Helpful Hints

There is nothing worse than slow Internet, which does not allow you to enjoy broadcasting a match of your favorite football club or watching an interesting series or movie.

If your home internet is constantly moving at a snail's pace, there are a few tricks to deal with this problem and save your nerves.

Here are 7 simple yet powerful and effective tips to increase your home internet speed:

How to increase your home internet speed

1. Restart your modem or router

Often Internet problems are due to the fact that your router or modem just needs a normal reboot.

Turn off the modem or router completely by unplugging the power cords from both devices, wait a couple of minutes. Then turn them on again. This seemingly simple trick can really fix the problem of slow Internet.

How to increase internet speed through a router

2. Move the router

Often we complain that our router does not work well.

But maybe the whole point is that he is in the wrong place? It is quite logical that if you put the router somewhere behind the sofa or in another hard-to-reach place, you will simply block the signal and slow down WiFi.

The router must be in an open area, so place it on a hill or in a place where the signals will not be blocked by various partitions.

Ideally, it would be to place the router somewhere higher. If this is a private house, then the attic or top floor would be the best option.

How to Increase WiFi Internet Speed

3. Protect your WiFi with a password

Do you live in a densely populated area (such as a large apartment building)? Then it is quite logical that your Internet can be stolen.

If your Internet is not password protected and it suddenly becomes slow, chances are someone is really borrowing it from you.

Typically, the first sign that someone else is using your WiFi is slow internet speed.

To avoid this problem, be sure to secure your WiFi with a strong password.

4. Check Your Internet Bandwidth

Perhaps one of the family members spends most of the time playing games. This habit can slow down your internet bandwidth.

Some applications, such as video games or streaming services like Netflix and similar services, take up more bandwidth than the same Facebook application.

If this is the case, and the first three methods don't work, note that your router has a tool called Quality of Service (QoS) that you can use to prioritize specific services.

Since each router works differently, be sure to read the instructions to find out how to set up QoS in your particular case.

5. Change the channel

Like radios, wireless routers operate on different channels and frequencies. And if your router is set to the same channel as your neighbors, it is quite possible that you will have a weak signal.

To find the best frequency for your Wi-Fi, use the dedicated How To Geek user guide.

6. Update your hardware

If you have a router at your disposal, say 2010, of course, you may encounter certain problems. The quality of the Internet will raise some questions.

Keep in mind that in order to ensure a fast connection, you must be working with the latest hardware. Technological progress does not stand still, every year manufacturers release newer and more sophisticated routers.

Make sure your router isn't outdated to the point where it slows down your internet speed.

7. Buy an internet signal booster

If your hardware is up to date, you can extend your WiFi range and in turn its strength by purchasing a dedicated range extender.

As a rule, it is inexpensive, but it perfectly amplifies the signal, thereby bringing the speed of the Internet to a new, higher level.

I want to tell you today how to speed up internet by tens or even hundreds of percent — each of you will have your own acceleration.

No, the network speed that you receive from your provider will remain the same, it simply cannot physically be increased without an agreement with an Internet provider. But the speed of loading sites and data is very easy to speed up.

Confused? Let me explain and show you everything. Nothing complicated - I assure you. We will accelerate with the help of a free and portable program from Google Corporation - yeah, now you believe that this is not a scam?

How can I speed up the Internet without switching to a faster (and more expensive) tariff? To begin with, imagine that you live in Moscow and two parcels were sent to you from Krasnoyarsk and Tula. These parcels are delivered by cars that have the same speed - 100 Mb / s Km / h. Which parcel will be delivered to you faster?

Have you already begun to guess how we will speed up the Internet? Not? Then let's move on...

Why is the Internet also called a network? Because this is the network! A network of data centers in which servers are installed ...

They are very, very many around the globe have already been poked. Some are closer to you, others are further away. Some are faster (they have more powerful hardware, etc.), others are slower. By the way, Google has more of all these centers and servers, because they produce them themselves, and do not buy them.

So, when you enter a request or a website address and press “Enter”, your browser sends this request to the network server that is set on your computer in the network connection settings. But whether your request is sent to the fastest or nearest server, Cheburashka knows this.

We will not hope for the dubious knowledge of Cheburashka (network settings by default), but we will find this magical and fastest server near you ourselves.

A free program will help us in this, in the creation of which the "corporation of goodness" Google took an active part - NameBench. By the way, it works on any operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux).

