Excessively Slow Upload Speed
How to Fix Your Tedious Internet
Expert tips to blackball ho-hum internet speeds
January 23, 2022 Share
FAQ, Internet Speed Guides
You can generally gear up a ho-hum cyberspace connectedness if the issue is on your cease. A simple restart of your modem and your router (or all-in-ane wireless gateway) tin can sometimes speed up your connection. But your slow speeds may besides exist the result of problems on your provider's end—problems you lot just can't fix.
By and large, your modem or router (or both) volition create a speed clogging if non working properly—the same goes with wireless gateways. If your equipment is too one-time, information technology may not support important cyberspace protocols. Equipment impairment, such as bad ports or components, can also cause slowdowns.
At that place are a few ways to make certain each step of your network is performing at optimal speed. We'll aid you identify and prepare your network's weakest link starting with the basics—we'll go more in-depth equally we go deeper into our guide.
Want faster internet speeds straight from the source? Enter your zip code below to run into if a faster plan is available in your area.
Why is your internet so tedious?
There are many reasons why your internet is slow. Maybe your cyberspace provider is having issues, your home network needs a reboot, or you're but besides far away from the router—the possibilities can exist a flake overwhelming. Nosotros'll list the virtually mutual problems and how you lot tin can ready them to get more speed.
- Your cyberspace plan is too slow
- You demand better network management
- Your provider's network is congested
- You exceeded your data cap
- Y'all have weak Wi-Fi signals
- You accept high latency
- Y'all have irksome or outdated devices
- Your provider is throttling your connection
Problem: Your cyberspace plan is too slow
If your internet slows down only when too many other people are online simultaneously, you're probably using more data than your plan allows. Use our internet speed examination to see if you're getting the speed advertised by your Isp. If your results are close to your plan speed, consider upgrading.
Your net parcel gives you a specific amount of bandwidth, and if there's more data trying to movement around than there is bandwidth, you come across a traffic jam.
Retrieve of your internet connection like a road directly to your firm. One auto's worth of people (or net data) tin reach your firm at a fourth dimension. If there are 3 cars trying to go there, they have to line up to go to your house. And if more cars arrive as the others are waiting to reach your house, the line and the delays go longer.
The easiest manner to get more bandwidth is by upgrading to a faster net program that can go on upwardly with your household. We're online now more than e'er, and the internet plan you signed up for a few years ago might non exist sufficient today if your connection slows down every time multiple people use the cyberspace.
We recommend checking out ane of the fastest internet providers in the US.
Problem: Y'all demand amend network management
If upgrading isn't an option, you need to either deal with the boring speeds or manage your household'southward internet use. Thankfully, there are severa l easy ways of doing the latter that doesn't include yelling at everyone to become off the internet so you tin attend a Zoom meeting.
Here are a few tips on how to manage your abode network traffic:
Apply QoS settings
Many routers have a quality of service (or QoS) component that allows you to control how your network prioritizes certain types of data. That way, y'all can make certain your streaming information always gets first admission to available bandwidth for smooth playback.
Non all routers have adjustable QoS, but if your router does, you'll find the controls in your router's web interface.
Pro tip: How to log in to a router
Many of our tips and troubleshooting guides tell yous to log in to your router's web interface . It's really easy if you don't know how—but follow our instructions.
Prune your internet connections
There may exist some devices connected to your network that you lot rarely use—if at all. For example: you bought a new laptop, but the one-time one nonetheless idles and connects to the network. Even though it'south non in utilize, it even so uses bandwidth for updates and other groundwork services. Your router may even have a express number of devices information technology can connect to simultaneously, and if you lot take besides many connected devices the router may first kick some of them off the network.
One uncomplicated mode to take stock of all the devices using your network is to load your router's web interface and view the network map. You volition see all continued devices, whether they're active or not, then you tin can block the ones y'all never utilize.
Another method is to change the Wi-Fi countersign, but that only applies to wireless devices . Once you do , yous must manually reconnect every device that accesses your wireless network .
