Speed Up Your Internet Connection
Slow internet speed can be caused by a range of factors, which makes it's difficult to pinpoint the exact problem. However, there are several things you can do to troubleshoot your service before calling for repair.
speed up your internet connection
You might be surprised by how much your internet speed can be impacted by where your router sits. You want to find a spot that is up off the floor and centrally located in your home (or in the area of your home where most internet activity takes place).
Fiber internet service comes with specific equipment requirements to work with the fiber-optic technology. For one thing, with faster speeds, you need to make sure your gateway (modem) can keep up. If your service is connected using a different modem, you may not be getting the performance you expect.
What we think of as "slow internet" can sometimes be a weak WiFi signal. Wireless speeds tend to be less than wired speeds on the same network, due to interference and signal loss over distance. But there are ways you can make sure your WiFi is running as fast as possible.
Reduce interference from other electronics. Other devices in your home can slow down your WiFi connection, including microwaves, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, TVs, wireless security systems, baby monitors, garage door openers, and more. If you have a newer modem, opt for a 5 GHz frequency signal to get a stronger connection and avoid some congestion from surrounding devices, many of which use the 2.4 GHz band.
Your network connection and your WiFi are only part of the speed equation. The devices that you connect to your internet also play a role. To get the best performance, make sure devices, apps and software are up to date, free of malware, and not being overloaded.
Antivirus protection is essential for good performance. Viruses and malware can slow down your whole system, including internet speed performance. Make sure every device is healthy by installing well-rated security software, keeping it updated and running security scans at least weekly. CenturyLink internet subscribers can get McAfee protection for free on two devices.
Some devices, even newer ones, may have a slower "speed limit" than your router and can slow down the traffic on your whole network. You can look up speed specifications by doing a web search or going to the device website. The speed will be shown in Mbps (Megabits per second).
Devices can get bogged down by too many applications running. Be in the habit of shutting down programs that you're not using to free up memory on your computer. The same is true if you tend to keep several browser windows or tabs active at the same time. This can cause lags or other problems when browsing the internet, so close any extra tabs that you're not actively using.
If you have both internet and home phone service from CenturyLink, then you will need to put DSL filters on all landline phones in the house. This ensures that your internet signal doesn't interfere with your landline.
Once you've gone through the steps above, run the internet speed test to find out your current download and upload speeds. If you want to see what speed you're paying for, check your plan details in My CenturyLink.
It's a good idea to run the speed test a few times to get an average. For the best view of the network speed to your home, run the test on a computer plugged directly into your modem with an Ethernet cable. It can be useful to compare that result to your speed on different devices, to help determine if there's a slowdown occurring on one particular device.
If your internet is dropping or you are frequently getting slower internet connection speeds than you expect, then there may be a problem with the network connection at your address. There are two things you can do:
Upgrade your service. Check to see if you can upgrade to a faster internet plan. Sign in to My CenturyLink on the web or in the app and check Services to see whether a speed upgrade is available at your address.
Add a second line. In areas where a higher speed plan isn't available, a popular solution is to double your speed by adding a second internet line. The additional line can be used exclusively for gaming and streaming, remote work and learning, or to run your smart home.
Look into rural internet options. Rural areas often get slower speeds than urban centers. If you live in a rural area, read more about using wireless internet through an antenna to improve performance.
However, one problem remains: the variation in internet connection speeds. This can depend on where you are geographically, how many people use your system and various other factors. The following are six ways in which you can speed up your connection.
You can sometimes boost your internet speed by switching from a wireless connection to a wired one. This is because wireless efficiency can be affected by distance from the router and obstacles in between.
If you use a desktop and are next to your router, you can plug straight in and eliminate the need for a wireless connection. This method is best for home-office use, as it will give you a faster and more direct connection to your broadband, so try it if you are close enough to connect a cable.
If you do not have your wi-fi password-protected, then you're leaving it open to others to use. For example, if you have a personal internet set-up in a shared house, others can access your broadband. Or your neighbors could piggyback on your connection.
It may also be possible that your provider has introduced a new level of broadband in your area and you're not taking advantage of it. Talk to your provider about the best way to improve your speeds and they will be happy to help.
Where is your router currently located? Some people tuck it away in a cupboard so it can't be seen. This is the wrong thing to do! The cleaner the line of sight between your router and the computers it is serving, the faster your speed and more efficient your connection will be. Walls, doors and even windows can disrupt the wi-fi signal, and the further from the router you are, the slower your speeds will be.
These work well in some buildings, but not so in others, and your provider will be able to advise you as to the suitability of this solution in your home. Where this system is suitable it provides fast internet speeds, so is worth considering.
A slow internet connection is an annoyance, and one that is far from uncommon. There are locations where the internet is barely accessible and those where it is super-fast. For those of us in between, the above are just some of the things you can do to speed up your connection, so check them out further and you may find more solutions to the problem.
However, sometimes even users who are paying for high speed Internet access can experience surprisingly slow Internet connection. Fortunately, there are ways to speed up Internet without having to change your ISP or buying a more powerful computer. Here are some tips on how to speed up your computer Internet connection without too much hassle.
If you are using a router, you can probably speed up Internet by adjusting the router settings. There are too many routers to give specific advice, but most routers can be tweaked to open up ports and boost your Internet speed. Just check the manual for things that can be done to improve performance or use Google to find answers for your particular router.
If you are using wireless Internet connection, make sure that you are not sharing it with the whole neighbourhood. The more people use your connection, the slower it is for you. So at the very least set up a WEP password to stop unauthorised users from using your Internet connection. Or if your hardware is compatible, set up WPA encryption.
There are many applications that will use your bandwidth in the background, like Windows Update, Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Real player, Adobe Reader updates, and other similar software. Most of them usually start automatically when you log on to Windows and connect to the Internet as soon as there is a connection. This means that these programs use your bandwidth when you are not actually using them.
If your Internet connection speed dropped all of a sudden for no apparent reason, check your computer for malware and spyware. Malicious software often uses your Internet connection to send information to its developers.
There are many tools that will help you do the job, from the Windows built-in ones to complete PC optimization suites like Auslogics BoostSpeed that offers one-click maintenance and advanced tools to improve computer performance even more. It also has a tool called Internet Optimizer that will help you optimize your Internet connection for maximum speed.
DSL is a wireline transmission technology that transmits data faster over traditional copper telephone lines already installed to homes and businesses. DSL-based broadband provides transmission speeds ranging from several hundred Kbps to millions of bits per second (Mbps). The availability and speed of your DSL service may depend on the distance from your home or business to the closest telephone company facility.
BPL is the delivery of broadband over the existing low- and medium-voltage electric power distribution network. BPL speeds are comparable to DSL and cable modem speeds. BPL can be provided to homes using existing electrical connections and outlets. BPL is an emerging technology that is available in very limited areas. It has significant potential because power lines are installed virtually everywhere, alleviating the need to build new broadband facilities for every customer.
Why Your Wi-Fi Is SlowThere are many possible reasons for slow connection speed. Physical barriers, such as walls and floors, can affect wireless signals. The distance between the device and the access point and the number of devices using your Wi-Fi network will also impact connection speed. Even simple things like adjusting the height of your router off the floor can impact its performance. 041b061a72