Before troubleshooting, run a speed test to establish a baseline. Note your download speed, upload speed, and ping — you'll want to compare results as you make changes.
📊 The global average fixed broadband speed in 2025 is approximately 102 Mbps. The US average is 289 Mbps. If you're significantly below your ISP's advertised speed, troubleshooting is worthwhile.
Quick fixes (start here)
Restart your router and modem
The classic fix works more often than it should. Power off your modem and router completely (unplug from the wall), wait 60 seconds, then plug in the modem first and wait until it's fully connected before plugging in the router. This clears cached state and often resolves speed issues.
Check for background downloads and updates
Windows Update, macOS updates, game downloads, cloud backups, and streaming services all consume bandwidth silently. Check your Task Manager (Windows) or Activity Monitor (Mac) for network usage. Pause any large downloads before testing.
Move closer to your router (or use ethernet)
WiFi signal degrades with distance and walls. If you're far from your router or separated by concrete walls, your WiFi speed may be a fraction of your actual internet speed. Test with a direct ethernet cable to determine if the issue is your WiFi or your internet connection itself.
Intermediate fixes
Change your WiFi channel
In dense apartment buildings, many routers compete on the same WiFi channels, causing interference. Log into your router's admin panel and try switching to a less congested channel. For 2.4GHz, channels 1, 6, and 11 are the non-overlapping options. For 5GHz, there are more options with less congestion.
Switch from 2.4GHz to 5GHz WiFi
Most modern routers broadcast both 2.4GHz (longer range, slower) and 5GHz (shorter range, faster) networks. If you're close to your router, connecting to the 5GHz band can significantly improve speeds. Look for your network name with "5G" appended in your WiFi settings.
Update your router firmware
Router manufacturers release firmware updates that fix bugs and improve performance. Log into your router's admin interface (usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) and check for firmware updates in the settings menu.
Change your DNS servers
Your ISP's default DNS servers are sometimes slow. Switching to Google (8.8.8.8 / 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 / 1.0.0.1) can reduce page load times and improve browsing speed without changing your internet plan. This doesn't increase raw Mbps but makes browsing feel faster.
If your speeds are consistently slow in the evening (7-10pm) but fast in the morning, your ISP may be experiencing congestion in your area. This is an infrastructure issue that individual troubleshooting can't fix — contact your ISP or consider switching providers.
Advanced fixes
Check your router and modem age
Older routers can bottleneck modern internet plans. A router more than 5 years old may not support the speeds your ISP delivers. If you're on a gigabit plan but your router only supports 100 Mbps on its ethernet ports (Fast Ethernet vs Gigabit Ethernet), the router is the bottleneck.
Check your ethernet cables
Cat5 cables support up to 100 Mbps; Cat5e and Cat6 support gigabit speeds. If you're on a high-speed plan and using old cables, they may be limiting your speed. Check the markings on your cables — Cat5e or Cat6 is recommended for modern connections.
Contact your ISP with speed test data
If you've tried all the above and your speed is still significantly below your plan, contact your ISP. Run tests at different times of day and record the results. Having data (speeds, times, dates) makes a much stronger case than "my internet is slow." Many ISPs will dispatch a technician to check the line quality.