The size of the program is only 5 MB. Let's get started. We click on the installation file and get this window ...

... in which we click on "Extract" and after a few seconds of waiting we get the main program window ...

You don't need to change anything in the settings! Just click on "Start Benchmark" and wait (about 10 minutes). On the button where I have “None”, in fact, your country should be written, but apparently I am writing to you from another dimension. It's OK.

On the bottom button Your default browser… wait? Sometimes it seems that the program is frozen - it's not. Be sure to wait for a window with large green percentages to appear in your browser ...

The NameBench program passed such a monstrous sentence on me - my current server in the network settings is 452.9% slower than the one that it found!

We need to fix this urgently. I'm going to the control panel...

... and by RIGHT-clicking on my connection shortcut, I go to "Properties" ...

... again I go to "Properties", only now (TCP / IPv4) ...

... I put a dot on "Use the following addresses ..." and prescribe the server addresses from the first two lines of the NameBench calculation result. My second address is the address of my router on the local network. That's right - if something happens to the fastest server, the network will work with the original settings. Such is the insurance.

We press "Ok". At this stage, you can calm down, but ...

You may not immediately notice the acceleration of loading sites, since the operating system has a cache of DNS servers. It is designed to speed up site loading and is remembered for a while. It is desirable to clean it. For example, using CCleaner ...

Check this box, analyze and clean, and then MANDATORY uncheck it.

You can also reset this DNS cache with the command ipconfig /flushdns …

You can increase the speed of the Internet using special programs or using the capabilities of operating systems.

By default, the operating system reserves approximately 20% of the bandwidth of the entire Internet speed. As a result, 1/5 of the entire speed is lost. This feature can be easily disabled.

You need to go to start - execute and write gpedit.msc and click OK.

Then a group policy will appear in which you need to go to the following options: "computer configuration", "administrative templates", "network", "QoS packet manager" and then go to the "limit reserved bandwidth" menu.

Then you need to double-click to open the found tab and see the settings. Change the value to your liking.

Another parameter that affects the speed of the Internet, is a half-open connection restriction that was introduced by Microsoft to limit the spread of virus programs from sites or computers over a network and to limit the computer's possible participation in DoS attacks.

The rate limit is necessary so that the computer does not have more than 10 simultaneous half-open outgoing connections. When the speed reaches the connection limit, subsequent attempts to connect to the network are queued.

As a result, the user has a limited network, which negatively affects the operation of the Internet. This limit affects outgoing connections and does not change the speed of incoming connections.

To find out the number of half-open connections and check whether they are limited or not, you can use the special Half-open limit program. With its help, you can remove these restrictions.

Operating systems have a function to check for available updates for installed programs, which also slows down the Internet speed. These functions, at least a little, but reduce traffic when connected to the network. There can be up to several dozen such calls to search for updates. If you turn them off, you can slightly increase the speed.

However, there are programs which cannot be turned off the search for updates. This applies to those programs in which each update weighs up to 100 MB. In this case, you need to turn on the firewall, in which you can prohibit the network from accessing programs, as well as designate those that should be updated.

Increasing the speed in Windows XP, 7

Speed ​​increase through QoS packets

To increase the speed of the Internet in Windows XP, you must again go to gpedit.msc and in the "Computer Configuration" menu select "Administrative Templates", then "Network" and go to the "QoS Package Manager".

We increase the speed of the Internet through ports

There is another possibility to increase the speed of the Internet in Windows 7. To do this, go to " My computer' and open the tab ' properties of the system", then go to " device Manager and open ports.

You need to find the ports that are responsible for connecting to the Internet. Most often these are “catfish” ports. Ports can be from 2 or more. You need to open their properties and go to the "port settings" tab and then find the "bits per second" item parameter and set the maximum possible number. After that, the bandwidth will increase and the speed of the Internet will increase.

Notebook power mode

All laptops and computers running Windows 7 are set to Balanced Power Mode. If on ordinary PCs the speed of the Internet and the stability of the Internet connection, this mode is quite acceptable, then in the case of laptops with the Internet, problems may occur (if using a wireless connection). Internet connection via wi-fi may disappear due to the set balanced mode, or the Internet speed may drop.

