Why Does My Internet Keep Cutting Out?

Why does my internet keep going in and out?

Why does my internet keep going out? – There could be a number of factors that affect your internet connection. First, and most likely, is problems with your equipment. Restarting your modem/router should resolve the issue. Other reasons why your internet may keep going out include inadequate speeds, network congestion and inclement weather.

Why does my internet keep freezing?

Few problems are as frustrating as a frozen Internet browser, especially when it happens in the middle of an important action. Internet browsers can freeze for many reasons, including too many open programs or tabs, problems with the telephone or cable line, corrupt files, and outdated video drivers.

Wait a few seconds without pressing any keys. Sometimes a browser will temporarily freeze when it becomes overloaded but will fix itself without additional measures. When it unfreezes, close some tabs on your browser to prevent the problem from reoccurring. Press “Ctrl-Alt-Delete” on your keyboard. Click “Start Task Manager.” Look through the list of applications. Select the name of your browser. It will probably be listed as “not responding.” Click the “End Task” button. This may close the browser directly or you may receive another dialog box asking for confirmation of your decision to close the browser. Click “OK.” Restart the computer if the entire screen is frozen and nothing happens when you press any key. Holding down the computer’s power button for a few seconds will shut off most machines. In extreme cases when nothing else works, you can pull the power plug from the wall or the back of the computer. Once the browser is fully closed, restart it. Depending on which browser you have, you are often given the opportunity to restore your previous session. You can choose for it to open without certain tabs that may have been the culprit in its freezing. Some browsers will let you restore the history once the browser is open by clicking on “History” and selecting “Restore Previous Session.”

What is NASA internet speed?

‘The internet speed of NASA is 91 gigabits per seco

How long does a router last?

Ideally, your wireless router is something you shouldn’t have to think about very much once you’ve installed it. High-quality wireless equipment can give you a reliable home network while requiring little to no maintenance. But over time, even the best Wi-Fi systems will begin to age and eventually need to be replaced.

1. Experts recommend replacing your router at least every five years—and every two to three years for those of you who use several high-bandwidth devices and smart home devices.
2. But your Wi-Fi router is an investment, and you’re probably hesitant to replace it unless you know that you have to.
3. So how do you know if your router needs to be replaced soon? You’ll know you need a new router when you experience: • Slow speeds • A weak connection • Malfunctioning equipment • Incompatibility with new devices • Overheating ‍ Let’s discuss each of these telltale signs and what they mean.

If you find that your router suffers from several of the below symptoms, you can browse our customers’ most recommended Wi-Fi equipment lines for a much needed upgrade.

Why is my Wi-Fi connected but no internet?

How To Solve The “Wi-Fi connected but no internet” Problem in Windows PC Wi-Fi connected but no internet is a frustrating problem that anyone can face. If you are struggling with it, you are reading the right post. This post explains how to fix no internet connection errors,

The Wi-Fi not connecting to the internet error message means your device can connect to a local network (router or modem) but not with other systems like websites or servers. On Windows systems, the issue is shown by a small yellow warning triangle with a black exclamation point. Now that it is clear why you get the error message.

Let’s learn how to fix the no-internet connection issue. Common Causes for Wi-Fi has no internet access

Faulty Wi-Fi adapter. ISP is down. Incorrect internet protocol (IP) address. Security software interfering with internet access. Outdated wireless drivers. Incorrect DNS server settings. Corrupt DNS cache. Faulty router. Outdated wireless mode on PC

Which is better 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

Range or Speed If you want better range, use 2.4 GHz. If you need higher performance or speed, use the 5GHz band. The 5GHz band, which is the newer of the two, has the potential to cut through network clutter and interference to maximize network performance.

How do I know if my internet is unstable?

2. Check Your Internet Connection’s Stability With a Desktop App – You can also test the stability of your internet connection using desktop apps, just like you can with online tools. One such option is the Free Ping Tool, which lets you test the stability of your internet as you would with any other method.

1. Go to the to download the tool.
2. Install the tool by following the instructions on the screen.
3. Run the software after it has been installed.
4. Enter the name of your favorite host, which remains online most of the time, and click on the “+” icon.
5. Then, click the Start button to ping the server, and the tool will inform you if the ping was successful, how much the ping rate was, and so on.
6. Note this detail and ping the server many times by pressing Stop and Start in quick succession.

Performing highly network-intensive tasks, such as playing online games, requires a stable internet connection. Running a ping test is a great way to check your internet connection’s stability. If the internet turns out to be unstable, check for possible issues and take the necessary actions to prevent it from getting worse.

