Why is My Internet So Slow?

Are you frustrated because you feel like you aren’t getting the Internet speeds you paid for? One of the most common ways to test your Internet connection is called a speed test. These are free and easily located on the Internet and can tell you how fast your Internet is.

However, for certain reasons, these tests may not always be accurate. A speed test shows you how fast a file can be downloaded to the computer you are running the test on.

However there are many things that can affect the speed of that download besides the speed of the Internet going in to your home.

A few of the things that can affect your Internet speed are:

  • Poor wifi signal
  • Other wireless signals interfering with the wireless signals coming from your router (i.e. baby monitors)
  • Other devices in your home draining your bandwidth (i.e. smart home devices)
  • Your computer or phone running apps programs in the background that you aren’t aware of, slowing your entire device

Any of these things can slow down your Internet.

Your Internet is like water flowing down a pipe. There is a big pipe bringing internet to your local area and a smaller pipe coming off of that bringing Internet to your home address.

Your router is just another pipe that brings the Internet inside your house, and every device inside your home is like a pipe connected to the router.

Just like with water, if any of those pipes along the way are too small for the Internet that needs to flow through for a family, the flow for everything down the line will be much slower. It’s a lot like trying to push all the water going into your house through a small straw.

Also, again just like with water, if everyone in your home is using the Internet at once, any individual device may not be able to receive the full flow of the Internet. It’s like your whole family trying to drink out of that small straw all at once.

If you are struggling with Internet that is slower than expected, make sure that all of the devices that your Internet flows through are working correctly, and check all devices in your home for background programs that may be using the Internet.

If everything still appears to be working correctly, contact us and we’ll be able to help. 913.837.4678.