How can I
troubleshoot a slow internet connection?
If you're having slow
internet speed, go through these steps in order to try to mitigate the issue.
At each step check your
internet speed (click
here) to see if it has
increased/decreased/stayed the same
*remember 40 Mbps is
decent.
Step 1. Close
Unnecessary Tabs/ Applications
Step 2.
Check Wifi Connection
a. Check if you're
logged into the correct Wifi. If you are using PTS Wifi click
here (if you forgot a password click
here). If you're using your home router, make
sure that your home network is selected.
b. Turn the router off
and then back on (wait a minute or two before restarting)
Step 3. Move
closer to your router:
a. If you are using
WiFi, check to make sure WiFi signal is strong (easiest to connect your phone
and see what the bars look like). The signal strength of the wireless will
decrease the farther away you are from the router. Moving closer is a great step
to boost the signal strength between your computer and the wireless network.
Step 4. Remove
additional devices from the network:
a. If you have other
devices connected to your wireless network, consider disconnecting them. These
other devices connect and user part of your wireless's bandwidth, removing them
even temporarily can increase the performance of your network. These may
include smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, video streaming devices, other
computers, smart home devices, etc.
Step 5.
Ethernet Cable (click
here)
If you have access to
an ethernet cable, try attaching your computer to the ethernet cable and
plugging it into your ethernet port, on the wall. If
your computer does not support or have a direct Ethernet connection an adapter
can be purchased to allow for this interface, such as a USB-to-Ethernet
Adapter, USB-3-to-Ethernet Adapter, Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter,
USB-C-to-Ethernet adapter.
Step 6.
Disconnection from any VPN service:
a. If you are using
any type of VPN (virtual private network) or RDP (Remote desktop) connection,
disconnect from this service. By nature these system will slow your network
connection due to the routing they are performing.
Step 7.
Clear DNS Cache + Change Server (Only do this if you've tried
all other options and still have 30 Mbps or less. Note that this is a bit more
complicated and you should only do it if you feel comfortable navigating the
back end of your computer).
a. Clear DNS Cache
for Macs (click
here) or Clear DNS Cache for PC (click
here) (This will clear the history of all of
the networks that you have joined)
b. Change Server (click
here) (Settings could be on a certain server-
try a different one! Could seem random, but try a couple of different servers)
Need help finding the best server? (click here)