Why is Wi-Fi worse in winter?

The temperature has little effect on internet speed – Copper and fiber optic wires aren’t susceptible to the cold, but extremely low temperatures can cause ground heaves, which may damage or tear underground wires. “Physical damage to Wi-Fi conduits and an overflow of users are offshoot causes of weather-related Wi-Fi problems,” according to Bustle,

Can the cold mess up your internet connection?

Temperatures at, or below, 32°F/0°C expose network equipment to potential damage, which can disrupt a subscriber’s service. Freezing temperatures place extra strain on cables, which may cause them to stiffen, making them brittle and inflexible. This may lead to cables cracking or breaking.

1. Even the slightest amount of damage to outdoor equipment, such as enclosures and cabinets, could stop a broadband connection from reaching the home.
2. Freezing temperatures will always be a threat during the winter months in certain parts of the world.
3. So how can we prepare for this to avoid disruption to home networks? Ensure you have the proper products installed that are made for this weather.

• Aerial ADSS Fiber Cable’s light weight and tough material diminish the chance of stiffening, shrinking, and cracking, leaving no room for network loss in the winter’s coldest temperatures. • It is important to look for outdoor enclosures like FutureLink ® Patch & Splice Enclosures that are designed to protect fiber networks from extreme weather conditions. With these types of enclosures, vital network connections are protected from wet weather and freezing conditions that could disrupt signal traffic to network subscribers. design built to withstand the harshest of environmental factors. It features PPC Perfect Guard® technology that provides protection against corrosion and extreme temperatures to increase durability all year long. • Some of the most exposed products in the network are cabinets meant to be mounted on poles and pads.

Why is Wi-Fi bad in winter?

Does weather impact internet connection speeds? Nov 28, 2022 Share Wireless connections, even very fast ones, are the most impacted by the weather. Weather phenomena like rain and snow can directly interfere with wireless signals. Wired connections are pretty resilient to bad weather, though power outages are a problem for all connection types.

Satellite signals travel the farthest through the atmosphere and require outdoor equipment, making them especially vulnerable to weather problems. The internet was, This means that even if weather events physically damage cables, antennas, or other infrastructure, any interruptions to service are usually limited in size and the damage can be quickly repaired or bypassed.

If you experience disruptions in your internet service for more than just a few hours, you should contact your internet service provider. If you’re dealing with unexplained issues with your internet connection, a good place to start is our handy, By far the most common and direct way that weather impacts our internet connections is when storms cause local power outages.

When there’s a power outage in your area, it not only shuts down the equipment in your house, but also knocks out other important internet infrastructure near your house. This means that even if you had a generator to power your computer and home network, you probably still couldn’t connect to the internet.

One exception to this is, which transmits its signal over copper phone lines. Those of us who remember (or still have) landline telephones know that even if the power went out, the phone still worked. This also means that as long as you have a battery to keep your router and computer running, DSL internet can continue to run without electricity, just like a landline phone.

In addition to contributing to power outages, rain can interfere with wireless internet connections in a phenomenon known as rain fade. Liquid water has a broad absorption spectrum in microwave wavelengths (which is how microwave ovens work). Most,,, and signals fall into these frequencies, which means that if there’s rain or clouds between the transmitter and your receiver, some of the signal will be absorbed.

Water droplets can also scatter the signal if the frequency of the signal and the size of the droplets match up in the right way. Rain fade poses a considerable challenge for the deployment of new technologies like millimeter-wave 5G in tropical areas.

Fortunately, new countermeasures are also being developed to mitigate these effects on wireless signals. Cold weather can affect internet connections in several ways. Snow and ice particles in the air can contribute to rain fade, but they also pose an additional problem for wireless internet since snow can build up on antennas.

This is particularly problematic for satellite internet customers, as a satellite dish is a great shape for catching large amounts of snow. If snow builds up on your dish, you need to remove it. If your dish is easily accessible, this can be done with your hand or a brush.

If not, the safest way to do this is by standing on the ground or another flat, stable surface and gently brushing the snow off with a broom or other long-handled tool. If you live in an area where snow buildup is a consistent problem, it’s better to prevent it with a cover or heater for your dish. High velocity winds can damage infrastructure and cause power outages.

But for satellite internet users, they can also knock your dish out of alignment. If you suspect that your satellite dish is out of alignment, the first thing you should do is contact your provider’s customer support. They will either walk you through steps to fix the problem or send a technician out to help fix things.

