How to Find Out What Is Slowing Down Upload Speed
How to Ready Your Slow Internet
Expert tips to banish slow internet speeds
Jan 23, 2022 Share
FAQ, Internet Speed Guides
You can generally fix a ho-hum cyberspace connection if the issue is on your cease. A simple restart of your modem and your router (or all-in-one wireless gateway) can sometimes speed up your connection. But your slow speeds may also be the result of problems on your provider's end—problems you just can't fix.
Generally, your modem or router (or both) will create a speed clogging if not working properly—the same goes with wireless gateways. If your equipment is as well old, it may non support important internet protocols. Equipment impairment, such as bad ports or components, tin can also cause slowdowns.
There are a few ways to make certain each step of your network is performing at optimal speed. We'll help you place and set your network'due south weakest link starting with the nuts—we'll become more in-depth as nosotros go deeper into our guide.
Want faster net speeds straight from the source? Enter your zip code beneath to encounter if a faster program is available in your expanse.
Why is your internet so slow?
There are many reasons why your internet is slow. Perhaps your internet provider is having problems, your dwelling house network needs a reboot, or y'all're just too far away from the router—the possibilities tin can be a bit overwhelming. We'll list the most common problems and how you tin fix them to get more than speed.
- Your internet plan is too slow
- You demand better network management
- Your provider's network is congested
- Y'all exceeded your data cap
- Y'all have weak Wi-Fi signals
- You have high latency
- You take slow or outdated devices
- Your provider is throttling your connection
Trouble: Your internet plan is too slow
If your internet slows downwards only when as well many other people are online simultaneously, you're probably using more data than your program allows. Utilize our internet speed test to encounter if you're getting the speed advertised by your Internet service provider. If your results are close to your plan speed, consider upgrading.
Your internet package gives you a specific amount of bandwidth, and if there's more information trying to move effectually than there is bandwidth, you run into a traffic jam.
Think of your cyberspace connection like a road directly to your house. One motorcar'southward worth of people (or net data) can reach your house at a time. If there are iii cars trying to get at that place, they have to line upward to get to your firm. And if more cars arrive as the others are waiting to reach your house, the line and the delays become longer.
The easiest way to become more bandwidth is by upgrading to a faster internet programme that tin can go on upwards with your household. Nosotros're online at present more than ever, and the net program you signed up for a few years ago might not be sufficient today if your connectedness slows down every fourth dimension multiple people utilize the internet.
We recommend checking out ane of the fastest internet providers in the U.s..
Trouble: You demand improve network management
If upgrading isn't an option, you lot need to either bargain with the ho-hum speeds or manage your household'southward internet use. Thankfully, at that place are severa fifty easy ways of doing the latter that doesn't include yelling at everyone to go off the internet so yous tin can attend a Zoom meeting.
Hither are a few tips on how to manage your home network traffic:
Utilise QoS settings
Many routers have a quality of service (or QoS) component that allows y'all to control how your network prioritizes certain types of data. That style, you lot can make sure your streaming data always gets first access to available bandwidth for smooth playback.
Not all routers accept adjustable QoS, simply if your router does, you'll find the controls in your router's web interface.
Pro tip: How to log in to a router
Many of our tips and troubleshooting guides tell you to log in to your router'due south spider web interface . It's really easy if yous don't know how—merely follow our instructions.
Prune your internet connections
There may be some devices connected to your network that y'all rarely use—if at all. For instance: you bought a new laptop, but the old 1 still idles and connects to the network. Even though it'south not in use, it even so uses bandwidth for updates and other background services. Your router may fifty-fifty have a limited number of devices it can connect to simultaneously, and if yous take too many connected devices the router may start kicking some of them off the network.
One simple fashion to take stock of all the devices using your network is to load your router'due south spider web interface and view the network map. Yous volition see all continued devices, whether they're active or not, so y'all can block the ones you never employ.
Another method is to change the Wi-Fi password, but that just applies to wireless devices . Once yous do , you must manually reconnect every device that accesses your wireless network .