Some routers or wireless gateways likewise have a handy companion app that lets you encounter everything on your network without loading a browser . That fashion you lot can identify and remove devices that no longer need access to your network .
Stagger bandwidth-hogging activities
If your connection tin't handle everyone online at once, stagger your internet activities so anybody gets a hazard at an uninterrupted connection.
Also, brand certain to schedule big downloads (like computer and game updates) during times when other people won't be online.
Put visitors on a invitee network
There's nothing wrong with sharing your cyberspace with guests when they come to visit , but you don't want them to secretly download illegal content while they lounge on your couch . That's where your router'southward guest network characteristic comes into play .
You can create a second guest network using your router's web interface or mobile app. A guest network allows you to limit how much bandwidth guests can utilize, and what services and websites they can admission . It also prevents guest devices from mingling with your devices, so there's no worry about guests spreading malware to everything you employ.
Problem: Your provider'due south network is congested
Cable net subscribers may endure slowdowns during meridian times when they and everyone else in the neighborhood are active online at the aforementioned time. Information technology'due south a like situation to traffic on your home network but on a larger scale. In this case, you and all your neighbors compete for the same bandwidth.
If the congestion gets especially bad, your internet provider may throttle internet speeds in your expanse to reduce traffic for the network.
Unfortunately, you tin't control when or how often people in the same expanse use the net —we certainly don't advise request your neighbors to log off and then yous can Zoom in peace. Simply there are a few tricks to circumventing the issue.
Try to schedule game and media downloads during off-peak hours, like in the center of the night. You could as well switch to some other provider that doesn't take as many subscribers effectually you, though that could be difficult to make up one's mind .
The only type of internet that isn't much afflicted past an area's network congestion is fiber internet . Fiber infrastructure is capable of carrying much more information than other internet types, so having a ton of traffic at the same time doesn't wearisome down individual customers.
Problem: You lot exceeded your data cap
Many net providers have data caps, and some tiresome your speeds to a clamber after you striking that cap. You can commonly check to see how much data you lot've used on your online account or through your ISP'due south app. Providers like Xfinity requite customers very high data caps—1.2 TB for this case—and shouldn't cause too many issues for most households. Simply satellite internet providers including and are less generous with their data allowances.
Satellite net providers accuse for net use by data rather than past internet speed. It'due south like to how jail cell phone plans normally piece of work: once you utilise up your data allowance for the month , your internet connectedness can slow to a clamber.
HughesNet customers can see speeds driblet to 1–3 Mbps. Viasat customers can expect all their internet traffic to be deprioritized, meaning that their information gets pushed to the back of the line of all Viasat customers' data.
Many DSL, cable, and fiber cyberspace companies are discontinuing information limits , just in that location are many others that go along to keep them in place . Look to see if your net service has a data cap in our guide to Isp data caps .
Problem: You accept weak Wi-Fi signals
Walls, distance, and even microwaves can interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Weaker Wi-Fi signals hateful slower speeds and frequent disconnects .
Y'all tin can tell if signal interference and weak Wi-Fi signals are your bug if your connection works well virtually your router but is extremely slow in the adjacent room .
To fix weak Wi-Fi, first, bank check your router's placement. Y ou want to brand sure your router is in a central and elevated location and away from things that can affect your Wi-Fi signals (like walls, Bluetooth speakers, etc.).
If that doesn't work, you lot might demand to replace your router with one designed for longer ranges or better coverage—or you lot can add an extender to your network to stretch Wi-Fi signals into a previously unreachable area .
Cheque out our guide to long-range routers if you demand ameliorate Wi-Fi coverage. It goes over both mesh Wi-Fi systems and standalone routers to help you effigy out how best to access the internet in every inch of your home.
Problem: Yous have high latency
Latency is the time data takes to make a round trip from your device to the destination and dorsum. A high latency creates noticeable lag: an extended duration betwixt your physical deportment and the results displayed on your screen. This can be particularly frustrating with online gaming or video calls.
