Slow internet at home

Slow internet at home can come from your broadband, your router, your Wi-Fi signal or too many devices at once. Work out which first, then fix that part.

Quick fixes to try first

• Check whether it is slow on every device or just one.
• Ask whether anyone is streaming, gaming or downloading large files. Several 4K streams can use up a modest connection.
• Move closer to the router and try again.
• Restart the router: switch it off for 30 seconds, then on, and wait five minutes.

Step by step

1. Run a speed test from a trusted site, ideally on a device plugged into the router with a network cable. This shows what you are really getting.
2. Run it again on Wi-Fi in the room where it is slow. If the cabled result is good but Wi-Fi is poor, the problem is the Wi-Fi signal, not the broadband.
3. Compare the result with the speed in your package. Real speeds are often a little lower, and are usually quoted as a typical range.
4. Restart slow devices and install any waiting updates.
5. Close programs and tabs that are not in use, and pause large downloads and cloud backups.

Improving Wi-Fi

• Keep the router out in the open, off the floor and away from other electrical devices.
• Do not hide it in a cupboard or behind the television.
• In a large house, a mesh system may help, but ask for advice before buying.

When to get more help

Stop and ask for help if speeds are far below what you pay for, even with a cable, or if it is slow at the same times every evening. In that case, contact your broadband provider, who can test your line. Ask us if you are unsure how to read your results. Tell us your package, your test results and when it is slowest.