Some routers or wireless gateways also have a handy companion app that lets you see everything on your network without loading a browser . That manner you can identify and remove devices that no longer need access to your network .
Stagger bandwidth-hogging activities
If your connexion can't handle everyone online at one time, stagger your internet activities so everyone gets a hazard at an uninterrupted connection.
Also, brand sure to schedule big downloads (like computer and game updates) during times when other people won't be online.
Put visitors on a invitee network
There's goose egg incorrect with sharing your internet with guests when they come to visit , simply you don't want them to secretly download illegal content while they lounge on your burrow . That's where your router'due south guest network feature comes into play .
You can create a second guest network using your router'south web interface or mobile app. A guest network allows you to limit how much bandwidth guests can use, and what services and websites they tin access . Information technology also prevents guest devices from mingling with your devices, then in that location'southward no worry well-nigh guests spreading malware to everything you lot utilise.
Problem: Your provider'due south network is congested
Cablevision cyberspace subscribers may endure slowdowns during elevation times when they and everyone else in the neighborhood are active online at the same time. It's a similar state of affairs to traffic on your domicile network simply on a larger calibration. In this case, y'all and all your neighbors compete for the same bandwidth.
If the congestion gets particularly bad, your cyberspace provider may throttle net speeds in your area to reduce traffic for the network.
Unfortunately, you lot can't command when or how ofttimes people in the aforementioned surface area employ the internet —we certainly don't suggest request your neighbors to log off so you can Zoom in peace. But in that location are a few tricks to circumventing the issue.
Try to schedule game and media downloads during off-peak hours, like in the center of the night. Yous could also switch to another provider that doesn't have as many subscribers around you, though that could be hard to make up one's mind .
The only type of internet that isn't much affected by an area'south network congestion is fiber internet . Fiber infrastructure is capable of carrying much more information than other internet types, and then having a ton of traffic at the same fourth dimension doesn't slow down individual customers.
Problem: You lot exceeded your information cap
Many net providers have data caps, and some slow your speeds to a crawl after you hit that cap. You tin can usually check to meet how much data y'all've used on your online account or through your ISP's app. Providers similar Xfinity give customers very loftier data caps—i.ii TB for this instance—and shouldn't cause too many issues for most households. Just satellite internet providers including and are less generous with their data allowances.
Satellite cyberspace providers charge for cyberspace use by data rather than past internet speed. Information technology'south similar to how cell telephone plans commonly work: once you lot employ up your data allowance for the month , your internet connection can dull to a crawl.
HughesNet customers can see speeds drop to 1–3 Mbps. Viasat customers can look all their net traffic to be deprioritized, significant that their data gets pushed to the dorsum of the line of all Viasat customers' information.
Many DSL, cable, and cobweb cyberspace companies are discontinuing information limits , merely there are many others that proceed to keep them in place . Look to encounter if your internet service has a data cap in our guide to Internet service provider data caps .
Problem: Yous take weak Wi-Fi signals
Walls, distance, and even microwaves tin interfere with your Wi-Fi bespeak. Weaker Wi-Fi signals mean slower speeds and frequent disconnects .
Yous can tell if signal interference and weak Wi-Fi signals are your issues if your connection works well near your router just is extremely wearisome in the adjacent room .
To fix weak Wi-Fi, starting time, cheque your router's placement. Y ou want to make sure your router is in a cardinal and elevated location and away from things that can affect your Wi-Fi signals (like walls, Bluetooth speakers, etc.).
If that doesn't work, you might demand to replace your router with one designed for longer ranges or amend coverage—or you can add an extender to your network to stretch Wi-Fi signals into a previously unreachable expanse .
Bank check out our guide to long-range routers if you need better Wi-Fi coverage. It goes over both mesh Wi-Fi systems and standalone routers to help you effigy out how best to access the cyberspace in every inch of your dwelling.
