Top 10 Possible Causes of Slow Broadband Internet Connection – Is your broadband network plagued by sluggish internet connection speed? Here are the top ten possible causes of slow internet connection and some recommendations to address them.
1. Presence of viruses and malicious programs. Malware uses up your bandwidth allocation, causing your computer and your network to slow down. Run a regularly updated antivirus program and enable its auto-update feature.
2. Multitasking. Downloading while browsing can definitely bog down your internet connection. Close all unneeded programs.
3. Interference. Wireless networks are susceptible to interference. To address this, place your router in the same room as your computer, eliminate physical obstructions around the router, use a microfilter connector, or simply connect to your router via an Ethernet cable.
4. Peak hours of internet traffic. Your ISP may be congested. This happens during peak times when many people access the internet in your area at the same time. High-speed cable networks are prone to congestion because cable internet lines are shared with other subscribers in a given locality. Traffic throttling is also a possibility, especially if you download heavily. Your ISP will restrict your bandwidth allocation so that you don’t compromise the online experience of other subscribers in your area.
5. Inappropriate router configurations. The router configurations must be set for the bandwidth that’s available to you. For instance, your Quality of Service (QoS) parameters may not be properly set for your available internet connection speed. QoS parameters are needed to use real-time programs, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) apps. They need to be properly configured with your router.
6. Outdated or damaged hardware. Slow internet connections can result from using an outdated or damaged wireless router. Invest on the latest technology to get the best performance. Bad cabling can also affect your connection speed, so replace any worn-out wiring and loose connections.
7. Interoperability. Even a slight incompatibility between your operating system and your router can potentially hamper the speed by which you connect to the internet. Read your router’s manual to check if it supports your computer’s operating system.
8. Promised speed not delivered by your ISP. Unless you are using a fixed circuit like a T1 line, the bandwidth delivered by your ISP can fluctuate throughout the day. The variation in speed can be attributed to traffic congestion, throttling, or your ISP not delivering the connection speed. That is the reason ISPs frame their promised speeds with a disclaimer, using the phrase such as “best effort” to delineate speeds achieved under ideal network conditions.
9. Location of the webpage you are visiting and the volume of online traffic there. A webpage hosted in a part of the world close to your location loads much faster than one that is hosted in a faraway geographical area. In addition, if you access a website or a server on the internet that is also simultaneously being viewed by thousands or millions of people, then the webpage loads much slower than a similar page with low online traffic. The type of website you visit also influences how fast the webpage loads. Websites composed of text documents, for example, load much faster than websites that host movie files.
10. Site maintenance issues. Your ISP or the host of the website you are visiting may be doing maintenance on their computers, network, and other network-related equipment. These forms of site or network maintenance can lead to slow connection.