Loftier latency is hard to work around. It depends partially on your physical altitude from internet servers, network congestion between you and the servers , and your internet provider's infrastructure. Internet type can besides play into latency likewise.
For case, satellite internet has loftier latency because all your data must travel to space and back, both coming and going to your device. Newer types of cyberspace, including fiber and 5G mmWave , have lower latency because they can handle faster signals.
If y'all're looking to lower your latency for a amend connection, cheque out our study on the fastest ISPs . It dives into which internet services take the all-time tested speeds and lowest average latency.
Problem: Yous have slow or outdated devices
The trouble might not be with your internet connection—it might be with the device you use . Your computer, tablet, phone, or gaming console could be outdated and not capable of processing today's Wi-Fi speeds.
For example, the old (but much loved) PlayStation Vita handheld console supports up to 150 Mbps per second considering information technology uses a Wi-Fi iv radio. That speed can decrease based on the router it connects to and the security protocol it uses. The Vita will never encounter speeds beyond that 150 Mbps limit.
If you accept speed bug on a desktop or laptop, effort ability cycling the device. This clears the memory of any junk, refreshes your connection, and cleans out unnecessary processes and temporary files. Speed issues tend to happen due to an overworked processor, and a quick ability cycle—shutting it down completely for 30 seconds—will "clear its head."
Other things that can tiresome down your devices include the following:
- Likewise many open applications
- As well many open browser tabs
- Outdated software
- Outdated drivers
- The operating organisation needs to reboot to install updates
- Patch downloads
- App downloads
- Malware
Avoid overwhelming your computer's CPU by closing unused applications and browser windows. Keep your device'due south operating system up to appointment by allowing auto-updates, and keep your antivirus definitions current.
Problem: Your provider is throttling your connection
Internet providers tin throttle your speeds, causing a slow connection . We'll get over throttling briefly here, but you can get a more in-depth look at the subject area in our guide to network throttling .
We've already discussed a few circumstances where a provider might throttle your speeds—like if you go over your data cap or if there's likewise much congestion in the network. Merely your provider might besides slow you downwardly if it flags your internet activity equally potentially illegal or if it by and large doesn't want you lot to do a specific blazon of activity (similar torrenting).
To see if your provider is throttling your internet, run a speed test usually and then run it once again using a VPN. If your speeds meliorate with the VPN, congratulations! You're throttled.
Other factors that affect your speed
Your net programme'due south maximum speed
Internet speeds are measured in megabits per 2nd (Mbps) . This refers to your connection'south total bandwidth, not the bodily fourth dimension information uses to make a round trip to a website and back—that's called latency.
Providers ordinarily annunciate their internet speeds as "up to" a certain number of megabits per 2nd, and there's commonly some fine print that says those speeds are not guaranteed. Internet providers are mostly in the clear legally if your internet doesn't actually perform upwardly to the highest advertised bandwidth.
Realistically, you lot may pay for 400 Mbps per month, but you likely won't see that maximum due to hardware issues between your internet provider's operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems—and your physical internet connection. Utility pole connections, your buried cable, and so on all play a major cistron in how your connexion performs. In that location's nothing you tin can do to become the maximum bandwidth you pay for each month other than promise for the highest speeds possible.
If yous demand a refresher on internet speeds and what they mean, check out our guide to internet speeds .
Your upload and download speeds
You upload and download data every day, whether yous're on a smartphone or a laptop. For case, when you access a website, you upload a request to that website and and then download temporary files from the site to view it in your browser.
If y'all don't have problems with streaming on Netflix or downloading files simply are still experiencing some symptoms of wearisome internet speeds, your result might really be with your upload speed.
Cable, DSL, and satellite providers requite customers manner less upload bandwidth than download bandwidth considering near people request much more data from the internet than they send. Upload speed is typically an result for heavy uploaders—like Twitch streamers , people who piece of work with video or audio , or those who often take to share large files.