1. Electronic equipment like routers and computers need to stay cool in order to function properly, so extreme temperatures can cause these devices to overheat and interrupt home Wi-Fi network.
2. For indoor equipment, overheating can usually be avoided by moving your router to a cooler location.
3. Eep network equipment out of direct sunlight and make sure that it’s in a well-ventilated area, not in a small closet or cupboard.

Also make sure you where you will still maintain a strong Wi-Fi signal. For outdoor equipment, there’s often not much you can do. One customer in Arizona discovered that its satellite internet equipment goes into thermal shutdown if it reaches a temperature of 122° F.

1. The customer was able to temporarily cool the dish off with a sprinkler, but this was only a temporary solution.
2. Processors and other electronic components found on printed circuit boards can be easily damaged by heat.
3. Most devices, like the Starlink dish, will shut down before their electronics can be damaged by heat.

But when in doubt, it’s a good idea to shut down your equipment if it’s getting too hot. Even if you live far from areas that are prone to hurricanes, these superstorms can still cause problems for your online experience. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck the New England coastline, knocking out power and internet infrastructure, causing outages throughout New York and New Jersey.

1. People on the other side of the country didn’t have to worry about outages, but might have found that a number of websites like Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and Gizmodo were no longer online.
2. Although the decentralized nature of the internet means that information can easily be rerouted to avoid damaged areas—even damaged areas as big as the one caused by Hurricane Sandy—this doesn’t help if all your data centers are in the affected area.

Data centers that host important parts of the internet always have backup generators and other measures to ensure operation, even in the event of a natural disaster. Unfortunately, huge weather events like hurricanes can cause more damage than can be repaired before the fuel runs out.

1. In this way, hurricanes can affect internet users across the globe.
2. Surely a day with clear sunny skies is the one time we don’t have to worry about the weather ruining our internet connection, right? Well, for most of us, yes.
3. But once again, satellite internet is the exception.
4. For a few days each spring and fall (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere), the satellite you connect to will line up perfectly with the sun, creating interference.

Interestingly, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations like don’t suffer from this issue. Traditional satellite internet uses geostationary satellites that stay in the same position in the sky. You point your dish directly at that one satellite.

• LEO constellations are made up of many smaller satellites that are constantly moving across the sky, which means that there’s never a time of year where they line up perfectly with the sun.
• In most cases, weather-related outages are outside your control.
• They most often involve damage to network infrastructure that impacts most or all of the people living in your area.

Still, there are a few things you can do just to be sure.

How fast is Japan’s internet?

What is the average internet speed in Japan? – Japan’s overall average internet speed is 42.77 Mbps. Research into average internet speeds around the world has placed Japan as the fifth fastest internet speed globally. Of course, it’s important to note that the average internet speed can vary considerably depending on the region.

How fast is 5G in Mbps?

5G can be significantly faster than 4G, delivering up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates and 100+ Megabits-per-second (Mbps) average data rates.5G has more capacity than 4G.5G is designed to support a 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency.

Is NASA WIFI free?

Introduction Save a Map. Download the All-New Free App! Download the newly-updated Kennedy Space Center Official Guide and start your journey! The official Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex app is the essential guide to planning and customizing your visit to America’s multi-user spaceport. Download the free app before your visit and enjoy the following enhancements:

Plan your day with complete details on the various attractions, exhibits and shows. With GPS-enabled navigation, easily find your way around as you explore the visitor complex. Access additional helpful information including hours of operation, where to shop, where to eat and the nearest restrooms. Push notifications communicate launch alerts, incoming severe weather or upcoming special events or shows. Easily purchase your tickets ahead of your visit. Learn about upcoming events and launches before or during your visit. Translation capabilities for the guest’s preferred language.

Kennedy Space Center Official Guide App is available for free in both the App Store and Google Play, Remember, free Wi-Fi is available throughout the visitor complex. Kennedy Space Center is a working spaceflight facility. As a result, all tours and times are subject to change without notice.

How fast do routers go bad?

Before COVID-19 forced many of us to work and learn remotely, the difference between a so-so router and a great one wasn’t that important. As long as Netflix worked in the living room and the kids could play games online with their friends, why bother thinking about it? But now that wireless routers have become a more critical part in our lives, it’s time to pay closer attention to them.