In our age of high technology and high-speed Internet connections, saving time on everything you can is even a habit. Therefore, we will never be able to get used to traffic jams and slow Internet speeds. If in the first case the issue cannot be resolved, then in the second - everything is not so bad. Today in our article we will present all the working methods that can increase the speed of the Internet connection. However, first you should

13 Methods to Really Increase Internet Speed ​​on Your Computer

1. Change tariff plan. Whatever anyone says, however, the easiest and most reliable way to increase the speed of the Internet is to switch to an increased tariff. Since today it is almost impossible to increase the speed above the one indicated in your contract. If you want more, then you will have to pay more. However, we do not exclude the possibility that the reason for the decrease in speed may be something else, so we did not stop at this point, and wrote 13 more options for increasing the speed on a computer with the Windows operating system.
2. Close unnecessary tabs. Many people have a bad habit of simultaneously launching several sites and trying to demand the impossible from the network during this period of time - fast work. At low Internet speeds (less than 1 Megabit), this is not always possible, especially if you open pages where some video (even advertising) automatically starts, an audio track is turned on, or there are a lot of high resolution photos on the page. Try to open the tabs one by one and slowly, because in any case you will not be able to quickly review them. If you can’t do without it, then accustom yourself to wait. For example, they opened 20 pages at once in tabs and go drink some water, rest for a minute, and then get back to work. This approach will be less annoying. It's just the only way out of the situation, not counting the change of the tariff plan.
3. Disable updates that are not currently needed. Some of the speed is lost during the operation of third-party programs, they can update their databases, as, for example, anti-virus programs do. Programs can simply update their version, as Adobe products often do. Also, if you have installed a tool like Google.Disk or Yandex.Disk, the program will also upload new files, if any have been added. Accordingly, you can increase the speed of the Internet by disabling all these programs. Start with startup, and then monitor running programs.
4. Disable downloading (i.e. downloading) unnecessary files. The speed may drop due to the fact that you are downloading files (games, movies, programs, music, etc.). Force-complete all downloads that interfere with the full return of speed. Files are downloaded, as a rule, through a torrent, a browser, or using a special download program. Therefore, check these three types of programs for unwanted downloads.
5. Block ads on websites. Ad blocking is the ability to hide unwanted advertising links and banners, which further improves the experience on the Internet, as a significant proportion of advertising scripts disappear, which, in truth, can take up to 70% of the "weight" of the page. You can disable ads on websites using the popular antivirus - Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 (in the settings you will only need to check the box that you do not want to see ads on Internet projects). KIS 2013, of course, cannot block 100% of advertising materials, but it will definitely remove most of it!
6. Turn onTurbo mode of the browser. If you need high speed for surfing the Internet, and not for downloading any files, then we recommend that you enable Turbo mode (almost any browser has it). The essence of his work is simple - to reduce as much downloaded information as possible. The most popular method of such a mode is to reduce the image quality. Thus, the speed of opening sites will increase significantly.
7. Do not do many things at the same time. We already wrote above that the fewer tabs you open, the faster the speed. Approximately the same scheme with simultaneous work on several programs that, one way or another, relate to the Internet. Try not to launch them at this time or disable their access to the Internet, etc. You can also set a priority for programs so that the download is carried out correctly. However, this is quite difficult for a beginner, so you can do with the elementary - launch only the necessary software.
8. zoom inWi-Fi-router or change Wi-fi adapter. If you get Internet using Wi-Fi technologies, then the problem of low speed may be hiding precisely in this. Checking this is quite simple - connect a computer or laptop to a network wire directly, if the speed is normal and it suits you completely, then the problem should be looked for in a computer or router. To do this, first bring Wi-Fi as close as possible. If it doesn’t help, then you can still think about changing the Wi-Fi adapter, since it can only support a limited speed.
9. Put a password onWi-fi. If you didn’t know yet, then when distributing the Internet via Wi-Fi, its speed will be divided by all connected, so if 20 people are sitting on your Wi-Fi at the same time, and the maximum speed is 20 megabits per second, then everyone will receive only one megabit . Therefore, there is no need to be so generous and distribute your Internet to just anyone, as this will affect the overall speed. In the same way, the speed will decrease if your husband (for example) sits at a laptop to watch a movie online, while you work at the computer on the Internet.
10. Update router firmware. It is not surprising, but practice shows that a decrease in the speed transmitted through a router or router may also depend on the firmware of the latest device. Therefore, try to update the software and drivers in time, perhaps it is you who will find yourself in this situation and will not be able to normally use the global network before flashing. By the way, they are flashed quite simply (you can do it yourself) - the original and latest version of the firmware is downloaded, go to the router settings and select the "Update" item. We are waiting for 5-7 minutes and everything is ready - we have reflashed our router.
11. Update computer hardware. Slow network speed is not always the fault of the operator or the programs installed on the PC. Sometimes the whole reason lies precisely in weak components that are outdated, not only morally, but also physically. Outwardly, the signs cannot always be distinguished, since the “brakes” of the system differ little from the “brakes” of the World Wide Web. First of all, you will have to update the processor, after - the RAM, then the video card, and at the end of the whole update - the hard drive. It is these components that will help you forget about all the main problems associated with the slow operation of the PC and the Internet.
12. Change cable if damaged. Sometimes you can increase the speed by simply replacing the network cable passing through the apartment or outside it, since it is rather fragile in its structure, and therefore requires careful handling. If it was bent somewhere, or there were heavy objects placed on it (such as a cabinet), then the cable may begin to transmit the signal poorly. Subsequently, poor contact will affect the slow operation of the Internet. You can replace it both independently and by calling the masters who will check the quality of the wire with special devices, and then carry out the replacement.
13. Contact your provider for help. The most correct thing, probably, would be - an appeal (in writing or by telephone) to the provider that supplies the Internet, presenting him with the facts of slow network operation. Let him send workers who can solve your problem. Please note that if the cause of the slow Internet is on your part, then you will have to pay for the call and troubleshooting, otherwise everything will be free.
14. Change provider. Don't be afraid to change bad providers and also test new companies. There is no need to wait for changes if they have not been introduced for a long time and the signal quality does not improve. When switching to another provider, be careful and read real reviews about the company on the Internet in advance so as not to end up with the same unfortunate provider.