The all-time mode to improve upload speeds is to switch to a fiber plan. Fiber-optic internet connections oft give customers upload speeds equal to their download speeds. If you don't know what kind of speeds you really need , check out our recommendations for upload and download speeds .
Your net connectedness blazon
There are a few different technologies internet providers apply to deliver your connection, similar cable, fiber, satellite, or DSL. Your internet connexion blazon p lays a huge gene in your overall speeds.
Satellite cyberspace transfers internet signals from a base station to a satellite to a receiver at your home. Because all your information must travel such a long distance both ways, satellite internet can have very high latency compared to other types of cyberspace, which slows things downward.
DSL internet uses telephone lines to conduct data. Because the infrastructure is usually a little older, information technology can't handle the aforementioned amount of bandwidth as a newer connexion like fiber. DSL internet tops out at simply over 100 Mbps, and its electrical signals tend to degrade in quality over long distances.
Cable internet can exist faster than DSL because it uses the aforementioned coaxial cables that carry cable TV. Speeds can reach upward to 1,000 Mbps, but cablevision is susceptible to network congestion during high-traffic times due to the infrastructure'due south overall "shared" design.
Fiber-optic internet is 1 of the newest types of internet, and it's the best wired connexion you can get. Fiber uses LED or laser pulses to ship your internet information, then it has lower latency than other internet types as a whole. It can also conduct much more bandwidth than cable or DSL, offering speeds upwardly to ii,000 Mbps. It's less decumbent to network congestion and can offer as loftier download and upload speeds.
Overall, DSL and cable are the most mutual internet types while fiber is newer merely scarce. Satellite is best for rural areas where the other three types can't reach.
How to troubleshoot a slow connection
First, know your programme speed
Y'all need to know how much speed you pay for each month and compare that number against the speed you're actually getting now . Look on your paper bill or log in to your online business relationship to see your plan's advertised maximum speed.
Next, run a speed test and compare
Running a serial of speed tests while connected to unlike points in your network can assistance you lot figure out where your speeds are slowing downward. We'll pause the testing process down into two sections.
Part ane: Test the modem
Your first speed test is to run into if you're getting the right speeds to your domicile compared with what you're supposed to get from your internet provider . To go the most accurate results for your initial speed exam, unplug your router from the modem and connect a computer to the aforementioned port on the modem using an Ethernet cablevision. If you have a wireless gateway, just plug it into i of the Ethernet ports.
Warning: We don't recommend browsing the net for extended periods of time without using a router. Your router has some first-class born security features that protect your network from viruses and malware.
This first examination should give you results that are close to the speeds promoted with your plan. If not, try to track this issue over multiple days and times of twenty-four hours to establish a pattern. Contact your cyberspace provider to talk virtually why you're non getting the correct speeds if you lot go along to see lower than expected results .
Run the Speed Test
Part 2: Test the router
If your modem isn't the outcome, the adjacent stride is to test the router. Plug the router back into the modem and run multiple speed tests using your wireless devices, and wired devices plugged into the router'due south Ethernet ports.
If y'all see a vast difference between the modem and router tests, then your router is causing your connection slowdowns—or the Ethernet cable tethering your router to the modem.
Continue in heed that not all wireless devices experience identical speeds. Their connections depend on the hardware inside no matter what router yous use, and then a upkeep Samsung phone volition have slower Wi-Fi speeds than an expensive wireless menu plugged into your desktop.
To troubleshoot router problems, follow these steps:
Step one: Unplug the router's ability, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in.
Step two: Make sure all cables are connected securely and that all ports work.
Step iii: Update your router's firmware. You tin do this by logging in to your router's web interface or mobile app . (Your Internet service provider probable does this automatically, but information technology's worth checking.)
Footstep 4: Reposition your router .
Step v: Motility wireless connections to the all-time Wi-Fi ring .
Pace 6: Change Wi-Fi channels in your router'southward interface to find i that's less crowded.
Step 7: Endeavour a factory reset by pressing the reset button located on the back of your router.
