Slow Internet, Slow Network, Slow Computer!
Overtime we do experience slowness while accessing the Internet, Sites, Systems, Computers, WiFi and the Network, but who is to blame?
Vivek
3/10/20262 min read
Slow Internet, Slow Network and computers often lead to frustration, slow internet connections could be caused by issues with your equipment setup, network congestion, weak Wi-Fi, obsolete and old equipment, or even your ISP.
Follow through the below steps to narrow down and fix possible causes.
Apps to the Rescue! Usually, your ISP has an app such as Xfinity, Quantum fiber or similar that gives you a sense of any services issues in your area. Use that to determine if there is something external causing issues. Other apps like Down Detector are also useful to understand outages and service interruptions with specific services.
Power Cycle: Even the best needs a reset! Start with unplugging the power cable from all equipment starting with (usually ISP Provided) your cable modem, network router or cloud gateway, followed by your Wi-Fi router, Switch and any other inline network devices. Wait for 30-60 seconds, then plug it back in and wait for it to reboot. You lose internet connectivity, so perform this when it doesn’t impact your critical work.
Speedtest: Run a speed test (try it at different times during the day) and compare results to your plan speeds. Is the speed better at one time of the day vs another? Look through other influencing factors, kids streaming shows, vs Video calls etc. Limit congestion causing services and perform those at off peak hours.
Access to your equipment: Let’s face it, this is one thing that you absolutely should have access to (but not with default credentials, change them please!) Log in to your Wi-Fi router review settings and notice any unusual issues in logs. Sticking to default options is usually fine, but some settings like channel selection etc. (Channel Analyzing apps to check for overlapping bands) if not auto set, may need some tweaking. Prioritize bandwidth hungry and real time services like video call apps, like Zoom, Teams etc.
Avoid Chaotic placement: Your Routers placement makes a big difference too, neighboring devices interference, use Wi-Fi extenders where signal strength is weak… try apps that allow you to check signal strength.
Maybe it’s the computer or mobile device? Overtime computers and handheld devices get bloated with unused apps, background services numerous files, browser tabs (and multiple browsers in some cases) and shortage of storage space. Use inbuilt apps to perform cleanups, uninstall whats not in use. Oh! how about rebooting the devices occasionally, don’t just put them to sleep, but bounce them, they will thank you 😊
Ethernet vs Wi-Fi: is one performing better than the other? Plug it in if it has a NIC, test it out, run speed tests, narrow it down!
Time to Upgrade? Reality check, some devices need to get upgraded every few years, not saying you need it, but do consider it, determine the age of your equipment, technology advances, apps demand more power and you absolutely need more juice to keep up with the rapidly developing tech out there… familiar with the craziness around the AI race? Oh, if your equipment is EOL / EOS, you may not be getting the security updates either... so invest now (if necessary) save yourself the frustration and chaos!
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