Problem: You lot accept high latency
Latency is the time information takes to brand a circular trip from your device to the destination and back. A high latency creates noticeable lag: an extended duration between your physical actions and the results displayed on your screen. This can be particularly frustrating with online gaming or video calls.
High latency is difficult to work around. It depends partially on your physical distance from internet servers, network congestion between you and the servers , and your internet provider'due south infrastructure. Net type can also play into latency too.
For example, satellite internet has high latency considering all your data must travel to space and back, both coming and going to your device. Newer types of internet, including fiber and 5G mmWave , accept lower latency considering they tin can handle faster signals.
If you're looking to lower your latency for a ameliorate connection, check out our study on the fastest ISPs . Information technology dives into which net services take the best tested speeds and lowest average latency.
Problem: Yous have slow or outdated devices
The problem might not exist with your net connectedness—it might exist with the device you use . Your computer, tablet, phone, or gaming console could exist outdated and not capable of processing today'due south Wi-Fi speeds.
For example, the one-time (only much loved) PlayStation Vita handheld console supports up to 150 Mbps per second because it uses a Wi-Fi 4 radio. That speed can subtract based on the router it connects to and the security protocol it uses. The Vita volition never run across speeds beyond that 150 Mbps limit.
If you have speed issues on a desktop or laptop, try power cycling the device. This clears the memory of any junk, refreshes your connection, and cleans out unnecessary processes and temporary files. Speed issues tend to happen due to an overworked processor, and a quick power cycle—shutting information technology down completely for thirty seconds—will "articulate its caput."
Other things that can slow down your devices include the following:
- Also many open applications
- Too many open browser tabs
- Outdated software
- Outdated drivers
- The operating system needs to reboot to install updates
- Patch downloads
- App downloads
- Malware
Avoid overwhelming your computer's CPU by closing unused applications and browser windows. Keep your device'southward operating system up to engagement by allowing auto-updates, and continue your antivirus definitions current.
Trouble: Your provider is throttling your connection
Internet providers can throttle your speeds, causing a slow connection . We'll get over throttling briefly hither, only you can get a more in-depth await at the subject in our guide to network throttling .
Nosotros've already discussed a few circumstances where a provider might throttle your speeds—like if you go over your data cap or if there'southward also much congestion in the network. But your provider might likewise tiresome you down if it flags your cyberspace activity as potentially illegal or if information technology generally doesn't want y'all to do a specific type of action (like torrenting).
To see if your provider is throttling your internet, run a speed test normally and then run information technology again using a VPN. If your speeds meliorate with the VPN, congratulations! You're throttled.
Other factors that impact your speed
Your internet programme's maximum speed
Cyberspace speeds are measured in megabits per 2nd (Mbps) . This refers to your connection'due south total bandwidth, not the actual time information uses to make a round trip to a website and back—that's called latency.
Providers usually advertise their internet speeds as "up to" a sure number of megabits per second, and there's usually some fine print that says those speeds are not guaranteed. Internet providers are mostly in the clear legally if your internet doesn't actually perform up to the highest advertised bandwidth.
Realistically, you may pay for 400 Mbps per month, but you likely won't encounter that maximum due to hardware issues betwixt your internet provider'south operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems—and your physical internet connection. Utility pole connections, your buried cable, and and so on all play a major factor in how your connexion performs. There'south nothing you lot can do to get the maximum bandwidth you pay for each month other than hope for the highest speeds possible.
If you need a refresher on internet speeds and what they mean, check out our guide to internet speeds .
Your upload and download speeds
You upload and download data every day, whether you're on a smartphone or a laptop. For instance, when you lot access a website, you upload a request to that website and and then download temporary files from the site to view it in your browser.
If you don't have bug with streaming on Netflix or downloading files but are still experiencing some symptoms of slow internet speeds, your effect might actually be with your upload speed.
Cable, DSL, and satellite providers give customers mode less upload bandwidth than download bandwidth because most people request much more than information from the internet than they send. Upload speed is typically an issue for heavy uploaders—like Twitch streamers , people who work with video or audio , or those who often take to share large files.
