow down.

How to Decrease Application Usage

The fix for this issue is rather simple:

• Close extra applications or browser tabs when you’re done using them. Odds are your device can handle at least one or two extra things at a time, but the more you try to do at once, the slower it gets.
• If you do have large downloads you need to complete, do those when you aren’t actively using your computer.

Your ISP Is Throttling

Throttling is a strategy most commonly used by wireless ISPs.

• If your ISP needs to limit the amount of bandwidth you’re using (usually if you’re nearing your data cap, or the amount of bandwidth all its users in a particular area are using), it can slow down your internet.

How to Avoid ISP Throttling

There are two solutions to throttling:

• If you experience this every month due to nearing your data cap, it’s probably a good idea to opt for an internet plan without one.
• If you suspect this is happening due to users in your area and not your own activity, consider investing in your own modem and router. ISPs are unable to throttle against your home network.
• If you’re unsure if throttling is the issue, there’s a simple check you can perform. Run a speed test as you normally would, and then run another test using a VPN. If your speed improves when using a VPN, it means your network is being throttled.

You Have Malware or Viruses

No one likes finding out malware or viruses exist somewhere in their home internet, but it can be the reason their internet is running slowly.

• These work similarly to applications, pulling usage that drains your internet speeds.
• Removing malware and viruses is the first step to fixing the issue, but there are preventative measures you can take as well.

Preventing Malware and Viruses

If you don’t currently use antivirus software, consider it, because such tools can be invaluable if you have the misfortune of downloading a virus or other malware.

• Antivirus software will often catch any bad apples you’ve downloaded before they become a larger problem.
• When using the internet, you’re connecting to every other computer connected to the internet at that time. So make sure you protect your network by downloading only trusted files or running them through an antivirus tool first.

Is Only Your Wi-Fi Slow?

If you rely on Wi-Fi throughout your home, your physical location could be to blame for your slow internet. Wi-Fi signals can be blocked by walls, doors, appliances, furniture and other household items. If your router is tucked away in a closet, basement or corner of your home, you increase the number of obstacles your Wi-Fi signal has to go through before it reaches you, slowing down your network.

Router Placement

The easiest way to avoid blocked Wi-Fi signals is to avoid Wi-Fi signals altogether.

• If possible, connect your device to your modem using an Ethernet cable and you’ll never have to worry about a Wi-Fi issue again.
• However, connecting devices to your modem with an Ethernet cable isn’t always feasible or convenient. If it’s not, choose an optimal router placement, one that is in a central location high off the ground.
• If possible, rearrange your space to boost your Wi-Fi signal and keep it uninterrupted.

Wi-Fi Antenna Optimization

If your router has adjustable antennas, positioning them correctly can improve signal strength.

• For multi-story homes, try pointing one antenna vertically and one horizontally to maximize coverage across different floors and rooms.

Check for Dead Spots

Use your smartphone to identify areas in your home with weak Wi-Fi signals.

• Walk around with your device while monitoring the Wi-Fi strength indicator.
• Areas showing consistently weak signals may benefit from Wi-Fi extenders or mesh network systems.

Change Frequency Bands

Modern routers typically broadcast on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.

• The 2.4 GHz band provides better range but slower speeds, while the 5 GHz band offers faster speeds with shorter range.
• Connect devices closer to the router to the 5 GHz band for optimal performance, and use 2.4 GHz for devices farther away.

Your Internet Connection Type Matters

Not all internet connections are created equal, and the type of connection you have can significantly impact your speeds and reliability. Understanding how different connection types perform can help you make better decisions about your internet service.

• Fiber: Fiber-optic internet delivers the fastest and most reliable speeds available. Fiber is less susceptible to weather conditions and signal degradation over distance, making it ideal for households with high bandwidth demands like streaming, gaming and remote work.
• Cable: Cable internet uses the same coaxial cables that deliver cable television service. It typically offers faster speeds than DSL and is widely available in urban and suburban areas. However, cable internet can experience slowdowns during peak usage times when multiple households in your neighborhood are online simultaneously, as bandwidth is shared among users.
• 5G: 5G internet offers wireless connectivity with potentially high speeds, but performance can vary based on signal strength, network congestion and weather conditions. Physical obstructions like buildings can also affect signal quality.
• DSL: DSL uses existing phone lines to deliver internet service. Speed and reliability decrease the farther you are from the provider’s central office. DSL is generally slower than cable or fiber but may be the only option in some rural areas.
• Satellite: Satellite internet is available almost anywhere but comes with inherent latency issues due to the distance signals must travel to and from satellites. Weather conditions can significantly impact performance, and data caps are common with most satellite plans.

When to Switch Internet Providers

If you’ve tried all the troubleshooting steps above and are still experiencing persistent slow internet, it may be time to consider switching to a different provider. Signs that it’s time to switch include:

• Consistently failing to receive the speeds you’re paying for
• Frequent service outages or connectivity issues
• Poor customer service and unresolved technical problems
• New providers offering significantly better speeds or pricing in your area
• Your household needs have outgrown your current plan’s capabilities

Before making the switch, research what other providers are available in your area and compare their speeds, pricing and reliability. Consider reaching out to your current provider first to see if they can offer you a better plan or resolve ongoing issues. If you decide to switch internet providers, check for any early termination fees in your current contract. Then, use a ZIP tool to check which providers are available in your area.

Frequently Asked Questions About Slow Internet

Why am I not getting my full internet speed?

You could be experiencing network congestion during peak usage hours, which can result in slower speeds, especially in densely populated areas. The age and capabilities of your router and modem can also impact performance, as outdated hardware may not support higher speeds offered by your ISP. Interference from neighboring Wi-Fi networks, electronic devices or physical obstructions like walls can also hinder signal strength and reduce internet speed.

Does resetting your Wi-Fi make it faster?

Resetting your Wi-Fi can potentially improve its speed by addressing temporary glitches and optimizing the network. When you reset your Wi-Fi router, it clears the device’s memory, terminates any ongoing processes and reestablishes connections. This process can help eliminate issues like network congestion, interference or performance slowdowns due to temporary errors.

How long is the lifespan of a router?

Routers generally last three to five years, largely due to evolving technology and increasing demands on internet speeds. Regular firmware updates can extend a router’s functionality, but ultimately, upgrading to a newer model is necessary to keep pace with advancements, ensure optimal performance and address compatibility issues.

How often should you unplug your router?

Unplugging your router once a month can help refresh its connection and prevent potential issues. Power cycling, or briefly disconnecting the router from the power source, can clear temporary glitches, enhance performance and optimize the device’s overall functionality.

Can too many devices slow down my internet?

Yes, having too many devices connected to your network simultaneously can significantly slow down your internet speed. Each device consumes a portion of your available bandwidth, and when multiple devices are streaming videos, downloading files or running updates at the same time, they compete for the same resources. This competition can lead to slower speeds across all connected devices, particularly if your internet plan has limited bandwidth or if your router struggles to manage the traffic efficiently.