1. That includes recognizing when they should be replaced, either because they no longer perform well or aren’t receiving security updates.
2. The security concern is a big one.
3. We trust wireless routers to safely and reliably connect our laptops, smart TVs, and video game consoles to the internet.
4. The last thing we want is to have data we send or receive become vulnerable to hackers.

To be clear, we’re talking here about routers you buy and set up yourself, not the ones provided by internet service providers for a monthly fee. If you have questions about those routers, call your ISP. If you own your router, there is no clear-cut way to decide when to replace it.

1. But there are a few signs that indicate it’s time to say goodbye.
2. Even if your router appears to be working well, you’ll want to replace it if it’s no longer receiving firmware updates.
3. These updates are installed automatically on some routers, while other routers require you to do it.
4. An update can add useful new features to your router.

For instance, last year, Google introduced a tool for its Nest WiFi and Google WiFi routers to minimize video call disruptions like buffering or stuttering. More important, firmware updates often include security patches that help keep you and your data safe from hackers,

Without these regular updates, the odds increase that your data could end up in the wrong hands or that your router (or the devices on your network) could end up in a botnet, an army of “zombie” devices under the control of hackers, and used for crimes. The tricky part here is determining whether and when your router has stopped receiving firmware updates.

If you’re lucky, your router’s manufacturer keeps an updated list of devices it no longer actively supports. In tech jargon, this is an “end of life” list, and any router that appears on it should be replaced. Asus, D-Link, Netgear, Synology, and TP-Link all have router end-of-life lists, while Eero says it still supports its first-gen mesh routers.

• Google so far has three routers, the oldest dating back to 2016,
• That model is still supported, though the company wouldn’t say for how long.
• You can also look yourself to see when the last time your router firmware was updated.
• There are a couple of ways to do this.
• The easiest method is to use the router’s mobile app, which typically has an option to manually check for updates.

(The name of the menu or setting will vary by brand.) You can also look at your router’s web app, which is accessed by typing an IP address—often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1—into your web browser. The exact address varies by model but is often indicated directly on the router itself.

• You’d then click “check for updates” or something similar to see when the last update took place.
• If no update has been available for months, or even years, the router is probably no longer being supported.
• As a rule of thumb, a Netgear representative told us, consumers should consider replacing their router after three years, and representatives from Google and Linksys said a three-to-five-year window was appropriate.

Amazon, which owns the popular Eero brand of routers, put the range at three to four years. However, CR’s own survey data indicates that one-fifth of consumers wait more than four years to replace their router. That’s cutting it close. “All of the data that we have shows that consumers hold onto their router for dear life and for as long as possible,” says Richard Fisco, who oversees electronics testing for Consumer Reports.

Why do so many routers stop getting updates after just a few years? Industry representatives say it’s because it’s difficult to keep writing new software that can run on older chips. “What happens in the semiconductor industry, which I have a lot of experience in, is that chipsets get really, really old,” says Sanjay Noronha, senior product manager at Google Nest.

“It just gets harder to update the software on those, because of a bunch of reasons, such as the version of Linux they use going stale.” So there may be a very good reason to replace a router, even if it’s working well. You also should upgrade your router if it’s no longer delivering fast and reliable WiFi to your devices.

• You can determine this a few ways.
• You might suddenly find that you can’t watch Netflix in 4K on the couch while the kids are chatting with their friends on Discord in their rooms.
• Large downloads, such as games from platforms like Steam and Xbox GamePass, may take forever and a day to finish.
• Or maybe you can’t quite get a decent connection in your spare bedroom turned home office.

But before you buy a new router, run a speed test or two to get an idea how fast your connection is to the internet. This will tell you whether the problem is really with the router or with your internet service provider. There are several speed tests online, including SpeedTest.Net and Speed Test by Measurement Lab, which you’d ideally run on a laptop connected directly via ethernet cable to your router.

Speed tests are somewhat finicky and you may see different results depending on several factors, including time of day and other activity on your network, but they’ll give you a good idea of the speed you’re getting. And if that number is materially different from the speed you’re paying for, you’ll want to call your ISP to see what’s going on.

It could be an issue on their end. Or if the speeds match, you may just need to pay for a faster tier of service to handle the demands you’re putting on your system. But if the data speeds coming into your home seem okay, it could be that your router is no longer up to the task.

That might be particularly true if you have better connectivity in one part of the house than in another. If it has been quite a while since you last upgraded your router, you might not know that a relatively new type of technology, called mesh networking, has become quite popular. Routers that use this technology are typically sold in packs of two or three, and they work together to spread WiFi throughout your home.

