Why is the Internet slow on my PC? Internet slows down. What to do to return it to high speed. Hardware problems

Long opening times of sites, freezing, low speed of downloading files, problems in online games, failures during video communication on Skype - these and similar things have to be faced with a slow Internet connection.

In this regard, users often have a question: why is the Internet speed low? How can this problem be solved in some cases?

We will consider the reasons that may result in a drop in Internet speed according to the following plan:

Let me note that a slow computer that “slows down” and a slow Internet are two different things and are not directly related to each other.

1. Rush hours

A decrease in speed is a natural process during peak hours, when a huge number of users connect to the provider’s network. As a rule, this happens by 6-7 pm on weekdays.

This point completely depends on the provider: the more users it has, the greater the load placed on the network equipment, therefore, the slower the Internet connection will be.

The situation is the same with Wi-Fi zones in public places.

And if you go to a cafe specifically for web surfing, it is better to look for a less crowded place.

2. Provider equipment

The reason for low Internet speed may be a depleted resource of the provider's network equipment. Even changing the tariff plan to a more expensive one will not help. After the provider replaces the equipment, the Internet speed increases dramatically.

The reason may also be a failure along any part of the path from the Internet provider to the network card on the user’s computer. The failure may occur in an apartment, in a hallway on a staircase, in the basement of a house, or in the attic where the provider’s equipment is located.

When someone cut off a piece of cable in our apartment building (perhaps due to apartment renovations), the provider had to replace 80 meters of cable. But according to my subjective feelings, after that the Internet simply began to “fly.”

In both the first and second cases, little depends on the user. True, you can contact your provider with constant complaints.

But if there are several companies operating in the Internet access market in a locality, why not get acquainted with the capabilities of other providers. You can return to the first one at any time if the Internet speed of other providers is also not satisfactory.

3. Router

Your router may be causing your internet speed to be slow. A router, regardless of the specific model and manufacturer, itself is a weak link in the chain of devices for high-speed data transfer on the network.

The situation is aggravated in the case of budget router models that have weak technical characteristics. These are more capable of reducing data transfer speeds due to constant freezes.

When complaining about slow Internet speeds to the support service, the provider's employees first ask whether the connection is through the router, and if so, then the standard recommendation would be to turn off the router and then turn it on after 5 minutes.

When you reboot the router, the buffer is cleared of cached data that accumulates during the process of checking and assembling network packets.

Before purchasing a router, you should consult with your provider. Its specialists will tell you which models have proven themselves best in operation.

4. Number of Wi-Fi users

No matter how powerful the equipment that provides a Wi-Fi hotspot in a home or public place is, there is a limit to the devices that can be connected.

And the closer the number of users is to the limit of possible clients of such equipment, the lower the Internet speed each of them can count on.

Routers do not always distribute Internet connection speed evenly among all devices. It also happens that when one user downloads a large file from the Internet, the second has to wait a long time for even a basic web page to open.

To ensure that no one at home is deprived of Internet speed, you can purchase a router with a traffic distribution function.

An alternative option is to configure the file download speed limit in software file downloaders (download managers, torrent clients).

And, of course, you need password-protected access to Wi-Fi. Because in apartment buildings, the Wi-Fi signal of the router is available to neighbors, as well as to all those who come to visit them.

5. Wi-Fi coverage

Each router is designed for a certain range of Wi-Fi zones.

In some cases, if the need for a larger range arose later than the purchase of a certain router model designed for a smaller radius, you can try to solve the problem using a wireless amplifier. This device is placed between the router and the computer device and serves to strengthen the Wi-Fi signal.

Metal barriers and water containers placed between the router and the mobile or computer device that receives the Wi-Fi signal can slow down the Internet speed. There may be interference from a neighbor’s router, from overheating of your own router, or from a malfunction of the router software.

It is advisable to place the router on an uncluttered surface and at a higher level.

You can try bringing your laptop as close to the router as possible to see if this increases your Internet speed.

6. Device processor

Internet connection mostly depends on network equipment, but sometimes the reason for low Internet speed can be a weak processor of your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone.

On the one hand, high-speed Internet is no longer uncommon. On the other hand, many devices have appeared for accessing the Internet with “lightweight” budget processors: netbooks, etc. Such a processor, alas, sometimes cannot cope with a large flow of data (for example, torrents).

If you want to check the load on your processor, press three keys at the same time: “Ctrl”, “Alt” and “Del”. In the window that appears after this, click on the “Open task manager” option.

Rice. 1 Check the CPU load in Windows Task Manager

If in a similar window as in Fig. 1 You will see the load at 100%, then the reason for the low Internet speed is not in the provider, but solely in your computer and the programs on it that it is so busy with.

7. Programs

A decrease in Internet speed can be caused by the activity of applications on the computer that work with the network.

These are programs that run in the background. For example, in the “background” they can be launched

• Skype,
• WebMoney,
• other messengers,
• software torrent clients,
• programs for saving Internet traffic, for analyzing it, etc.,
• any applications that support data synchronization (Yandex.Disk, Cloud Mail ru),
• browser extensions,
• antivirus update,
• Windows updates,
• music is playing from some website,
• online toy launched
• and who knows what else is running?