Are web pages loading longer than usual, and the download speed of files does not correspond to the one declared by the provider? This may be due to many factors. Fortunately, there are many tricks that can help you improve the quality of your Internet connection. You will notice the difference within minutes.

Steps

Checking hardware, network status and connection speed

Test your connection speed. Before proceeding to the hardware and computer settings, check the speed of your connection and compare it with that declared by your provider. There are many sites on the Internet that will help you check your connection speed. Just type "connection speed test" into the Google search box and select one of the first results in the list.

• Different tests will show different results. Even the same test can show several different values ​​​​when repeated checks. The result of testing depends on the location of the servers and the load on the network.
• Take a few tests and find the average.
• To take the test, you may need to download and install plugins.
• If a site prompts you to select a server to test your connection speed, choose the one closest to your actual location. This way you will get the most accurate result.

1. Compare the test result with the data declared by the provider. Check with customer support about what your connection speed should be. Keep in mind that the ISP will indicate the maximum possible speed, but the actual speed will not always correspond to this figure.

   • If you haven't changed your data plan in a while, you might be able to get higher speeds for less. Companies generally don't tell existing customers about better deals, so check to see if they've come up with new rates since you started using their services. Check out the offers of all providers in your area.
   • Be aware of the difference between megabits and megabytes. There are 8 megabits (MB) in one megabyte (MB), so if you are paying for 25 megabits per second (MB/s), then your maximum speed will be slightly higher than 3 megabytes per second (MB/s).

2. Restart your router. Restarting your modem or router will solve many connection problems. If your modem or router does not have a power button, simply unplug the power cord, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. Read this guide to learn how to restart your home network.

   Check for conflicting signals. If you are using a wireless router, check if it is conflicting with your cordless phone or wireless camera. There are two main types of wireless routers: 802.11 b, g, and n (2.4 GHz) or 802.11 a (5.8 GHz). If your radiotelephone and router are both on the 2.4GHz frequency, your internet connection will be slower when someone is using the phone. The same applies to wireless surveillance cameras. Check the signal frequency of your phone and camera. If it is 900 MHz, then there is nothing to worry about. If they operate at a frequency of 2.4 or 5.8 GHz, then they are probably the ones that interfere with your wireless network.

   Check if you have reached the traffic limit. Many providers set a limit on Internet traffic, but do not always notify their customers about this. Log in to your provider's website or contact customer support by phone and check if you have reached your monthly limit. Usually, after exceeding the limit, the provider limits the connection speed.