The best manner to better upload speeds is to switch to a fiber plan. Cobweb-optic internet connections oftentimes give customers upload speeds equal to their download speeds. If yous don't know what kind of speeds you lot really need , cheque out our recommendations for upload and download speeds .
Your internet connexion type
In that location are a few dissimilar technologies internet providers utilise to deliver your connexion, similar cable, fiber, satellite, or DSL. Your internet connexion type p lays a huge factor in your overall speeds.
Satellite internet transfers cyberspace signals from a base station to a satellite to a receiver at your domicile. Considering all your information must travel such a long altitude both means, satellite internet can take very high latency compared to other types of internet, which slows things downwards.
DSL internet uses telephone lines to carry data. Because the infrastructure is usually a fiddling older, it tin can't handle the same corporeality of bandwidth as a newer connectedness like fiber. DSL internet tops out at just over 100 Mbps, and its electric signals tend to degrade in quality over long distances.
Cable internet tin be faster than DSL because it uses the aforementioned coaxial cables that carry cable TV. Speeds tin can reach up to 1,000 Mbps, just cable is susceptible to network congestion during high-traffic times due to the infrastructure's overall "shared" pattern.
Cobweb-optic internet is one of the newest types of internet, and it's the best wired connection you tin get. Fiber uses LED or laser pulses to send your internet data, so it has lower latency than other internet types as a whole. It tin can also bear much more bandwidth than cablevision or DSL, offering speeds upwardly to 2,000 Mbps. It's less decumbent to network congestion and can offer equally high download and upload speeds.
Overall, DSL and cable are the most common internet types while fiber is newer but deficient. Satellite is all-time for rural areas where the other three types can't attain.
How to troubleshoot a tedious connection
First, know your plan speed
You need to know how much speed you pay for each month and compare that number confronting the speed y'all're actually getting now . Wait on your paper bill or log in to your online account to see your plan's advertised maximum speed.
Next, run a speed examination and compare
Running a series of speed tests while connected to different points in your network tin can assist you figure out where your speeds are slowing down. Nosotros'll break the testing process downward into ii sections.
Office one: Test the modem
Your beginning speed examination is to see if you're getting the correct speeds to your home compared with what you're supposed to get from your internet provider . To get the most accurate results for your initial speed test, unplug your router from the modem and connect a estimator to the aforementioned port on the modem using an Ethernet cablevision. If you have a wireless gateway, just plug it into 1 of the Ethernet ports.
Warning: We don't recommend browsing the internet for extended periods of time without using a router. Your router has some excellent born security features that protect your network from viruses and malware.
This offset test should give you results that are close to the speeds promoted with your program. If not, try to rail this effect over multiple days and times of day to establish a design. Contact your cyberspace provider to talk about why you're not getting the correct speeds if you continue to run across lower than expected results .
Run the Speed Exam
Part 2: Test the router
If your modem isn't the issue, the next step is to test the router. Plug the router dorsum into the modem and run multiple speed tests using your wireless devices, and wired devices plugged into the router'due south Ethernet ports.
If y'all come across a vast difference between the modem and router tests, and so your router is causing your connectedness slowdowns—or the Ethernet cable tethering your router to the modem.
Proceed in mind that not all wireless devices feel identical speeds. Their connections depend on the hardware inside no matter what router y'all use, so a budget Samsung phone will accept slower Wi-Fi speeds than an expensive wireless card plugged into your desktop.
To troubleshoot router problems, follow these steps:
Step 1: Unplug the router's power, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.
Stride ii: Make sure all cables are connected securely and that all ports work.
Step 3: Update your router'south firmware. Yous can do this by logging in to your router'due south web interface or mobile app . (Your ISP probable does this automatically, but it's worth checking.)
Step 4: Reposition your router .
Step five: Motion wireless connections to the best Wi-Fi ring .
Pace half-dozen: Change Wi-Fi channels in your router's interface to observe 1 that's less crowded.
