TurboCharge Your Internet (here's how...)

How to Get a Faster Internet Connection

Let's start with that wire that connects your computer to the Internet. If you still have a dialup connection, you're traveling the information superhighway in a horse and buggy. If DSL service is available from your phone company, upgrading will make the Internet seem like a different place. Even better, if you can move to a cable or a fiber optic connection, your internet can be 10-100X faster still.

Satellite internet and mobile broadband (cellular) connections tend to be slower than traditional broadband, but for those in very rural areas, they may be the only alternatives. My article SPEED: Is Satellite Internet Getting Faster? goes into more detail on some of those connection options.

If you've already got some type of "high-speed" internet connection, sometimes a problem with the wiring, cabling or fiber optic lines between the utility pole and your computer can cause a degradation in speed. Loose cable connections can slow down the Internet. If your computer is hardwired to your router, unplug the cable connections at both ends and reseat them firmly. Also reseat the cable that brings the Internet into your router or modem.

It's not unheard of for Internet service providers to throttle your connection speed without telling you. That's happened to me more than once. You can ask your ISP to test your connection and certify that you are getting all the bandwidth for which you are paying. Or do it yourself! See my article How Does Your Internet Speed Measure Up? to find out how.

Slow Internet -- Hardware Factors

I once had a problem once with a slow cable internet connection, which turned out to be caused by the incoming cable rubbing against a tree limb in my yard. Squirrels and mice have also been known to chew on these cables. Lightning can damage utility cables and weather may cause rusty or loose cable connections. If you think the problem lies between your router and the pole, contact your service provider to have the wires, connectors, and any splitters checked.

If you have a router that was installed by your Internet provider, and your Internet speed seems to bog down often, try rebooting the router to clear out the cosmic gunk. (See Silver Bullets, Cosmic Rays and Tired Computers.) I recommend that you shut off the router, wait a minute, then restart it and wait for it to reconnect to the Internet. If that makes a big difference, your router may be malfunctioning or overheating, and should be replaced. It's also possible that your router or modem is not capable of handling the speed you're paying for.

A few years ago, I upgraded my Verizon FIOS connection from 20Mbps to 50MBps, only to discover that my actual download speeds hadn't changed a bit. A free router upgrade solved the problem, but I might never have realized the need if I hadn't tested the speed myself. Updating your router's firmware can help fix bugs and improve performancealso, but that's something that requires a bit of tech savvy.

Wireless networks can have flaky connections, too. If you are not getting a five-bar signal from your wireless router, reposition the router and/or your computer's WiFi adapter until reception is as good as you can get. Routers typically have a range of about 150 feet, so if your router is located in a far corner of your house, you may experience slow speeds in other areas. You might consider a USB high-gain WiFi adapter, a high-gain antenna, or a range extender. If you're using a wifi connection on your desktop or laptop, try connecting your device directly to your router using an ethernet cable. This can greatly improve your connection speed, especially if you're using an older router. My article How to Boost or Extend Your WiFi Signal has some other tips you can try.

And although it has nothing really to do with networking, there is one hardware upgrade that can make a significant difference in your Internet speeds. Insufficient RAM memory can really bog down your computer, and make even a fast Internet connection frustratingly slow. (Think about what would happen to water flow if you connected a 6-inch pipe to a garden hose.) My article Does Your Computer Need More Memory? goes into detail on how much memory you should have, as well as how to purchase and install it.

Another thing to consider is competition. In neighborhoods where cable internet is common, you may notice slowdowns at certain times of the day, such as when kids get home from school, or just after dinner time. You may also have a bandwidth hog in your home. If someone is streaming a movie or playing a graphics intensive online game, other users may suffer. Upgrading your Internet service with your ISP should help there.

Slow Internet -- Software Factors

Software upgrades are key to getting the best Internet speed possible. Check with your ISP or the router manufacturer to see if there are any available updates for the router's firmware. Be sure to keep your operating system, your software and security tools up to date. A computer that's infested with viruses or spyware can come to a crawl when accessing the Internet. My articles Here's Why You Must Keep Your Software Updated (and how to do it for free) and PC Matic Gets a Zero! will point you in the right direction if you need help with these software and security issues.