Unused applications should be closed, or, best of all, removed from startup when the operating system starts.

Rarely used browser extensions can be left uninstalled, but disabled and activated only when necessary.

8. Malware

Slow Internet speeds can be caused by viruses and spyware.

Malicious software (software) works in the background and uses the Internet connection without the user’s knowledge to send spam, download junk files to the user’s computer, and sometimes it can even block access to the Internet.

It’s good if the virus ends up only inside the computer and does not interfere with the launch of anti-virus tools. Because if a virus gets inside the router’s firmware, you will have to reset the settings to factory settings and configure it again.

9. Internet provider tariff

There are tariffs from providers that when the user reaches a certain threshold (which is probably specified in the agreement with the provider), the Internet speed is sharply reduced. And this can continue until the beginning of next month, for example.

At the beginning of the month, the Internet speed will be high again, then, as soon as the permissible threshold has been crossed, the speed will sharply decrease again. Here you need to either change the tariff, or change the provider, or “stretch your legs according to clothes,” that is, live with the tariff that is.

10. The site or server is overloaded

Internet speed may drop sharply if you try to go to a site in your browser that has been imposed a corresponding speed limit by its owner. Although the site may take a long time to load due to other problems with or on the site.

If you and many, many other users simultaneously start downloading files from a certain server or from a certain site, then it may well happen that the server or site “falls” and becomes unavailable.

11. Dust in the computer

The reason is rare, but everything happens in life. Sometimes an almost “new” computer manages to collect a huge layer of dust from animal hair, from using the laptop “on a pillow,” etc.

It is clear that this amount of dust must be eliminated.

How to measure Internet speed

There are many sites that are created specifically to measure your Internet speed. Below I offer you two options for this purpose: a special website and a Yandex service.

1. Website for measuring speed:

To start measuring, you need to go to the website indicated above and then click on the “BEGIN TEST” button:

Rice. 2 Special program for measuring Internet speed speedtest.net

• All programs on the computer are closed, all windows are closed, only one website for measuring Internet speed is working.
• It is better to take measurements not once, but several times and at different times of the day.

2. Internet meter from Yandex:

Rice. 3 Measuring speed using Yandex Internetometer

If you measure the Internet speed on your computer and compare it with the speed specified in your contract with the provider, then it is important to pay attention not only to the numbers, but also to the units of measurement.

1. Megabits per second - these units of measurement are indicated in the provider’s tariff.
2. Megabytes per second - this is how some program measures the speed.

There are 8 bits in one byte, so the difference between a megabyte and a megabit is 8 (eight) times different. Keep this in mind before calling your provider and blaming him for the fact that your Internet speed is 8 times less than that specified in the contract.

And one last thing. Your contract with your provider specifies the upper, maximum possible Internet speed, which I would call “ideal.” It may vary depending on the time of day, and is often less than stated in the contract.

Please vote!

Please take part in the survey “Do you measure the speed of your Internet?” You can choose 1, 2 or 3 answer options.

Every user often encounters Internet access problems, so-called slowdowns. Quite often the reason for this is factors that appeared on our side and which you can correct yourself. Why the Internet slows down and how to fix it – we’ll talk about this later.

Reason for Internet slowdowns

First, you need to establish the possible cause of the so-called Internet slowdowns. First of all, go to the Internet speed measurement service and check it. We have already told you about this in our previous articles. We recommend using several services in order to get more or less accurate information about your speed. Also, to check the actual speed of Internet access, start downloading a large file from . If the speed corresponds to the declared one, then the problem may be with the computer, but if the speed does not correspond to the declared one, then for this you need to check the connection.

It will help to roughly determine the problem - ping. If you know the address of your DNS server, then ping it; if not, then ping the address of Google's DNS servers. To ping, open the command line and enter the command:

ping –n 100 8.8.8.8

This way you will issue a command to exchange packets with the specified remote device. If 100% is received, that is, all 100 packets, then everything is fine with the connection, the Internet speed itself is underestimated by the provider itself, or by your devices. If the packets are not transmitted in full and there are lost packets, then the reason for the brakes is a problem on the line.

Why is the Internet slow on a laptop or computer?

The most common cause of problems with Internet access on a laptop is a problem with Wi-Fi access; we will describe the solution to the problem below.

Why does video on the Internet slow down at normal speed?

It's possible that you're having trouble playing videos online because your computer isn't powerful enough and doesn't have enough resources to play videos properly. Most often this happens when you want to watch a high-resolution video in HD format (720p or 1080p). If your computer has weak parameters, then it needs to be upgraded.

Why does the Internet slow down in the evening?

The Internet can slow down most often in the evening, when a large number of users access the Internet and the lines and Internet channel cannot withstand such a load, then the overall speed of users begins to drop. The problem can only be solved by a collective request from users, so that the provider either increases its external Internet channel speed (if this is the reason), or extends an additional line to the “problem area”.

Why is the Internet slow through the router?

An equally common problem with Internet slowdowns is the router. To determine whether a router is the cause of low speeds and freezes, you need to measure the Internet speed when connecting through it, and then connect the network cable directly to your computer or laptop. If the speed is normal without a router, then that’s the reason.

