There’s nothing more frustrating than a slow internet connection. It can make everything you do feel like it takes forever to complete, from streaming your favorite shows to multitasking online.
However, there are a number of life-changing tips to accelerate your internet without switching ISPs or buying a new computer. These tips will help you get your internet back on track in no time at all!
1. Get Closer to Your Router
If you’re having trouble connecting to your internet, one of the first things you can try is to get closer to your router. This isn’t a difficult thing to do and can really speed up your connection.
Getting your Wi-Fi device closer to your router can make a difference in both download and upload speeds. It’s also a great way to reduce any dead zones in your home that can slow down your connection.
You can also use a tool called Heatmapper to map out your home’s Wi-Fi signals, which will help you see where your router might be losing its signal strength. It’ll also let you know where you might want to put your router in order to get the best signal.
It’s also a good idea to move your router away from any objects in the path of its signal, especially metal ones. This includes large furniture or metal appliances, such as the refrigerator in your kitchen.
Relocating your router isn’t always possible, but if you can, it could increase your connection by as much as 36.5 percent.
Another thing you can do to speed up your connection is to make sure your router is on the right frequency band. Most routers operate both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, but if you can switch to one of those frequencies only, that can improve your speeds significantly.
You should also consider limiting the bandwidth that certain applications can take up on your network. This is a simple way to ensure that your games and streaming services don’t slow down your entire system. Most routers have Quality of Service tools that can prioritize certain apps and devices.
2. Clear Your Cache
One of the simplest and most beneficial ways to accelerate your internet connection is to clear your browser’s cache. This is a process that takes only a few minutes to complete, and it will result in a better-performing computer.
Cache is a collection of temporary files that your web browser saves on your device, so that the next time you visit a particular page, it will load faster. However, over time, these files can clog up your device’s storage capacity and slow down its performance.
This can be a problem if you’re accessing a website that regularly receives updates, and your browser keeps pointing to the old version of the site instead of the latest version. Performing a cache clear will force your browser to download the most recent version of a site, which can make all the difference for faster browsing.
Another advantage of clearing your cache is that it can free up a lot of storage space on your device. This can help improve the speed of your device’s overall performance, and it will also allow for more storage space for new apps and websites.
When you’re using your browser, it automatically saves data like your browsing history, cookies and other site data to its cache. This can add up, and it may be a good idea to clear your cache at least once a week to ensure that it doesn’t eat up all your device’s storage space.
When you’re running Chrome or Firefox on your computer, simply open the Cache Tools menu and click Clear Browsing History. You’ll then see a list of the data that will be cleared. You can choose to remove all the data, or only certain types of it, such as passwords and autofill form data.
3. Switch to a Faster Browser
It’s no secret that a slow internet connection is frustrating. It makes it difficult to stream movies and TV shows, read articles, check your bank balance, and even schedule Zoom meetings.
Thankfully, there are many ways to accelerate your internet connection. Here are five life-changing tips to help you enjoy a fast, smooth, and consistent experience when browsing the web.
1. Switch to a Faster Browser
Your web browser is the software that loads websites on your computer and puts them together in a readable form for you to view. A good browser should load pages quickly, run in-browser apps smoothly, and have a small footprint on your system’s memory so it doesn’t slow down your other programs. Even better, switching to WOI fibre plans will do wonders for you internet speed.
2. Clear Your Cache
Cookies are small files that help your web browser store data on your computer for easier access. However, if you have too many cookies on your computer, your browser can slow down your internet speed.
3. Remove Unnecessary Add-ons
A big reason your internet browser might be slow is because of too many additional apps and services you have installed on your device. You can easily remove unnecessary add-ons by going to the Add-ons tab in your web browser and deleting any that you don’t need or want.
4. Update Your Software
While the biggest browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari claim to be the fastest, they all have their share of bugs that can slow down your Internet connection. You may be better off switching to a faster browser like Brave, which blocks ads & trackers by default and is up to 3x faster than other major browsers.
Ultimately, your internet speed depends on your ISP’s network and your location. If your connection is slow, it’s worth contacting your ISP to ask them about upgrading your plan.
4. Remove Malware
If you’ve noticed that your internet connection has gotten slower, it’s a good idea to run a malware scan. Malware is a type of software that is designed to damage your computer, steal information, or do other harmful things without your knowledge.
There are a lot of different kinds of malware, including computer viruses and worms. Some of them are designed to spread by making copies of themselves, while others are more targeted and have specific purposes.
Some types of malware can make money by stealing banking credentials or blackmailing people with sensitive data. Other types of malware are designed to spy on people.
Adware is an especially common form of malware, and it can be used to collect information about your computer usage or present advertisements that are tailored to your interests. Although adware is not always dangerous, it can be harmful and cause a lot of issues with your system.
In addition to causing problems, adware can also affect your internet connection speed. This can happen when the adware takes up your device’s storage space or eats up memory reserves.
Other symptoms of malware include a strange homepage that changes every time you open your browser or when new toolbars and extensions appear in your web browser. Symptoms like these usually indicate that your system has been infected with malware, so it’s important to run a malware scan to identify any issues.
Finally, you should check to see if your antivirus is up-to-date and running regularly. If it’s not, you should consider installing a new one or updating your existing software. Another thing to do is clear your cache and close any background apps that are eating up a large amount of your device’s storage.
5. Disconnect Unnecessary Devices
If you want to speed up your Internet connection, one of the best things you can do is disconnect unnecessary devices. These include unused smartphones, tablets, computers and smart TVs that aren’t in use.
Some routers have apps that let you see which devices are connected to your network, and if you need to remove any of them, you can do so with just a couple clicks. If you don’t have a router with an app, it’s still easy to disconnect these devices by changing the Wi-Fi password and then logging back in using the new password.
Unused devices are a big drain on your bandwidth and can slow down your speed considerably. For this reason, you should regularly disconnect any unused devices.
You can also try running a speed test on your device to check how close it is to your advertised speed. This can be a good way to figure out how fast your connection really is, and it can be a great way to find areas where you might need to improve your Internet speeds.
Another good idea is to upgrade your plan with more bandwidth. This will not only give you more capacity for downloading, but it will also speed up your overall connection.
It’s important to remember that low bandwidth is often a sign of a bad internet provider, so it’s a good idea to shop around for a better deal. This may require you to upgrade your plan, but it’s well worth it if you’re struggling with speed issues.
Finally, if you’re experiencing lag or a spike in ping, it could be because of side traffic. It’s important to run a speed test while you’re streaming video or playing games on your computer to determine if you have a problem.