You can also try an alternative DNS service provider, which may speed up the lookup of Web sites, and add maleare protection. DNS servers like Cloudflare, Quad9, or Comodo Secure DNS may offer noticeable improvements over your ISP defaults. Cloudflare offers blazing-fast resolution with strong privacy (no logging of personal data) and also malware blocking. Quad9 emphasizes security by blocking malicious domains using threat intelligence from 20+ partners, while maintaining speed. Comodo provides reliable performance with built-in phishing/malware protection. Visit dnsperf.com to find the fastest and most reliable DNS providers. If that sounds a bit techy, I covered this topic in more detail in my article Faster and Safer Internet? Here's How....

One reader told me that her Internet speed seemed to depend on what web browser she was using. When she experienced slow Internet speeds with Microsoft Edge, closing that browser and opening FireFox or Chrome suddenly made it better. When that browser slowed down, she would switch browsers again. I've experienced a similar thing, but switching browsers isn't actually the cure here. In my experience, the longer you keep your browser open (especially if you open and close lots of tabs) the slower your web pages will load. Simply closing down the browser and re-opening it solves this problem for me. You may also find it helpful to reset your browser. See my related piece Is It Time to Reset Your Web Browser?

On a related note, while writing this article, my computer slowed down to a crawl, and Windows Task manager showed that my browser was consuming 99% of CPU. The Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera browers also have a Task Manager that can show you if a certain tab, plugin, or extension is hogging the blankets. Press Shift-Esc to open the browser Task Manager.

Are Your Smart Home Devices Hogging the Internet?

Your "smart" devices may be contributing to WiFi crowding. Security cameras, light bulbs, plugs, doorbells, locks, thermostats, vacuums, speakers, and streaming devices all connect to WiFi and constantly check for updates or send signals. When you have a bunch of them conencted to your home router, they compete for the same limited WiFi space, slowing everything down, including your web browsing, Netflix streaming or video calls. It's like too many people trying to talk at once in a small room, the network gets clogged. Common "culprits" are Ring doorbells, Nest security cameras, Roku/Apple/Amazon TV streamers, and Amazon Echo/Alexa voice assistants.

Fortunately there are ways to address this. Put stationary devices like cameras on wired Ethernet cables if possible, or create a separate "guest" WiFi network just for smart gadgets (check your router settings). Some routers have "band steering" options that can move devices to faster bands (like 5GHz instead of crowded 2.4GHz). Using band steering and Quality of Service (QoS) settings to give priority to your laptop or TV can boost your usable speed by 20-50% in a busy smart home.

Internet Speed Up - What (Probably) Doesn't Work

Turning off unnecessary network adapter properties supposedly boosts Internet speeds. But in my experience, tweaking these properties does not increase speed and it can limit other functionality. For example, turning off the "QoS Packet Scheduler" is rumored to reclaim up to 20 per cent of your bandwidth that is allegedly reserved for things like Windows Update. But that simply isn't true. Turning off QoS can, however, interfere with VoIP and other applications. Disabling file and printer sharing is a good idea if you don't need to share, but it has negligible effect on Internet speed.

There are some downloads on the Web that claim to "optimize" your Internet connection. Tweaking esoteric settings hidden deep in the Windows registry, e.g., MTU and RWIN, is an old-school way to boost Internet speed. The problem is that the optimal values for these settings vary depending on network conditions. In older versions of Windows (Windows 95/98/XP) these tweaks might have been somewhat useful. But Windows 7, 8, 10 and 11 have incorporated an auto-tuning function that does this sort of tweaking on the fly. It really is not necessary or advisable to fiddle with the registry when trying to boost your Internet speed.

Deleting your browser history or clearing the browser cache won't improve your internet speed. In fact, it may slow you down, because your browser will have to re-fetch some items that were in the cache. Switching to Incognito Mode won't make your internet connection faster, either, and for the same reason.

Turbo Mode: Unlocked?

I recommend that you test your connection before and after these tweaks using reliable free tools. Run multiple tests at different times of day for accurate averages. Popular options include Speedtest by Ookla, Google's M-Lab, and Fast.com. These show download/upload speeds, ping, and jitter without downloads.

Lastly, consider upgrading your Internet speed by paying a little extra for more bandwidth. Some folks aren't even aware that their ISP offers such an option, and there may be other ISPs servicing your area who can provide a faster connection. A little research (and some whining) may even net you a faster connection at a lower monthly price! It can't hurt to ask if there are any promotions that may reduce your price.

In conclusion, a slow internet connection can be a source of frustration, but by understanding the reasons behind slow speeds and implementing some of these tips, you can rev up your connection and enjoy a faster internet experience. Whether you're streaming movies, gaming, video conferencing, or checking your email, a fast internet connection is essential in today's world. Do you have any internet speedup tips? Post your comment or question below...