Let's dig in. Want to troubleshoot your current setup to increase your speed? Read on below. Already know you need to swap plans to boost your internet speed? Take look at our top recommended internet service providers. Data caps are one of the biggest culprits of slow internet speeds out there. A data cap means you can use a certain amount of data every month—anything from a couple hundred megabytes to hundreds of gigabytes.
If you exceed your data limit, your ISP will seriously restrict your internet speeds. Chances are you do, and it will be outlined in the fine print. If you keep exceeding your data cap every month, talk to your provider about a plan with a higher data limit. Thinking of swapping to a new internet provider? It's worth checking out its data policy. We've got a list of which ISPs offer unlimited data versus which ones cap your data each month.
Reset your router every month or so to give the device a break and refresh your internet connection. If you experience serious speed issues, you might consider resetting your router every day.
If you have a modem separate from your router, reset that too. Easy, get an outlet timer like Century's programmable timer.
You can plug your modem and router into a timer that will turn the system on and off for you. That way, you can wake up to that fresh internet feeling every morning. Position your router toward the middle of your house, preferably on whichever floor you hang out on the most.
If you spend all your time in the living room on the first floor, put your router on that same level. Everybody uses Wi-Fi these days, which is great. Cabled connections like ethernet, will always be faster and more reliable than wireless ones. The cable gets the signal directly to your device rather than relying on over-the-air transmissions.
If you can, connect your most important devices to the internet via an ethernet cable. Especially if you tend to watch data-heavy media like videos on your TV, cable connections are best.
If you want to keep your banking information absolutely private, ethernet is a better way to go. Almost every content provider displays advertisements. Everywhere you go online there are endless ads, pictures, GIFs, and auto-played videos.
Our recommended ad-blocking plugin is Adblock Plus. It's free and works on most web browsers. You really are going to read that Buzzfeed listicle from We know. But all that open media can slow down your connection, which is why we recommended having a backup browser like Opera. Opera streamlines all the data on web pages to give you a faster browsing experience. Plus, you should have protection software installed as a general rule anyway.
Once you have some good software on board, set it to scan for viruses and malware automatically on a regular basis. If the software does find existing viruses or malware hence your slow internet speeds , get it removed by a computer technician and get back to easy browsing. As you visit websites and enter information, browsers collect little bits of information about you, often in the form of cookies.
Marketers use your data to send you relevant ads for stuff you might want to buy based on your browsing behavior. Call your provider and ask about alternative plans, or do some research online to find out what other users are paying for similar plans. We've got your back. Try these three tips for calling your internet customer service.
They'll help you keep your cool and might even give you an edge when it comes to negotiating. Sometimes your internet provider is the biggest problem.
If your internet provider is going to give you a slow connection no matter how many other tips you try, consider a swap. Most areas have only a couple Internet Service Providers ISPs available, so it should be a pretty quick check to see if the other provider that serves your area has better prices for faster speeds.
You can skim this roundup of best ISPs and check this month's internet deals to figure out if an alternative provider might give you a better price. But, if you want to purchase your own modem, the manual and description of the modem typically includes a list of service providers it works with. So, be sure to check that before spending any money. One of the fastest and most popular modems is the Motorola MB In the product details, you can see this modem is compatible with Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Charter Spectrum, and more.
Your current modem could also be running poorly because of age, wear, damage, dust, etc. We recommend replacing your modem every years or so to improve your internet speed.
This next suggestion is often the most powerful one. Turn off your modem for one minute and turn it on again. It is called power cycling and can often flush out a bunch of problems that affect your speed.
If you are really brave you can even reconfigure your modem with a new password as this can often refresh your settings at the end of your ISP and refresh connections. We recommend turning your modem off and on again at least once a month.
The next thing you need to do is make sure that no virus itself is causing your internet to slow down. Sometimes viruses can live on your computer and suck resources away from what you are doing thus slowing down your speeds. Sometimes your virus scanner or other programs can interfere with your internet speeds. This is really frustrating but you can figure it out by simply switching things off one at a time and then running a speed test again.
You should always have good virus protection. A lot of people use a VPN service because it allows you to protect your privacy, keep information secure, and bypass censorship. Sign me up! With IPVanish, you can easily protect the privacy of your daily internet activity and connect to online content from anywhere. The IPVanish app will even suggest the fastest servers to chose from. WireGuard is considered to be the most secure and easiest to use VPN solution. It offers online privacy, a fast connection, and no limits on bandwidth.
You can choose from over NordVPN servers in 59 countries. Using 1 NordVPN account, you can connect up to 6 devices at one time, using different servers and geographical locations. With one of these VPN services, you can keep your internet connection secure and private, while maintaining your speed. If your router is located in some far-away corner of your house, a quick way to improve your internet speed is by moving your router.
Place your router closer to where you are so that the wi-fi signal can reach you. For example, if your home office is on the top floor and your router is on the bottom floor, move the router to the same level.
If strangers are able to access your wifi network, this will take up internet bandwidth and slow down your connection. However, if your internet router does have antennas, you can angle them to help your Wi-Fi signal travel straight through walls and retain signal strength. Boost your Wi-Fi signal by angling one antenna to be vertical so Wi-Fi signals travel directly side to side through walls.
Angle the other antenna to be horizontal so Wi-Fi signals travel directly upward and downward through the ceiling to other floors.
Another alternative is to upgrade your antenna. Some router models are equipped with a visible antenna, and high-speed internet customers with these models are in luck. Because some third-party manufacturers produce replacement antenna with more robust signals than the ones provided by your cable and internet provider. The location of your Wi-Fi router has a big impact on the strength of its signal. Position the device in a high, open space with limited obstructions for better Wi-Fi signal results.
As we already mentioned, signals travel perpendicular to your router. If your router is on the ground, many of your Wi-Fi signals will travel horizontally along the floor and reach fewer parts of your home. You may be able to improve the signal and raise your internet speeds by setting up the router on the second floor if you have a multi-level home.
Placing your router too close to materials like concrete or brick can limit its ability to broadcast to the rest of your home. The denser the objects around your wireless router are, the greater the signal loss.
Placing your router in a central spot can help maximize where your signals travel. Raising your internet speeds in certain parts of your house may be as simple as adding a Wi-Fi repeater. Essentially, the repeater contains a wireless router that picks up your current Wi-Fi signal. Then another wireless router inside the repeater boosts and transmits the stronger Wi-Fi signal to other devices in your home.
You can also fashion a repeater out of an extra router. A Wi-Fi extender works similarly to a Wi-Fi repeater to boost your internet signal to other rooms. The advantage is that extenders are less likely to limit your bandwidth than Wi-Fi repeaters, and they provide connected devices with a strong internet connection.
A powerline Ethernet kit uses a wired link to your router to provide Wi-Fi signals to other devices in your home. A powerline Ethernet kit is usually a good way to boost internet for basement gaming equipment or devices in a garage.
Try these helpful hacks to improve your internet speed. Or if you just want more bang for your buck, check out providers near you with more speed for the price. Rather chat? Give us a call: Pro Tip: For best results, use an Ethernet cord to connect your router or modem directly to your device before you run the test. Remember, your Wi-Fi router is crucial in determining the internet speeds you get throughout your home.
Using any of these tips can help you maximize your home Wi-Fi signal and enjoy faster internet at home. Lisa uses years of experience in sales and customer service for internet-TV providers to inform her writing on broadband.
Her work has been referenced by CNN and other national sources. Read bio. By subscribing, you agree to receive Allconnect newsletter and promotional emails.
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