What actually slows your connection down

Your internet speed depends on three things: the signal reaching your modem, what your modem does with it, and what happens between your modem and the devices you use. Most slowdowns happen in the last part — the wireless signal bouncing around your home, or too many devices pulling data at once. A few happen at the modem itself when it needs a restart. Almost none happen because your plan is too slow; they happen because the speed you are paying for is not reaching your devices.

Before you try anything else, restart your modem and router. Unplug both for 30 seconds, plug the modem back in first, wait for all its lights to stop blinking, then plug in the router. This fixes roughly half of all speed problems because modems and routers accumulate temporary errors the same way a browser does. If you restart and run a speed test again, you will know whether the problem was temporary or real.

Key Takeaways

  • Restarting your modem and router fixes most speed problems and should be your first step before trying anything else.
  • Moving your router to a central, elevated location and away from walls, metal, and other electronics can double your wireless speed without changing your plan.
  • Switching to the 5 GHz wireless band gives faster speeds over shorter distances, while 2.4 GHz travels farther but slower.
  • Closing background apps on your devices and checking how many devices are connected stops other things from stealing your bandwidth.
  • If speed stays low after these steps, contact your internet provider to check whether the problem is on their end or yours.

Move your router to the center of your home

Wireless signal weakens the farther it travels and the more walls it passes through. If your router sits in a corner, in a closet, or in a back room, devices in other parts of your home are getting a weak signal even though your modem is working fine. Moving the router to a central location — ideally on a shelf or high on a wall rather than on the floor — can increase the speed your devices receive by 50 percent or more.

Keep the router away from metal objects, microwave ovens, cordless phones, and baby monitors. These all broadcast on the same frequencies as your wireless signal and create interference that slows everything down. A bookshelf in the middle of your living room works better than a cabinet in the kitchen, even if the cabinet is technically more central. If you cannot move the router itself, ask your internet provider whether they will install a second wireless access point in the part of your home where you use the internet most.

Switch to the 5 GHz band if your devices support it

Most routers broadcast on two frequencies: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band travels farther and passes through walls better, but it is slower and more crowded because older devices and neighbors' networks use it. The 5 GHz band is faster but does not travel as far and does not pass through walls as well. If you are sitting in the same room as your router, switching to 5 GHz will usually give you noticeably faster speeds.

Check your router's settings by opening a web browser and typing the router's IP address — usually printed on a sticker on the router itself, often something like 192.168.1.1. Log in with the password on the sticker. Look for wireless settings or a section called "2.4 GHz" and "5 GHz" and see whether your network name appears on both. If it does, your router is broadcasting both bands. On your phone or computer, go to your wireless networks list and look for a second network name ending in "-5G" or similar. Connect to that instead. If you do not see a 5 GHz option, your router or device does not support it, and you should stay on 2.4 GHz.

Close apps and browser tabs that run in the background

Every app and browser tab that is open uses some of your internet, even when you are not looking at it. Email apps checking for new messages, video streaming services loading previews, cloud storage syncing files, and weather apps updating all pull bandwidth. If you have many of these running, they can use half your available speed even while you are trying to use the internet for something else.

On your phone or computer, close apps you are not actively using. On a computer, look at the system tray or menu bar to see what is running. On a phone, swipe up or down from the bottom to see open apps and close the ones you do not need. In your web browser, close tabs you are not using. If you want to stream video or read a file, close your email app and any other apps that sync in the background. You will see an when ready difference in speed for the thing you are actually trying to do.

Check how many devices are connected

Your internet speed is shared among all devices connected to your network. If you have 10 devices streaming video at once, each one gets one-tenth of your available speed. If you have 20 devices and only a few are actually in use, the ones in use are still splitting the bandwidth with the inactive ones.

Log into your router settings the same way you did to check the wireless bands — type the IP address into a web browser and log in with the password on the sticker. Look for a section called "Connected Devices" or "DHCP Clients" and see what is connected. You may see devices you forgot about: old phones, tablets, smart speakers, or security cameras. Disconnect the ones you are not using by removing them from your wireless network or, in the router settings, blocking their MAC address. If you see devices you do not recognize, change your router password when ready — someone else may be using your network.

Contact your internet provider if nothing changes

If you have restarted your modem, moved your router, switched to 5 GHz, closed background apps, and checked your connected devices, and your speed test still shows much lower speeds than your plan promises, the problem is likely on your provider's end. Call your internet provider's technical support and tell them what you have already tried. They can check the signal coming into your modem and see whether the problem is in their network or in your home setup.

When you call, have your modem and router model numbers ready — they are on stickers on the devices themselves. Also have the results of your most recent speed test ready, including the read speed, upload speed, and ping. Your provider may ask you to run another test while you are on the phone. If the speed is consistently lower than what you are paying for, they may be able to adjust your connection or send a technician to check the line coming into your home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my speed fast on one device but slow on another?

The device farther from the router or with an older wireless chip will be slower. Move closer to the router or switch to 5 GHz if the slower device supports it. Also check whether the slower device has background apps running — a phone syncing photos or a laptop updating software will show slower speeds for other tasks.

Does changing my password make my internet faster?

Only if someone else was using your network. Changing your password stops unauthorized devices from connecting and stealing your bandwidth. If your network was already find, changing the password will not change your speed.

Will a new router make my internet faster?

Only if your current router is very old or damaged. A newer router with better wireless technology can improve the speed your devices receive, but it cannot increase the speed your internet provider sends to your home. If your speed test shows low speeds even when plugged directly into the modem with an ethernet cable, a new router will not help.

Can I speed up my internet by using an ethernet cable?

Yes. Plugging a computer directly into the modem with an ethernet cable removes wireless interference and usually gives you the full speed your plan provides. If your speed is fast on ethernet but slow on wireless, the problem is your wireless signal, not your internet plan. If speed is slow on both, the problem is your internet provider or modem.

What is a good internet speed for my home?

That depends on what you do. For email and web browsing, 10 to 25 Mbps is enough. For streaming video, 25 to 50 Mbps works for one or two people. For multiple people streaming at once or working from home, 50 to 100 Mbps is better. Run a speed test to see what you actually have, then compare it to what your plan promises.