Fix Slow WiFi Speed: Practical Solutions and Tips [2023]

Are you having trouble with slow WiFi? It can be really annoying, especially if you need it for online classes or working from home. Slow WiFi can waste your time and stop you from doing important things like uploading files or watching shows.

The internet is really important in our lives today. When your internet is slow, you want to find ways to make it faster. There are lots of reasons why your WiFi might be slow, like a bad signal, problems with your router or wireless channels, or even issues with your device.

Don't worry though, there are many ways to fix slow WiFi speed. In this post, you'll learn about some of these ways.

Restart The Wifi Router

If you're having trouble with slow WiFi, restarting your router can help fix it. To do this, turn off the router or unplug it for 10-20 seconds, and then turn it back on. After you restart it, check your WiFi speed to see if it's faster now.

Another reason your WiFi might be slow is if too many devices are connected to it. You can try disconnecting some of your devices to see if that helps.

Is Anyone Else Using Your WiFi Connection?

It's important to remember that having too many devices connected to your Wi-Fi network can slow down your internet speed. Devices like laptops, smartphones, smart TVs, Wi-Fi printers, and gaming consoles can all use up the bandwidth of your Wi-Fi network. This means that if someone is watching a movie or playing a game on one device, it could make the internet slow for all the other devices connected to the network.

If you want to keep your Wi-Fi working well, you should try to limit the number of devices connected to it. And if you're going to do something that uses a lot of bandwidth, like playing a game or downloading a big file, you should try to do it at a time when other people aren't using the network. This will help make sure that everyone can use the internet without it being too slow.

Use Your Router's Web Interface

If you want to see how many devices are using your Wi-Fi, you can look at your router's web page. To do this, you need to know your router's IP address. If you don't know it, you can find it by using a command called 'IPCONFIG'. To do this, press the 'Windows + R' keys to open the run dialog box, type 'CMD', and press Enter.

On the command line type "IPCONFIG" and hit 'Enter'. Find the "Default Gateway" which shows your router's IP address. Example: 192.XX.XX.XX

Find The List Of Connected WiFi Devices

Enter the router IP address (Example - 192.XX.XX.XX) into the address bar of your web browser. This usually opens the router interface or control panel.

Enter your 'Username' and 'Password', once you log in, look for the button 'DHCP' and 'DHCP Client List. Now you can see connected devices to your router.

The options might be different like “Attach Devices," or "Connected Devices”. It depends on the router's model.

Protect Your WiFi Router From Cyber-attacks

A router is like a security guard for your internet connection. It manages all the devices connected to your network, like laptops, phones, and tablets. If your router isn't secure, hackers might be able to get into your network and see your personal information. So it's important to make sure your router is protected.

If someone gets into your Wi-Fi network, they can see everything on your devices, like your personal information. This can lead to identity theft and other bad things. To make sure this doesn't happen, it's important to protect your Wi-Fi network.

You can make your Wi-Fi network more secure by changing your username and password, using WPA2 encryption, and keeping your router's software up to date. Also, be careful when using public Wi-Fi, because these networks are often not secure.

By taking these steps, you can keep your Wi-Fi network and all your devices safe from people who want to cause harm.

Change Your WiFi Password

It is important to have a strong and hard-to-guess password to protect your router from unauthorized access. You need two passwords for your router: one to access the router settings and another to access your Wi-Fi network. These passwords should be a mix of numbers, symbols, and upper and lower-case letters to make them more difficult to guess.

If you forget your password, it can be a hassle to get back into the router settings. That's why it's essential to write down your passwords and keep them in a secure place or memorize them. This will help you avoid getting locked out of your router and allow you to make necessary changes to keep your network secure.

Setting strong passwords is a crucial step in securing your router and protecting your Wi-Fi network from potential security threats. By creating unique and complex passwords and keeping them safe, you can ensure that your network remains secure, and your personal information remains protected.

Internet Bandwidth In Windows

Sometimes, without you knowing it, certain programs or apps can use up all your internet bandwidth. For example, on a computer, Windows Update can download important updates without your permission. Other internet-connected programs can also use up your bandwidth without you realizing it, including viruses.

To check if any programs are using up your bandwidth in the background on a Windows computer, you can use Task Manager. To do this, you can right-click on the taskbar and select "Task Manager," or you can press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager.

You can check which programs are running in the background on your computer by using the Task Manager. This can help you identify any applications that are using your internet without your knowledge. To do this, right-click on the taskbar or press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open the Task Manager. You should be careful when ending a process and avoid terminating any vital processes like "Microsoft" or "system."

It's also crucial to use reliable antivirus software to detect and remove any hidden viruses or malware that might be running in the background. This can help keep your computer and personal data safe from potential threats.