Step vii: Try a factory reset by pressing the reset button located on the back of your router.
If none of these steps work, you lot may demand to upgrade to a newer or more than powerful router. Internet tech advances rather apace, and if your router is more than a few years one-time, information technology might be fourth dimension to get yourself something more than modernistic . If you're looking for router-buying guidance, we have recommendations for the best long-range routers , the all-time modem and router combos , and the best routers for Xfinity .
Check for Wi-Fi dead zones
Wi-Fi problems can stem from multiple factors . It could be your router's range, a crowded frequency channel or band, or signal interference caused by physical obstructions and other electronics.
Yous already know that you lot should identify your router at a central and elevated location for the best coverage, so we'll assume that you've already done that and pointed your antennas in the correct direction.
Get to dissimilar areas of your house with a reckoner or smartphone and watch the Wi-Fi indicate strength indicator. If y'all notice a lot of dead zones, you lot may need to movement your router once again (if they happen in areas where you normally need Wi-Fi) or invest in something to boost your Wi-Fi point to that particular area. You can besides brand a Wi-Fi heatmap if yous desire to get more precise with it.
If you lot have more a couple of bug with Wi-Fi expressionless zones, nosotros recommend upgrading to a mesh networking kit . They usually ship with at to the lowest degree two nodes—one that connects to your modem and some other that communicates straight with the starting time unit—to create a "blanket" of coverage. In that location's no centralized point, and you can easily add more nodes to extend coverage. Moreover, devices seamlessly switch betwixt nodes as yous move about the dwelling or function.
If yous adopt to stick with the traditional router, y'all could add a Wi-Fi extender or powerline adapter , Withal, we yet prefer mesh router kits versus the router/extender setup .
Reorganize your Wi-Fi connections
If you've already pruned your Wi-Fi connections of unnecessary devices , it'south time to make sure all active connections are on the right Wi-Fi ring.
Most modernistic routers offer ii Wi-Fi bands, which each create their own visible Wi-Fi network. By default, these are usually labeled with their frequency bands, but it might be different if you've inverse your Wi-Fi network's proper noun.
These bands operate on two different frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz frequency band has a better range, but it's slower and more susceptible to betoken interference from other electronics. The 5 GHz ring is faster but can't travel every bit far.
Basically, you lot want to utilise the five GHz band for most bandwidth-heavy applications similar streaming or gaming. Devices that don't demand that much speed—like smart home devices— should use the 2.iv GHz band instead .
Typically, yous can change the Wi-Fi band each device uses by logging in to the right Wi-Fi network on each device. Withal, some routers broadcast only i network name and automatically selects the all-time frequency band for your device. This tin be problematic if you really need the faster v GHz connectedness, but the router forces your device to use the 2.four GHz ring.
Alter your Wi-Fi band'southward channel
Both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands used by your router split up into multiple channels, similar to how analog and digital Idiot box works over the air. Similar any network dealing with lots of information, these Wi-Fi channels can get too crowded, which can crusade slowdowns. This is especially true for compacted living situations like apartment buildings.
To find the all-time channel, you can use an app like NetSpot for Windows or use the Network Diagnostics function on a Mac. Changing your Wi-Fi aqueduct involves logging in to your router'southward web interface and manually selecting the ideal channel.
Check connected devices
As nosotros mentioned before, sometimes the event isn't with your cyberspace connection— it'due south with the smartphone, computer, or tablet you're using to access the internet . It may demand a reboot, it may be outdated, or you have too many apps and programs open, bogging downward the device'due south processor.
Manage your network
If you've made it this far and you're still experiencing problems with slow internet speeds, run through the tips in the home network traffic section of this post if you haven't already.
Your speed issues near probable stem from your cyberspace provider's reliability or the traffic on your own home network. Fifty-fifty if yous've organized and trimmed down your number of connected devices, you could notwithstanding not have enough bandwidth at sure times of solar day to cover everything your network has to handle. The merely solution to this is to either use the internet less or get a faster internet plan.