If none of these steps work, yous may need to upgrade to a newer or more powerful router. Internet tech advances rather quickly, and if your router is more than a few years old, it might be time to go yourself something more modern . If y'all're looking for router-ownership guidance, we have recommendations for the best long-range routers , the best modem and router combos , and the all-time routers for Xfinity .
Cheque for Wi-Fi dead zones
Wi-Fi issues can stem from multiple factors . It could exist your router's range, a crowded frequency aqueduct or band, or signal interference caused by physical obstructions and other electronics.
You already know that you should place your router at a central and elevated location for the best coverage, so we'll presume that you've already washed that and pointed your antennas in the right direction.
Go to different areas of your house with a calculator or smartphone and watch the Wi-Fi signal forcefulness indicator. If yous detect a lot of dead zones, you may demand to move your router again (if they happen in areas where you lot normally need Wi-Fi) or invest in something to boost your Wi-Fi signal to that particular area. You can also brand a Wi-Fi heatmap if you want to become more precise with it.
If y'all have more than a couple of issues with Wi-Fi expressionless zones, we recommend upgrading to a mesh networking kit . They usually ship with at least 2 nodes—one that connects to your modem and another that communicates straight with the first unit—to create a "blanket" of coverage. There'due south no centralized bespeak, and yous can easily add more than nodes to extend coverage. Moreover, devices seamlessly switch betwixt nodes every bit you motion about the habitation or office.
If y'all prefer to stick with the traditional router, you lot could add a Wi-Fi extender or powerline adapter , Notwithstanding, we still prefer mesh router kits versus the router/extender setup .
Reorganize your Wi-Fi connections
If you've already pruned your Wi-Fi connections of unnecessary devices , it'south time to make sure all active connections are on the correct Wi-Fi band.
Nearly modern routers offer two Wi-Fi bands, which each create their own visible Wi-Fi network. By default, these are usually labeled with their frequency bands, but it might be different if yous've changed your Wi-Fi network'southward name.
These bands operate on ii different frequencies: 2.four GHz and 5 GHz. The ii.4 GHz frequency ring has a better range, but it's slower and more susceptible to bespeak interference from other electronics. The 5 GHz band is faster but can't travel every bit far.
Basically, you want to use the 5 GHz band for most bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming or gaming. Devices that don't need that much speed—like smart home devices— should use the 2.4 GHz ring instead .
Typically, you tin change the Wi-Fi band each device uses by logging in to the correct Wi-Fi network on each device. However, some routers circulate but one network proper name and automatically selects the all-time frequency ring for your device. This can be problematic if you really need the faster five GHz connection, but the router forces your device to use the 2.4 GHz band.
Modify your Wi-Fi band'southward channel
Both the two.four GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands used by your router separate into multiple channels, similar to how analog and digital Television set works over the air. Similar whatsoever network dealing with lots of information, these Wi-Fi channels can get likewise crowded, which can cause slowdowns. This is especially true for compacted living situations like apartment buildings.
To find the best channel, y'all tin can use an app like NetSpot for Windows or employ the Network Diagnostics function on a Mac. Changing your Wi-Fi aqueduct involves logging in to your router's web interface and manually selecting the platonic channel.
Cheque connected devices
Every bit we mentioned earlier, sometimes the issue isn't with your internet connexion— it'southward with the smartphone, computer, or tablet you're using to access the internet . It may need a reboot, it may be outdated, or you have too many apps and programs open up, bogging down the device's processor.
Manage your network
If you've made it this far and you lot're all the same experiencing problems with slow cyberspace speeds, run through the tips in the dwelling network traffic section of this post if you haven't already.
Your speed issues most probable stem from your internet provider's reliability or the traffic on your ain home network. Fifty-fifty if yous've organized and trimmed down your number of connected devices, you could still not take enough bandwidth at certain times of 24-hour interval to cover everything your network has to handle. The simply solution to this is to either apply the internet less or go a faster cyberspace plan.
Check out every provider and programme in your area to run into if yous can go better speeds for a better deal.
