Troubleshooting Slow Internet
Troubleshooting a Slow Internet Connection
A slow Internet connection may be caused by various factors. You may be able to resolve a slow Internet connection at home with very simple steps.
The Basics
The key to solving the problem is to isolate all variables that can contribute to having a slow connection. Every technical support representative will go back to the basics when trying to address an issue.
1. Identify the problem.
2. Reproduce the problem.
3. Isolate the issue by removing variables.
4. Test.
5. Confirm the solution.
Top 5 Common Issues Causing a Slow Internet Connection
1. Home Router
CG Comm. recommends power cycling– that is to turn off the router and wait 30-60 seconds before turning it on, at least once a month. If you’re finding yourself restarting your router several times a day, it may be time to buy a new one.
2. Home Computer, Tablet, or Internet Appliance
Restart your computer, tablet, or other Internet appliance you are using. Our technicians recommend shutting down the computer from the operating system you are using, wait 15 seconds, then power it on. Power cycling the machine through the operating system will allow the computer to properly shut down. When you power down through the Start Menu, or Apple Menu, this tells the computer to run many clean-up routines in which caches, virtual memory, and paging files are cleared.
3. Website Specific Problem
Try a different website or content provider. For example, if your favorite news site is loading very slowly, try a different site and see how quickly it loads. Many web sites automatically load large images, advertisements, and videos. Sometimes the content you are reading is hosted by service providers from different regions of the world.
If you’re tired of all the advertisements that appear on news sites, you may want to install an ad-blocking program like Adblock Plus
Run a speed test. If you results show that you are getting speeds close to your speed package, the issue may be the website you are visiting.
4. Automatic Software Updates
Automatic software updates may appear to run at the most inconvenient times. You may need to change your settings to schedule the updates to run at hours when you are not utilizing your Internet connection constantly.
5. Toolbars or a Hijacked Web Browser
Make sure your favorite web browser is not choked down with toolbars. We have seen some computers that have 3/4 of their web window covered in toolbars! You really don’t need to have 6 search engines running simultaneously taking up your home computer’s resources. Run the add/remove software control panel to remove unnecessary toolbars.
A hijacked web browser is now a more common cause of sluggish performance. The most common hijacking culprit is Conduit Search. It is usually installed when installing shareware, or freeware programs. It will replace your default search settings and is a nuisance to remove.You may want to follow the instructions listed on this webpage.
Prevention is the best solution. Be cautious of what software gets installed when you download free or shared programs.