Best Place To Put WiFi Router In House

To ensure that you have strong and fast WiFi signals for all your connected devices, it's important to place your router in an ideal location. It's recommended that you place the router in a central location and at a higher elevation. This will ensure that the signals reach every part of your home.

You should avoid placing electronic devices or obstacles between the router and your devices. This can disrupt the WiFi signals and affect their speed. Some materials like cement, concrete, and metals can also obstruct the signals, so it's best to avoid walls made of these materials.

Electronic items such as microwaves can also interfere with the signals, so it's best to keep them away from the router. Finally, the distance between your device and the router can also impact signal strength. So, it's best to keep your device as close to the router as possible.

Change The Router Channel For Better WiFi

Wireless routers use different channels to send and receive data, much like radio stations. When multiple routers use the same WiFi channel, they can interfere with each other's signals.

Luckily, you can manually choose a channel from the router admin panel. To do this, you need to access your router admin panel using its IP address and select the "Wireless Settings" option. You can then see the available channels and choose the one that is most suitable for your needs. The screenshots provided can guide you through the process visually.

Wifi Power Saving Mode

When we use our devices, we often worry about the battery running out quickly. To save battery, we turn on power-saving mode in Windows. But we also need to consider saving power for the network adapter. If Windows reduces the power to the network adapter to save energy, it can affect internet performance.

To make sure that the internet works well, we can change the power settings. To do this, right-click on the battery icon in the taskbar, choose "Power Options," and then click on "Change Plan Settings" to set the maximum performance.

On the next screen click 'Change advanced power settings,

now click on 'Wireless Adaptor Settings and select 'Maximum Performance'.

Update Network Adapter Drivers

Sometimes old or corrupt network drivers could cause slow WiFi speed.

To fix this issue, press the Windows+R key, open the Run dialog box and type 'devmgmt.msc' and hit 'Enter.

This will open the 'Windows Device Manager, find the 'Network Adaptors' double-click on it, and check if there is an exclamation mark that shows an issue with the drivers.

If you find the problem then right-click on it and click on 'Update Driver Software, follow the next screen wizard and it should get fixed.

Internet Speed Slow When Connected To VPN

VPN is a tool that can help protect your privacy and location, but it can also slow down your internet speed due to encryption and decryption of data. You can either stop using VPN or upgrade to a higher internet plan to get better speed.

If you're experiencing slow internet speeds while using a VPN, there are several potential reasons and solutions to consider. Your VPN service may be limiting your internet speed, your device may not be powerful enough to handle the VPN traffic, there may be network congestion, or the VPN protocol and encryption used may affect the speed. Firewall or antivirus software can also interfere with the VPN connection and slow down internet speeds.

In these cases, you can try changing servers, upgrading to a higher-tier VPN plan, upgrading your device, freeing up resources, changing VPN protocol and encryption, or disabling firewall or antivirus software temporarily.

Download Speed Slow But Internet Fast

If you have tried everything else, like checking your device's settings, and your internet is fast, the problem may be with the website you're downloading from. Some websites have slow download speeds, which means even if your internet is fast, your downloads may be slow.

To find out if this is the problem, try downloading files from different websites. If you notice a significant improvement in download speeds, then the issue may be with the particular website you're trying to download from.

Reset Your WiFi Router

If you're still having trouble with slow WiFi speed, you can try resetting your router to see if it helps. Keep in mind that resetting your router can be tricky because you'll need to set it up again after the reset.

To reset your router, look for a small button on the side or back of the device. Press and hold the button for about 10-15 seconds. If the router restarts after this, it has been reset successfully.

Contact Your ISP (Internet Servi

ce Provider)

If the previous solutions did not fix the slow internet issue, then it's time to contact your local Internet service provider. There could be a problem with their service, which is causing the slow internet. A service agent will come to your place and give you instructions on how to fix the issue.

FAQs: Slow WiFi Speed

Q: How often should I replace my router?

Ans. It is generally recommended to replace your router every three to four years to keep up with the pace of technology and device upgrades, such as smartphones every two years and PCs every three to four years.

Q: How do I know if my router is not working properly?

Ans There are a few signs that your router may be malfunctioning. These include an age of over five years, being rented from your internet service provider, experiencing connectivity issues, deteriorating Wi-Fi range and speeds, and overheating.

Q: Why do I need to reset my router frequently?

Ans. Resetting your router, also known as a "power cycle," can clear the device's cache and improve its performance. This process allows the router to select the least congested frequency channel, resulting in a stronger connection to your devices.

That's all folks!

I have covered some important points that cause slow wifi speed and how you can fix them. Although there may be other reasons that affect your wifi speed, you can share them with us in the comment box if your issue is not resolved.

Read More: