Friday, March 7, 2014

Basic Steps to Solve Slow Computer Connection Problems

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Today, Internet has been part of our daily routines. It has been a necessity. Most Internet Service Providers offer fast high-speed connections to sustain the demands of the users. And with that, end users want to make the most out of what they pay for. Thus, slow Internet is a frustration.

How to maximize your speed?

1. Verify the bandwidth/speed of your Internet Service Plan.

2. Test your connection. One way to know if you are getting the correct Internet plan speed is to do a speed test. There are a lot of speed test programs available online that you can use. I recommend Speedtest. In doing this test, you can hook up one of your computer directly to your Cable or DSL box. In that way, you will know the numbers you are getting from your Internet Service Provider. Depending on your needs, you can increase the bandwidth by calling your Internet Service Provider.

Once you have the speed test result from your Cable/ DSL box, perform a speed test when the router is connected. As expected, you will not be getting the same speed behind a router. In theory, you will lose 20 percent of the speed behind a router due to packet loss. Test the speed on each computer and compare it.

If all devices are having the same speed problems, you may proceed in checking your router settings else, it maybe a computer problem.

3. Check your router settings. There are a lot of factors that may affect slow connection among wired and wireless computers. In most cases, wireless connection is more susceptible to connectivity problems. Things that can mainly affect a wired connection are faulty Ethernet cable, outdated drivers, and malfunctioned network adapter. With the wireless connection, you have to consider the signal versus the distance as the two affect each other. If you are having signal problems, you may consider installing a network extender. Wireless Interference with other home appliances will also cause problem. I would recommend you to adjust some settings on the router (e.g. wireless channel, advanced wireless settings, etc.) or relocate the router to fix signal issues. Another thing, make sure to update the router’s firmware and the wireless adapter driver.

You may refer to the manufacturer’s website for available updates or call tech support for a walkthrough.

4. Check the browser settings. If you encounter connections issues with only one computer in the network, it would probably be a computer problem. Other than updating the wireless adapter drivers, check your browser’s settings. Whatever browser you are using, make sure it’s updated. Clearing the cache, history, and cookies may help. Also, disabling add-ons or plugins will speed up your browsing experience. You may also try using a different browser to further isolate the problem. Optimizing your computer can help, too.

Hope this helps!

Written By: Hazel Ann Arceo - Tech Support Engineer at SUPPORTrix

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