Quick fixes for slow net speeds (and why they work)
Before we dive in, take an internet speed test. Measuring your internet speed and knowing how information technology compares to the speeds you lot pay for is an important part of diagnosing a slow connection.
Run the Speed Test
Fix #1: Power cycle your modem and router (or wireless gateway)
Your modem and router piece of work hard , and sometimes they need to refresh with a quick power bicycle. Simply pull the plug on both units, look xxx seconds, and and then plug the modem back into the wall outlet. Once it properly boots, do the same with the router.
In the example of a wireless gateway, pull the plug, wait, and plug it dorsum in.
Draining both units of power allows them to clear the system retention, articulate up whatsoever local communication bug, and reestablish fresh connections. Moreover, a power cycle allows the modem to resync with your cyberspace provider's operator—a device that communicates with multiple modems. It also refreshes your router'southward public IP address.
Overall, a power wheel can really give your net speeds a boost on your side of the modem.
Prepare #ii: Move your router to another location
Many people hibernate their routers or wireless gateways in closets, behind article of furniture , or downward in basement south . Don't be one of those people unless you lot want excessively bad Wi-Fi.
Instead , put as few concrete barriers between your router and your devices as possible. Walls, floors, ceilings , doors, big furniture, and similar obstructions can barricade your Wi-Fi signals and reduce connection speeds , especially over longer distances.
Certain signals from other devices tin also interfere with your wireless speeds. These include microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, baby monitors, and cordless phones.
For the all-time Wi-Fi coverage, identify your router in a central, elevated location, or at a location where you lot use Wi-Fi the most, similar in a dwelling house function .
Be certain to utilize your router'south external antennas ( if nowadays ) to get improve Wi-Fi coverage. Almost router antennas broadcast Wi-Fi signals in an outward circle perpendicular to the antenna's position . For instance, if the antennas are positioned vertically, the Wi-Fi signals circulate horizontally in all directions.
That said, if you live in a i-story house, keep the antennas vertical. If you alive in a multistory house, positional at least one antenna horizontally so the Wi-Fi signals achieve the boosted floors.
Fix #3: Use the internet during off-height hours
If you lot know in that location'due south a large download in your time to come— the latest version of macOS or a 100 GB update for an Xbox Series X game—you might want to schedule a time when you don't need to do anything else online. The early on morning hours are ideal when everyone is asleep and no other downloads currently hog your bandwidth.
Operating systems tend to expect until the early morning hours when you're fast comatose. Game updates, meanwhile, typically require yous to manually commencement the download. Other updates aren't quite so accommodating with your schedule.
If your internet gets likewise slow to stream during certain height hours, download the content before in the day (or again, in the heart of the dark) and so you'll be ready to rampage watch all of Avatar: The Terminal Airbender without buffering -related interruptions.
Set up #4: Upgrade your internet plan
Yous may need a faster plan if more people live with you now, if you transitioned to working from home, or if y'all generally use the net more than yous did earlier. Enter your zip code below to observe a speedier program that'due south bachelor in your area .
Writer - Rebecca Lee Armstrong
Rebecca Lee Armstrong has more than vi years of experience writing about tech and the cyberspace, with a specialty in easily-on testing. She started writing tech product and service reviews while finishing her BFA in creative writing at the University of Evansville and has found her niche writing most home networking, routers, and internet access at HighSpeedInternet.com. Her work has likewise been featured on Top Ten Reviews, MacSources, Windows Central, Android Cardinal, All-time Company, TechnoFAQ, and iMore.
Editor - Cara Haynes
Cara Haynes has been editing and writing in the digital infinite for 7 years, and she'southward edited all things internet for HighSpeedInternet.com for five years. She graduated with a BA in English and a small in editing from Brigham Immature Academy. When she's not editing, she makes tech accessible through her freelance writing for brands like Pluralsight. She believes no one should feel lost in internet land and that a good internet connection significantly extends your life bridge.
Source: https://www.highspeedinternet.com/resources/why-is-my-internet-so-slow