How to Fix a Slow Internet Connection

Having a slow Internet connection is like having a million dollars in your bank account but not being able to remember your account number, PIN or password - you have it but you cannot use it! A slow Internet connection is like a joke played on you by fate - picture yourself spending 30 minutes to open a ten minute long video on YouTube. It is during these frustrating moments that you wish you knew how to troubleshoot slow Internet connection yourself and get yourself out of the fix as soon as possible. Well, wishes often come true, at least as far as your broadband speed is concerned. This article will provide you with the guidelines necessary for tackling slow Internet speed yourself.

Before I disclose how to fix this issue, first let us understand what is the cause behind Internet speed getting so laboriously slow. One of the most common and often the silliest reasons behind that Internet connection being slow is faulty or loose connection of the Internet modem or wireless router problems relating to connectivity. Most of the time, a plug or connective wire may become loose and re-fixing it restores proper speed.

The next common reason for slowing down of your Internet connection speed is frequency interference from other circuits if your connection is a DSL broadband service. In case of node connections such as Comcast, slow Internet speed may be due to over utilization of the neighborhood node. Other reasons include congested ISP, malware attacks, inappropriate setting of QoS parameters and interference from Wi-Fi radio if your modem/ router has a built-in radio feature. Now, let's take a look at how to fix a slow Internet connection, now that the common reasons behind this harrowing phenomenon have been identified.

Troubleshooting Slow Internet Speed

It is strongly probable that you won't be able to identify exactly what is causing slow Internet speed at a given time. Since you know the common reasons that may be responsible for your Internet running slow, you can proceed along a trial-and-error method, taking all necessary steps and eliminating each possible cause from the above mentioned one by one. Here's what you can do to tackle the problem:-

• Start with taking precautionary measures against the most dangerous of all slow-down causes - arrest malware spread. Run a virus, spyware or malware scan. Make sure to install all necessary anti-malware updates for better detection of any possible infections.
• If your virus scan result comes negative, heave a sigh of relief and move on towards resetting your modem. Switch off your modem, wait for a couple of minutes and switch on again. This works in most cases when virus is not a reason for a slow Internet connection speed.
• If resetting your modem doesn't work, run a system restore to undo any problematic updates that you may have installed in your computer which may be the reason behind the low-speed.
• An overburdened hard drive is one of the most common causes of slow Internet speed. This is one problem I often face, given the hordes of movies I keep downloading and flooding my hard drive with. Emptying some space on your hard drive might just do the trick that the previously mentioned steps failed!
• If you have the Windows Vista as your OS, you may try deleting Internet cookies, temporary Internet files and clearing history to get a better speed. This works mostly in case you use Internet Explorer on your Vista OS. You can also try rolling back or updating the Vista drivers. This works most of the time for Vista users.
• Sometimes, when you are using Windows Vista, you may experience slow Internet speed due to the fact that it uses enhanced IPv6 support and unnecessary network protocols. Turning off these additional network protocols and using a static IP are good ways of restoring decent speed. Also, opting for OpenDNS server instead of ISP DNS Server may also help.
• Running a disk de-fragmentation once every fortnight helps boost the overall performance of your computer, enhancing your Internet speed as a result.
• You may also consider a different web browser if nothing else seems to work.
• Go to Network Connections in your computer's Control Panel and right-click on Local Area Connection. Click on Properties and go to the General tab. Reject all other protocol check boxes with the exception of tcp/ip. Click on OK. This should help!

Most users of the Mozilla Firefox 3.0 browser claim that using TweakMASTER along with it helps phenomenally enhance the Internet browser speed. Before you embark upon troubleshooting a slow Internet connection, make sure to conduct an online Internet connection speed test to ascertain what is the ideal speed that you should expect from your Internet service provider. Most of the time, eliminating unnecessary programs and keeping your hard drive uncluttered helps in maintaining good Internet speed. A regular virus scan helps keep your computer safe and the Internet browser galloping at the same time. Another major cause for a slow Internet connection is the installation of more than one firewall. Stick to one and get rid of the extra firewalls to get better speed. Hope that helps - seek professional troubleshooting if it doesn't!