In many cases, you’ll get better performance with a mesh router than a traditional, single-unit router, particularly if you live in a larger home. Right now there are 56 models in CR’s ratings, split across two categories: wireless (aka single-unit) and multi-unit mesh WiFi models. Nicholas De Leon Nicholas De Leon is a senior reporter for Consumer Reports, covering laptops, wireless routers, tablets, and more. He has been at CR since 2017. He previously covered tech for Vice, News Corp, and TechCrunch. He lives in Tucson, Ariz. Follow him on Twitter for all things tech and soccer @nicholasadeleon,

How often should I replace router?

SOLUTION – Upgrade your router at least every five years—or after you upgrade most of your wireless devices, especially if you need all the speed you can get. You can still use your old router as a wired hub if you don’t have the heart to kick it to the curb—just disable the Wi-Fi radios. Here are a few suggestions based on our tests to get you started:

Best Wi-Fi Routers Best Wi-Fi 6 Routers

Is My Wi-Fi bad or my router?

If you’re still getting consistent speed test results when connected to your router via Ethernet, your speed issue is most likely caused by something in your Wi-Fi network. Slow Wi-Fi can come from all sorts of things, including physical obstructions like walls, signal interference, or even outdated devices.

Why is my internet freezing and going so slow?

8 Reasons Why Your Internet is Slow (and How to Fix It) Expert tips to banish slow internet speeds Jun 29, 2023 Share, You can generally fix a slow internet connection if the issue is on your end. 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 bottleneck if not working properly—the same goes with wireless gateways. If your equipment is too old, it may not support important internet protocols.

Equipment damage, such as bad ports or components, can also cause slowdowns. There are a few ways to make sure each step of your network is performing at optimal speed. We’ll help you identify and fix your network’s weakest link starting with the basics—we’ll get more in-depth as we go deeper into our guide.

If your internet slows down only when too many other people are online simultaneously, you’re probably using more bandwidth than your plan allows. Use our internet speed test to see if you’re getting the speed advertised by your ISP. 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 around than there is bandwidth, you run into a traffic jam.

Think of your internet connection like a road directly to your house. One car’s worth of people (or internet data) can reach your house at a time. If there are three cars trying to get there, they have to line up to get to your house. And if more cars arrive as the others are waiting to reach your house, the line and the delays get longer.

The easiest way to get more bandwidth is by upgrading to a faster internet plan that can keep up with your household. We’re online now more than ever, and the internet plan you signed up for a few years ago might not be sufficient today if your connection slows down every time multiple people use the internet.

We recommend checking out one of the in the US. If you need help figuring out how much bandwidth you need to prevent traffic jams, check out our How Much Speed Do You Need tool. Your slow speeds might be the result of trying to do too much at once on your internet connection.

Thankfully, there are severa l easy ways to mitigate congestion on your home network that don’t include yelling at everyone to get off the internet so you can attend a Zoom meeting. Here are a few tips on how to manage your home network traffic: Many routers have a quality of service (or QoS) component that allows you to control how your network prioritizes certain types of data.

That way, you can make sure your streaming data always gets first access to available bandwidth for smooth playback. Not all routers have adjustable QoS, but 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,

1. It’s really easy if you don’t know how—just follow our instructions.
2. There may be some devices connected to your network that you rarely use—if at all.
3. For example: you bought a new laptop, but the old one still idles and connects to the network.
4. Even though it’s not in use, it still uses bandwidth for updates and other background services.

Your router may even have a limited number of devices it can connect to simultaneously, and if you have too many connected devices the router may start kicking some of them off the network. One simple way to take stock of all the devices using your network is to load your router’s web interface and view the network map.

You will see all connected devices, whether they’re active or not, so you can block the ones you never use. Another method is to change the Wi-Fi password, but that only applies to wireless devices, Once you 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 way you can identify and remove devices that no longer need access to your network, If your connection can’t handle everyone online at once, stagger your internet activities so everyone gets a chance at an uninterrupted connection. Also, make sure to schedule big downloads (like computer and game updates) during times when other people won’t be online.

There’s nothing wrong with sharing your internet with guests when they come to visit, but you don’t want them to secretly download illegal content while they lounge on your couch, That’s where your router’s guest network feature comes into play, You can create a second guest network using your router’s web interface or mobile app.

A guest network allows you to limit how much bandwidth guests can use, and what services and websites they can access, It also provides improved security by preventing guests’ devices from mingling with your devices, so there’s no worry about guests spreading malware to everything you use.

