Troubleshooting Slow Internet Connections at Home

As the centerpiece of a network, a broadband router can be responsible for slow Internet connections if configured improperly. For example, the MTU setting of your router will lead to performance issues if set too high or too low. Ensure your router’s settings are all consistent with the manufacturer’s and your Internet Service Provider (ISP) recommendations. Carefully record any changes you make to your router’s configuration so that you can undo them later if necessary.

Wi-Fi and other types of wireless connections may perform poorly due to signal interference, which requires computers to continually resend messages to overcome signal issues. Household appliances and even your neighbors’ wireless networks can interfere with your computers. To avoid slow Internet connections due to signal interference, reposition your router for better performance and change your Wi-Fi channel number.

An Internet worm is a malicious software program that spreads from device to device through computer networks. If any of your computers are infected by an Internet worm, they may begin spontaneously generating network traffic without your knowledge, causing your Internet connection to appear slow. Keep up-to-date antivirus software running to catch and remove these worms from your devices.

Some software applications you install on a computer run as so-called background processes – hidden behind other apps or minimized to the system tray – quietly consuming network resources. Unlike worms, these applications are designed to do useful work and not the kind a person wishes to remove from their device normally. Games and programs that work with videos in particular can heavily utilize your network and cause connections to appear slow. It’s easy to forget these applications are running. Always check computers for any programs running in the background when troubleshooting a slow network.

When routers, modems or cables malfunction, they won’t properly support network traffic at full speeds. Certain technical glitches in network equipment negatively affect performance even though connections themselves can sometimes still be made. To troubleshoot potentially faulty equipment, temporarily re-arrange and re-configure your gear while experimenting with different configurations. Systematically try bypassing the router, swapping cables, and tests with multiple devices to isolate the slow performance to a specific component of the system. Then decide if it can somehow be upgraded or repaired… or if it needs to be replaced.

Internet speed ultimately depends on the service provider. Your ISP may change their network’s configuration or suffer technical difficulties that inadvertently cause your Internet connection to run slowly. ISPs may also intentionally install filters or controls on the network that can lower your performance. Don’t hesitate to contact your service provider if you suspect they are responsible for a slow Internet connection.