Everyone loves fast internet speeds. Any online experience can be ruined when you’re struggling to even open the website. If you love to stream content or do online gaming, then you absolutely do need high-speed internet service. Everyone wants faster internet speed, and fortunately, there are some ways that can give your internet speed a boost. Some tips are straight-up fake and others are really technical and/or expensive. In this guide, we’ve mentioned some of the simple steps that you can use to improve your overall internet speed.
Undoubtedly you’ll be able to find internet speed increase tips online, but some of them are fake, and some of them don’t work well. We’ve done our due diligence and gathered some tips that will help you improve your overall internet speed.
Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Internet Speed
If you’ve been constantly having problems with your internet speed, then it’s high time you apply these tricks and enjoy faster internet speeds.
1. Re-Check Your Data Cap
Data caps are the biggest reason for slow internet speeds. If you’ve exceeded your data limit, then you will experience slower speeds from now on. But they can seriously mess with your connection.
A fixed data cap means that you can use only a certain amount every month. Once you go over that limit, your ISP will reduce your speed and your internet experience will be hampered. If you don’t know whether or not you have a data cap, check your bill.
2. Restart Your Browser
Your router works 24/7, and it needs some rest too at times. Reset your router every month to give your device a break. If you’ve been facing internet issues for some time, then you should consider resetting your router.
If you have a modem separate from your router, rest that too. Resetting your modem re-establishes your connection with your ISP. It’s basically the equivalent of turning your router on and off. Some routers can even offer features of automatic resetting, you can set an automatic timer for your router.
Do remember that resetting your router and modem isn’t a magical fix, but it will offer some improvement to your slow internet connection.
3. Place Your Router in the Center
You may haven’t thought of it before, but it makes sense when you sit down and think about it.
The job of your router is to spread WiFi signals to every corner of your home. If your router is placed at one particular corner of your home, chances are that it won’t be able to spread signals ideally. If you’re having slow internet issues in just one part of your home, then you should try and change the position of your router to a central location.
4. Adblockers Are Your Friend
Almost every website, game, or streaming service you visit will display ads. Almost everywhere you go on the web, you’ll find a lot of ads, pictures, GIFs, and more.
Even if you don’t have any issues with ads, they do place an unnecessary burden on your internet speed. Ad content slows down your internet speed, so it’s better that you block these ads. Install an ad-blocker plugin that will get rid of these data-consuming ads. This will free up your internet connection for other important activities.
5. Leverage Ethernet
While WiFi is more convenient to use, it’s more prone to signal drops and errors. Moreover, compared to WiFi connectivity, Ethernet is faster. Cable connections will always be faster and more reliable compared to wireless ones. The cable sends signals straight to your device instead of relying on over-the-air transmissions.
For better internet connectivity, you should connect these devices to the Ethernet:
- TV
- PlayStation, Xbox, other gaming consoles
- Laptop or Desktop
Doing this will definitely improve your overall internet experience, especially if you do a lot of media-heavy activities like streaming, and online gaming.
If you want to keep your data secure and private, then you would absolutely love using Ethernet as it’s more secure than WiFi. If you’re doing sensitive activities online such as online banking, using Ethernet makes sense.
6. Use a Simple Browser
Almost all of us keep multiple tabs open, and several browser windows open while using the internet, it may seem normal but it eats up your internet speed. All the open tabs and windows keep using resources in the background and cause a slow internet connection. This is why you should use a browser that doesn’t eat too many resources in the background.
Opera browser is a great option for this. It streamlines all the data on web pages to provide you with a faster browsing experience. Although Opera may not be your cup of tea if you do some heavy work, it works great on the days your WiFi is running slow.
7. Get Virus and Malware Scanners
In this day and age, you should definitely have antivirus software and a malware scanner. It’s obvious that any viruses and malware hidden in your PC will affect your internet speed. Additionally, antivirus software will help in protecting you and your sensitive data from hidden cybercriminals.
Once you have some good software installed on your device, you should start searching for malware and viruses. You can even set it to search for threats periodically. If your antivirus software can find some malware, get it removed by an expert and get your internet speeds back.
8. Talk to Your Internet Provider
If there’s only one ISP in your town, then they must have multiple plans to offer. If you’re tired of the speeds you’re getting, then you should upgrade to a higher-speed plan. It’s obvious that you’d have to pay more for a higher-speed plan. If you only have one provider near your home then upgrading your speed is the best option you have.
Call your internet service provider and ask about other plans, and if you want you can do some research online about the prices nearby users are paying for the same plan. You may even find online exclusive plans that are a better fit.
9. “Clear Cache” Plugin
Your browser stores some data every time you visit a website, this data is known as a cache. Cache is data your browser saves; this includes information about you and some information in the form of cookies. Marketers use this data to show you relevant ads and ads according to your browsing behavior.
But this information can sometimes slow down your browsing experience. To get rid of these cookies and trackers, you must clear the “cache” on your browser. This can be done manually, or if you want you can install a plugin on your browser that automatically gets rid of cache.
10. Find Another Internet Provider
Sometimes your internet service provider is the only issue. So the only step that makes sense is that you need a new internet service provider. You can go online and search for the “best internet service providers near me.”
If your location has a single internet provider, then the logical step is to get an upgraded internet plan. If you have multiple ISPs in your area, then you should start doing research right away.