1. Your ISP is also susceptible to network congestion.
2. It’s a similar situation to traffic on your home network but on a larger scale.
3. If the congestion gets particularly bad, your internet provider may throttle internet speeds in your area to reduce traffic for the network.
4. Unfortunately, large-scale network congestion is out of your control,

But there are a few tricks to circumvent the issue. Try to schedule game and media downloads during non-peak hours, like in the middle of the night. You could also switch to another provider that doesn’t have as many subscribers around you, though that could be difficult to determine,

1. Many internet providers have data caps, and some slow your speeds to a crawl once you exceed your plan’s data limit.
2. You can usually check to see how much data you’ve used on your online account or through your ISP’s app.
3. Providers like give customers very high data caps—1.2 TB for this example—and shouldn’t cause too many issues for most households.

But satellite internet providers including and are less generous with their data allowances. Satellite internet providers charge for internet use by data rather than by internet speed. It’s similar to how cell phone plans usually work: once you use up your data allowance for the month, your internet speeds are throttled.

HughesNet customers can see speeds drop to 1–3 Mbps. Viasat customers can expect all their internet traffic to be deprioritized, meaning that their data gets pushed to the back of the line of all Viasat customers’ data. Many DSL, cable, and fiber internet companies are discontinuing data limits, but there are many others that continue to keep them in place,

Look to see if your internet service has a data cap in our, Walls, distance, and even microwaves can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Weaker Wi-Fi signals mean slower speeds and frequent disconnects, You can tell if signal interference and weak Wi-Fi signals are your issues if your connection works well near your router but is extremely slow in the next room,

1. To fix weak Wi-Fi, first, check your router’s placement.
2. Y ou want to make sure your router is in a central and elevated location and away from things that can affect your Wi-Fi signals (like walls, Bluetooth speakers, etc.).
3. If that doesn’t work, you might need to replace your router with one designed for longer ranges or better coverage—or you can to your network to stretch Wi-Fi signals into a previously unreachable area,

Check out our guides on and if you need better Wi-Fi coverage. Latency is the time data takes to make a round 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’s infrastructure—things that are mostly beyond your control.

Internet type can also play into latency as well. For example, satellite internet has high latency because 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, have lower latency because they can handle faster signals.

If you’re looking to lower your latency for a better connection, check out our report on, It dives into which internet services have the best tested speeds and lowest average latency. The problem might not be with your internet connection—it might be with the device you use, Your computer, tablet, phone, or gaming console could be outdated and not capable of processing today’s Wi-Fi speeds.

For example, the old (but much loved) PlayStation Vita handheld console supports up to 150 Mbps per second because it uses a Wi-Fi 4 radio. That speed can decrease based on the router it connects to and the security protocol it uses. The Vita will never see speeds beyond that 150 Mbps limit.

• Too 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’s operating system up to date by allowing auto-updates, and keep your antivirus definitions current. Internet speeds are measured in megabits per second (Mbps),

This refers to your connection’s total bandwidth, not the actual time data 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 certain 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 may not see that maximum due to hardware issues between your internet provider’s operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems—and your physical internet connection.

1. Utility pole connections, your buried cable, and so on all play a major factor in how your connection performs.
2. If you need a refresher on internet speeds and what they mean, check out our,
3. You upload and download data every day, whether you’re on a smartphone or a laptop.
4. For instance, when you access a website, you upload a request to that website and then download temporary files from the site to view it in your browser.

If you don’t have issues with streaming on Netflix or downloading files but are still experiencing some symptoms of slow internet speeds, your issue might actually be with your upload speed. Cable, DSL, and satellite providers give customers way less upload bandwidth than download bandwidth because most people request much more information from the internet than they send.

1. Upload speed is typically an issue for heavy uploaders—like, people who work with video or audio, or those who often have to share large files.
2. The best way to improve upload speeds is to switch to a fiber plan.
3. Fiber-optic internet connections often give customers upload speeds equal to their download speeds.

If you don’t know what kind of speeds you really need, check out our, There are a few different technologies internet providers use to deliver your connection, like cable, fiber, satellite, or DSL. Your internet connection type p lays a huge factor in your overall speeds.

transfers internet signals from a base station to a satellite to a receiver at your home. Because all your information must travel such a long distance both ways, satellite internet can have very high latency compared to other types of internet, which slows things down. uses phone lines to carry data.