Bank check out every provider and plan in your area to see if y'all tin can go better speeds for a meliorate deal.
Quick fixes for deadening net speeds (and why they work)
Before we dive in, take an cyberspace speed test. Measuring your internet speed and knowing how it compares to the speeds you pay for is an important part of diagnosing a deadening connectedness.
Run the Speed Exam
Fix #1: Power cycle your modem and router (or wireless gateway)
Your modem and router piece of work hard , and sometimes they need to refresh with a quick power wheel. Just pull the plug on both units, await 30 seconds, and and so plug the modem back into the wall outlet. Once it properly boots, practice the same with the router.
In the case of a wireless gateway, pull the plug, wait, and plug it back in.
Draining both units of power allows them to articulate the organization memory, articulate up whatsoever local advice issues, and reestablish fresh connections. Moreover, a power wheel allows the modem to resync with your internet provider's operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems. It besides refreshes your router's public IP address.
Overall, a power cycle tin really give your internet speeds a heave on your side of the modem.
Set up #2: Movement your router to another location
Many people hide their routers or wireless gateways in closets, behind furniture , or down in basement s . Don't be i of those people unless you want excessively bad Wi-Fi.
Instead , put as few concrete barriers betwixt your router and your devices equally possible. Walls, floors, ceilings , doors, large furniture, and similar obstructions tin barricade your Wi-Fi signals and reduce connectedness speeds , especially over longer distances.
Certain signals from other devices tin can besides interfere with your wireless speeds. These include microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, babe monitors, and cordless phones.
For the best Wi-Fi coverage, place your router in a fundamental, elevated location, or at a location where y'all use Wi-Fi the nigh, like in a home office .
Be sure to utilize your router's external antennas ( if nowadays ) to become meliorate Wi-Fi coverage. Well-nigh router antennas broadcast Wi-Fi signals in an outward circle perpendicular to the antenna'due south position . For example, if the antennas are positioned vertically, the Wi-Fi signals broadcast horizontally in all directions.
That said, if you lot live in a i-story house, go along the antennas vertical. If you live in a multistory house, positional at least one antenna horizontally so the Wi-Fi signals achieve the additional floors.
Prepare #3: Use the internet during off-peak hours
If you know there's a large download in your future— the latest version of macOS or a 100 GB update for an Xbox Series X game—you might desire to schedule a fourth dimension when you don't need to practice anything else online. The early morning hours are ideal when everyone is asleep and no other downloads currently hog your bandwidth.
Operating systems tend to wait until the early morn hours when you lot're fast asleep. Game updates, meanwhile, typically crave you to manually beginning the download. Other updates aren't quite and so all-around with your schedule.
If your cyberspace gets too slow to stream during certain acme hours, download the content earlier in the twenty-four hours (or again, in the centre of the nighttime) so you'll be ready to binge scout all of Avatar: The Terminal Airbender without buffering -related interruptions.
Set up #iv: Upgrade your internet plan
You may need a faster program if more people alive with you lot now, if you transitioned to working from abode, or if you generally use the cyberspace more than you did earlier. Enter your nix code below to find a speedier programme that's available in your area .
Writer - Rebecca Lee Armstrong
Rebecca Lee Armstrong has more than 6 years of experience writing about tech and the cyberspace, with a specialty in hands-on testing. She started writing tech production and service reviews while finishing her BFA in creative writing at the University of Evansville and has establish her niche writing about home networking, routers, and internet access at HighSpeedInternet.com. Her work has as well been featured on Top X Reviews, MacSources, Windows Central, Android Central, Best Company, TechnoFAQ, and iMore.
Editor - Cara Haynes
Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital infinite for seven years, and she's edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for v years. She graduated with a BA in English and a pocket-sized in editing from Brigham Young Academy. When she'southward non editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no ane should feel lost in internet land and that a skillful internet connection significantly extends your life span.
Source: https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/why-is-my-internet-so-slow