   Call your ISP's customer support. Sometimes only an ISP can fix a connection problem. Usually, in order to establish the causes of problems, a technician does not need to visit your home. You may be prompted to reboot your router again.

   Check all devices on your network. If other users on your network frequently download data from the Internet, such as watching videos online or downloading large files, this can consume a significant amount of network bandwidth.

   

   Shorten the distance between the router and the computer. If you are connected to the Internet using a Wi-Fi router, a weak signal may be the reason for the slow connection speed. Place the computer and router as close to each other as possible, or place the router on a cabinet to improve signal quality.

   • Clean the router or modem of dust using a can of compressed air. This will protect it from overheating and increase the stability of its operation.
   • Ensure that all electronic components are well ventilated to keep them from overheating.

3. If you are using DSL technology, check the splitter. A splitter is a small box that your landline phone cable is connected to. On the opposite side there are two jacks - one for the phone, the other for the modem. If you are connected to the Internet via a fixed telephone line, in order for the connection quality to be good, you must have a high-quality splitter installed.

   Check out the weather forecast. If you are using satellite internet, your connection speed may fluctuate due to wind, snow, rain, lightning, static fields and other meteorological phenomena.

   Computer and network optimization

   1. Scan your computer with antivirus at least once a week. Viruses can not only pose a threat of leakage of valuable information, but also seriously affect the speed of the Internet connection. Protecting your computer from virus threats plays an important role in ensuring a good quality Internet connection.

      • Your computer should always be protected by an antivirus program, especially if you use the Internet frequently. It can be installed for free. There is no need to install more than one antivirus program, otherwise they will conflict with each other.

   2. Delete extra toolbars. If you have a lot of toolbars installed in your browser, they can significantly slow down your connection. By getting rid of these panels, you will speed up your browser and protect yourself from leaks of your personal information.

      • Sometimes it can be difficult to remove some toolbars. This may require the anti-spyware programs listed in the previous step.

   3. Change browser. If your old browser is overloaded with hard-to-remove add-ons and is too slow, you might want to start using a different browser. Firefox, Chrome and Opera are faster than Internet Explorer.

   4. Clean up your hard drive. If you do not optimize your hard drive, it can slow down your computer, and this will affect all your activities, including browsing the Internet. It will take only a few minutes to optimize your hard drive, but it will significantly improve the quality of your web surfing.

      • Defragment your hard drive regularly. Recent versions of Windows do this automatically.
      • To clean your disk of temporary files that can slow down your browser, run Disk Cleanup.
      • Make sure that there is at least 15% free space on the system partition of the hard drive. If your disk is full, programs, including your Internet browser, will start up and run slower.

   5. Check which programs are consuming traffic. Often the connection speed is reduced because the connection is being used by other programs. To find out if any programs go online without your knowledge, you need to use the Command Prompt. Press keyboard shortcut ⊞Win+R to open the Run dialog box. Type cmd and click ↵Enter. (For Windows 7, open the menu Start>All Programs>Accessories, right-click on Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator" from the menu).

      • Enter the command netstat -b 5 > activity.txt and click ↵Enter. A list of programs that use the Internet connection will appear on the screen. After a minute or so, press Ctrl + C to complete the scan. The system will create a file with a list of all active Internet connections.
      • Enter activity.txt and click ↵Enter to open the file and view the list of programs.

   6. Close all unnecessary programs. Press the Ctrl + Alt + Delete keys at the same time and launch the Task Manager. Go to the processes tab and disable all programs that can consume traffic. (Note: interrupting processes with unknown names may cause programs to crash).

      • View the process data in the "User" column. If the process is running on behalf of the System, stopping it may cause other programs to crash, and you will have to restart your computer. If the column contains your username, it is likely that the termination of the process will not affect other programs and processes. Sometimes the system prohibits the termination of an important system process or automatically restarts it.

   7. Change Wi-Fi channel. If many people in your home use the same channel, the Internet connection speed may be reduced. Use the inSSIDer for PC and KisMAC or WiFi Scanner for Mac to find free channels. By switching to a less congested channel, you will get rid of network interference and will probably be able to surf the Internet faster.

      • If you find an idle channel, switch to it to increase your connection speed. If you do not know how to change the wireless channel in the router, refer to the user manual or reference materials on the device manufacturer's website.