It can’t handle the same amount of bandwidth as cable or fiber. DSL internet tops out at just over 100 Mbps, and its electrical signals tend to degrade in quality over long distances. is faster than DSL because it uses coaxial cables that have a higher bandwidth than phone cables,

1. Speeds can reach up to 1,200 Mbps.
2. Is one of the newest types of internet, and it’s the best wired connection you can get.
3. Fiber uses light pulses to send your internet data, so it has lower latency than other internet types as a whole.
4. It can also carry much more bandwidth than cable or DSL, offering speeds up to 5,000 Mbps.

It’s less prone to network congestion and offers equally high download and upload speeds. Overall, DSL and cable are the most common internet types while fiber is newer but scarce. Satellite is best for rural areas where the other three types can’t reach.

Internet providers can throttle your speeds, causing a slow connection, We’ll go over throttling briefly here, but you can get a more in-depth look at the subject in our, We’ve already discussed a few circumstances where a provider might throttle your speeds—like if you go over your data cap or if there’s too much congestion in the network.

But your provider might also slow you down if it flags your internet activity as potentially illegal or if it generally doesn’t want you to do a specific type of activity (like torrenting). To see if your provider is throttling your internet, run a speed test normally and then run it again using a VPN.

1. If your speeds improve with the VPN, congratulations! You’re throttled.
2. We provide some quick tips below to help speed up your internet connection.
3. But if you’re ready to get to the bottom of your internet speed issues with some thorough troubleshooting, see our,
4. You need to know how much speed you pay for each month and compare that number against the speed you’re actually getting now,

Look on your paper bill or log in to your online account to see your plan’s advertised maximum speed. Running a series of while connected to different points in your network can help you figure out where your speeds are slowing down. We’ll break the testing process down into two sections.

• Part 1: Test the modem Your first speed test 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 computer to the same port on the modem using an Ethernet cable.

If you have a wireless gateway, just plug it into one 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 built-in security features that protect your network from viruses and malware.

• Part 2: Test the router

If your modem isn’t the issue, the next step is to test the router. Plug the router back into the modem and run multiple speed tests using your wireless devices, and wired devices plugged into the router’s Ethernet ports. If you see a vast difference between the modem and router tests, then your router is causing your connection slowdowns—or the Ethernet cable tethering your router to the modem.

1. To troubleshoot router problems, follow these steps:
2. Step 1:, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.
3. Step 2: Make sure all cables are connected securely and that all ports work.

Step 3: Update your router’s firmware. You can do this by or mobile app, (Your ISP likely does this automatically, but it’s worth checking.)

• Step 4:,
• Step 5: Move wireless connections to the,
• Step 6: Change in your router’s interface to find one that’s less crowded.
• Step 7: Try a factory reset by pressing the reset button located on the back of your router.

If none of these steps work, you may need to upgrade to a newer or more powerful router. Internet tech advances rather quickly, and if your router is more than a few years old, it might be time to get yourself something more modern, If you’re looking for router-buying guidance, we have recommendations for the, the, and the,

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. You already know that you should place 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 right direction.

Go to different areas of your house with a computer or smartphone and watch the Wi-Fi signal strength indicator. If you notice a lot of dead zones, you may need to move your router again (if they happen in areas where you normally need Wi-Fi) or invest in something to boost your Wi-Fi signal to that particular area.

You can also make a Wi-Fi heatmap if you want to get more precise with it. If you have more than a couple of issues with Wi-Fi dead zones, we recommend upgrading to a mesh networking kit, They usually ship with at least two nodes—one that connects to your modem and another that communicates directly with the first unit—to create a “blanket” of coverage.

There’s no centralized point, and you can easily add more nodes to extend coverage. Moreover, devices seamlessly switch between nodes as you move about the home or office. If you prefer to stick with the traditional router, you could add a or, However, we still prefer mesh router kits versus the router/extender setup,

If you’ve already pruned your Wi-Fi connections of unnecessary devices, it’s time to make sure all active connections are on the correct Wi-Fi band. Most modern routers offer two 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 changed your Wi-Fi network’s name.

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 signal interference from other electronics. The 5 GHz band is faster but can’t travel as far. Basically, you want to use the 5 GHz band for most bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming or gaming.

Devices that don’t need that much speed—like smart home devices— should use the 2.4 GHz band instead, Typically, you can change the Wi-Fi band each device uses by logging in to the correct Wi-Fi network on each device. However, some routers broadcast only one network name and automatically selects the best frequency band for your device.

