You just upgraded your high speed Internet from 1MBps to 6MBps to make sure that you can enjoy your favorite online game. Everything is going fine, your speeds are quite good but then one day even opening websites takes a long time.  When you do a speed check you are getting 28kbps.  Wow! Even dial up is faster than this. Before you call in technical support and say “My Internet is running slow!” Let’s try to find out if there is something we can do on our end.

Internet related problems can be broken down into two reasons. One, it is a problem on your providers side in which case you have to call in so that they will be aware of it. Two, it could be on your end, on which case we have to try to resolve it. Here are some steps to follow to have our Internet running at full speed.

Reset equipment. A quick power cycle on all your equipment usually does the trick. Your modem, Router and Computer should be turned off to refresh their signals. In turning on the equipment, it should be modem first followed by your router then by your computer. This is called sequenced power cycling and is done so that you get the desired signal level. Try to a speed check using your favorite online speed checkers.

Optimize your browser. After using your browser for a long time it would accumulate lots of cookies. These additional data can slow down your internet connection. We need to clear your cache and cookies by clicking on tools on your browser then go to Internet options (Internet Explorer). From there you can delete the cache and cookies safely.

Bypass Router. If you are still getting slow Internet and your computer is connecting to a router then it’s time to connect your computer straight to the modem. Turn off all equipment and disconnect the router from your network. Connect the computer straight into the modem using the ethernet wire. Turn on modem first then turn on your computer. Try to check the speed again and see if there is an improvement. If your speed is what you subscribed to then the reason for your slow Internet speed was the router. Try to contact your router manufacturer to check on it.

Turn Off Firewall. If after bypassing the router your computer is still running slow then turns off your firewall and do another speed test. Usually, some updates on your firewall or some settings will cause your Internet connection to slow down.

Check any Background Programs. Programs that may be running in the background may also cause your internet connection to slow down. Programs such as peer to peer downloader or torrent programs usually consume a lot of bandwidth. Try to turn them off and perform another speed test.

Update Anti-Virus and do a Scan. After doing all of these steps and you are still getting a slow connection then make sure your antivirus program is updated before you do a full scan on your computer. Usually spywares and viruses can cause your connection to slow down.

After performing all these steps and there still is no improvement on your Internet speed then it’s time to call in your ISP’s technical support and say “Help! My Internet is running slow!