What actually slows your internet down

Your internet speed depends on three separate things: the speed your provider sends to your house, how many devices are using it right now, and what's physically blocking the signal. Most people can improve speed without calling their provider, because the problem is usually one of these three — not the plan itself.

When you run a speed test and get half the speed you're paying for, the cause is almost always interference, distance from your router, or too many devices online at once. A few devices streaming video, someone downloading files, and background updates all happening together will tank your speed even on a fast plan. The good news is that each of these has a straightforward fix.

Key Takeaways

  • Move your router to a central, elevated location away from walls and metal objects, because distance and obstacles cut speed more than anything else.
  • Restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds, which clears its memory and often restores speed without any other changes.
  • Close background apps and streaming services on devices you're not actively using, since each one competes for bandwidth.
  • Switch to the 5 GHz band on your router if your device supports it, because it's faster over short distances even though it doesn't travel as far.
  • If speed stays slow after these steps, contact your provider to check whether you're getting the speed you're paying for.

Restart your router properly

A restart clears your router's memory and resets its connection to your provider. This fixes slow speeds about half the time, especially if the router has been running for weeks without a break.

Unplug the power cable from the back of your router. Wait 30 seconds — this matters, because the router needs time to fully power down. Plug it back in and wait two to three minutes for all the lights to stop blinking and settle into their normal pattern. During this time, don't try to use the internet.

Run a speed test after the restart. If your speed improved, you're done. If it didn't, move to the next step.

Move your router to a better location

Distance and obstacles between your router and your device cut speed more than almost anything else. A router in a closet, behind a TV, or in a corner of your house will deliver much slower speeds than one in the open.

Place your router in a central location — ideally in the middle of your home rather than at one end. Put it on a shelf or mount it on a wall rather than on the floor, because height helps the signal spread. Keep it away from metal objects, microwaves, and cordless phones, all of which interfere with the wireless signal. Avoid putting it inside a cabinet or behind thick walls.

If you can't move the router itself, move closer to it for your speed test. If speed improves when you're near the router but drops when you move away, the problem is distance and obstacles — and moving the router will help more than anything else you can do.

Close apps and services using your internet

Every device connected to your network shares the same internet pipe. When one device is streaming video, downloading updates, or uploading files, it takes bandwidth away from everything else.

Check what's running on each device. On a computer, look at your taskbar or dock for streaming apps, cloud backup services, or read managers. Close anything you're not actively using. On a phone or tablet, swipe up from the bottom (or down from the top, depending on your device) to see what apps are open, and close the ones you don't need right now.

Pause any cloud backup services like OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud if they're actively syncing. These often run in the background without you noticing. Unplug or turn off any devices you're not using — a smart TV, a printer, or a security camera all use bandwidth even when you're not actively using them.

After closing apps, run another speed test. The difference can be dramatic if you had several things running at once.

Switch to the 5 GHz band if your device supports it

Most routers broadcast on two frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 5 GHz band is faster but doesn't travel as far or through walls as well. If you're close to your router, switching to 5 GHz will usually give you noticeably faster speeds.

Look in your router's settings for a list of available networks. You'll see two networks with the same name — one will say "2.4 GHz" or "2.4G" and one will say "5 GHz" or "5G". Connect to the 5 GHz network instead of your usual one. Your device will remember this choice.

If you don't see a 5 GHz option, your router doesn't support it or your device can't use it. Older devices and some phones don't work on 5 GHz. In that case, stick with 2.4 GHz.

Check your internet plan against what you're actually getting

After trying the steps above, run a speed test again and write down the result. Compare it to the speed your provider says you should get — this is usually on your bill or on the provider's website under your account.

If you're getting close to the speed you're paying for, you've solved the problem. If you're still getting significantly less — say, you're paying for 100 Mbps but consistently getting 30 Mbps or less — contact your provider. Tell them the speed you're getting and ask them to check the line. They can run a test from their end and tell you whether the problem is on your side or theirs.

Before you call, have your account number ready and know which devices you tested on. The provider will ask whether you tested on a wired connection (plugged directly into the router with an ethernet cable) or wireless. A wired test is more accurate because it removes the wireless signal as a variable.

Use a wired connection for devices that need the most speed

If you have a desktop computer, a gaming console, or a streaming device that you use in one place, plug it directly into your router with an ethernet cable. A wired connection is always faster and more stable than wireless, because there's no interference and no distance loss.

Most routers have several ethernet ports on the back. Plug one end of the cable into the port and the other end into your device. You don't need to do anything else — the device will automatically use the wired connection.

This won't help with phones or laptops you move around, but for anything stationary, it's the single biggest speed improvement you can make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my speed slower at night than during the day?

More people in your neighborhood are online at night, which can slow down your provider's network. This is normal and not something you can fix on your end. If speeds are unusably slow every evening, contact your provider to discuss whether a faster plan would help.

Does changing my WiFi password make it faster?

No, but it can help if someone else is connected to your network without permission. Change your password through your router's settings, then reconnect your own devices. If speed improves, someone was using your internet.

Will buying a new router make my internet faster?

Only if your current router is very old or broken. A new router won't increase the speed your provider sends to your house. It will help if your current router can't reach certain parts of your home or if it's dropping connections frequently.

What's the difference between Mbps and MBps?

Mbps is megabits per second — what your provider advertises and what speed tests measure. MBps is megabytes per second — what you see when downloading files. One megabyte equals eight megabits, so divide your Mbps by 8 to see your read speed in MBps. A 100 Mbps connection downloads at about 12 MBps.

Can I make my WiFi reach further without moving the router?

A WiFi extender or mesh system can spread the signal to dead zones, but it won't increase your overall speed — it just makes the speed you have available in more places. If your main problem is that speed is fine near the router but terrible in other rooms, an extender helps. If speed is slow everywhere, the problem is something else.