This can be problematic if you really need the faster 5 GHz connection, but the router forces your device to use the 2.4 GHz band. Changing your router’s channel is a standard troubleshooting suggestion, but it may not work, and here’s why. All three frequency bands are divided into small 20 MHz channels, and routers combine these channels to make larger ones.

1. Most modern Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 devices use 80 MHz channels when they connect to the 5 GHz band for the most speed, so routers use these by default.
2. The thing is, routers only list the smaller channels, so you may run a Wi-Fi diagnostics app and see that channel 36 is clear for you to use, but in reality, it’s probably being used by a neighboring network that, like yours, combines channels 36, 40, 44, and 48 to create one 80 MHz channel.

If that’s the case, your best bet is to select one of the higher 5 GHz channels (if they’re available to you) and hope for the best. Most standalone routers allow you to change the channel in the web interface or mobile app, but you usually can’t change the channel on a mesh system.

As we mentioned before, sometimes the issue isn’t with your internet connection— it’s with the smartphone, computer, or tablet you’re using to access the internet, It may need a reboot, it may be outdated, or you have too many apps and programs open, bogging down the device’s processor. If you’ve made it this far and you’re still experiencing problems with slow internet speeds, run through the tips in the of this post if you haven’t already.

Your speed issues most likely stem from your internet provider’s reliability or the traffic on your own home network. Even if you’ve organized and trimmed down your number of connected devices, you could still not have enough bandwidth at certain times of day to cover everything your network has to handle.

1. The only solution to this is to either use the internet less or get a faster internet plan.
2. Before we dive in, download our internet speed test.
3. Measuring your internet speed and knowing how it compares to the speeds you pay for is an important part of diagnosing a slow connection.
4. Your modem and router work hard, and sometimes they need to refresh with a quick power cycle.

Simply pull the plug on both units, wait 30 seconds, and then plug the modem back into the wall outlet. Once it properly boots, do 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 clear the system memory, clear up any local communication issues, and reestablish fresh connections.

• Moreover, a power cycle allows the modem to resync with your internet provider’s operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems.
• It also refreshes your router’s public IP address.
• Overall, a power cycle can really give your internet speeds a boost on your side of the modem.
• Many people hide their routers or wireless gateways in closets, behind furniture, or down in basement s,

Don’t be one of those people unless you want excessively bad Wi-Fi. Instead, put as few physical barriers between your router and your devices as possible. Walls, floors, ceilings, doors, large furniture, and similar obstructions can barricade your Wi-Fi signals and reduce connection speeds, especially over longer distances.

Certain signals from other devices can also interfere with your wireless speeds. These include microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, baby monitors, and cordless phones. For the best Wi-Fi coverage, place your router in a central, elevated location, or at a location where you use Wi-Fi the most, like in a home office,

Be sure to use your router’s external antennas ( if present ) to get better Wi-Fi coverage. Most router antennas broadcast Wi-Fi signals in an outward circle perpendicular to the antenna’s position, For instance, if the antennas are positioned vertically, the Wi-Fi signals broadcast horizontally in all directions.

1. That said, if you live in a one-story house, keep the antennas vertical.
2. If you live in a multistory house, position at least one antenna horizontally so the Wi-Fi signals reach the additional floors.
3. If you know there’s a big download in your future— the latest version of macOS or a 100 GB update for an Xbox Series X game—you might want to schedule a time when you don’t need to do 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 morning hours when you’re fast asleep. Game updates, meanwhile, typically require you to manually start the download.

• Other updates aren’t quite so accommodating with your schedule.
• If your internet gets too slow to stream during certain peak hours, download the content earlier in the day (or again, in the middle of the night) so you’ll be ready to binge watch all of Avatar: The Last Airbender without buffering -related interruptions.

You may need a faster plan if more people live with you now, if you transitioned to working from home, or if you generally use the internet more than you did before. Enter your zip code below to find a speedier plan that’s available in your area, Author – Rebecca Lee Armstrong has more than six years of experience writing about tech and the internet, with a specialty in hands-on testing.

1. She started writing tech product and service reviews while finishing her BFA in creative writing at the University of Evansville and has found her niche writing about home networking, routers, and internet access at HighSpeedInternet.com.
2. Her work has also been featured on Top Ten Reviews, MacSources, Windows Central, Android Central, Best Company, TechnoFAQ, and iMore.

Editor – Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital space for seven years, and she’s edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a minor in editing from Brigham Young University.

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