Check all your devices that are connected to the router, it is possible that one of your family members is downloading something from the Internet.

Why does the Internet slow down via Wi-Fi?

Another cause of Internet problems is the Wi-Fi network itself. That is, there may be a Wi-Fi device on the network with exactly the same name as yours, or the Wi-Fi channel you are working on is overloaded. In this case, it is recommended to rename your Wi-Fi network and install a different communication channel.

Often I am asked a question by people who are new to the computer field and this is what they ask: “It freezes, what should I do?” On this issue, it is naturally difficult to determine what problems the user has, but one thing becomes clear - this is related to the World Wide Web. Next, I have to clarify what exactly happened. Some people have little RAM and when there are a lot of open tabs, the computer starts to freeze. In this article I will analyze the most common cases when computer beginners are concerned about the issue of Internet freezing.

1. There is little installed on the computer, for example 1-2 GB. When surfing the Internet, many tabs are open in the browser. The RAM becomes clogged and the computer starts to slow down. The way out of this situation is to increase RAM, or keep fewer tabs open.

2. Due to problems with the hard drive, for example, an old drive has many bad sectors. Your browser may freeze while surfing the Internet, or your computer itself may freeze. In this situation, you can quickly and in case of poor condition replace it with a new one.

3. You find the browser too slow. When you try to upload a photo, audio or other file to a website, your loading bar may freeze? Most likely you are using an outdated browser to surf the Internet. People often complain that the Internet Explorer browser freezes. Previously, I only used the Opera browser. Since the advent of the Google Chrome browser, I only use it and recommend it to others. I consider this browser the fastest and most convenient. By default, there is nothing superfluous in it and everyone can customize it for themselves. It is convenient to search and install extensions. There is synchronization - a convenient thing; if you save a bookmark on your computer, it will appear on your mobile device. Reinstalled Windows? It doesn’t matter, you installed the browser, logged in, and in seconds (if you have a fast Internet connection) you have all your bookmarks, and the extensions will install themselves.

4. Does the video freeze when watching on the Internet? Perhaps you have an old computer. According to my observations, for HD format it is desirable to have a 2-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. Also, online video may freeze if you do not have .

5. Low Internet connection speed and is it really annoying you? Now I have wired Internet and a speed of 40 Mbit/s, but there was a time when I used satellite Internet with GPRS, then EDGE and soon 3G. My small town used to have terrible wireless internet. Sometimes you pay 900 rubles for unlimited, but it is not stable, sometimes it loads 600 kbit/s, sometimes it hangs at zero for a minute. What I could come up with was to connect the modem via a USB extension cord and place it in the room as high as possible and to the window, preferably to the window, and sometimes even out of the window. I also wrapped the modem body with copper wire, in my opinion it caught the network a little better. Nowadays all kinds of amplifiers are sold, I don’t know, I haven’t used them.

6. If your computer is connected to a wired Internet, but nevertheless the Internet connection freezes temporarily or permanently, your twisted pair wire may be partially broken. Inspect the wire carefully, in case it is pinched by something. The wire is not live; you can try to fix this problem yourself using a knife and electrical tape.

I analyzed the most common cases when I was asked about the Internet freezing. If you have a problem with something else, then you can ask about it through the comment form or call a specialist to your home. But it would be better if you have a computer friend or acquaintance, such a person will tell you what’s what and won’t charge you much, a chocolate bar for example, if the problem is not complex.

A lot depends on the speed and stability of wireless Internet these days. Work, personal life, the opportunity to always be in touch with loved ones, relaxation, self-education... You can’t list everything. Therefore, for many people, the Internet suddenly starting to “slow down” is equated to a small apocalypse. What could be the reason for the failure? And what to do in this situation? IT technology experts give their advice.

Poor quality equipment

The problem with low connection speed is often associated with the low power and meager built-in memory of the router. So it's not worth saving on it. The situation is exactly the same as with computers or smartphones: the cheaper the device, the weaker its processor and the smaller the amount of memory. For 1,300 rubles it is quite possible to purchase a router that will cope with a light load. But if you plan to download a large amount of information or conduct online broadcasts (in a word, do something that requires stable high Internet speed), it is better to pay attention to devices costing from 4,000 rubles.

"Peak hour"

It may seem strange, but the speed of wireless Internet depends on how many people are simultaneously connected to you through the same port. If you have a large family, then in the evening, when everyone goes online to chat, watch a movie online or play, the speed will drop. There are several options:

1. Install multiple access points.
2. Buy a tariff with a speed of at least 20 Mb/s (and, of course, make sure that your router supports this power).
3. Agree with your family about a schedule for using the Internet.

Low cable bandwidth

In some cases, you can get rid of problems with the Internet by simply changing the USB cable running from the router to the computer. The higher the cable performance, the faster the information will be downloaded. In addition, cords wear out over time and, accordingly, their capacity decreases.

Poor location of the Wi-Fi router

A big mistake is to assume that if you have a router with Wi-Fi support, the Internet will be equally stable everywhere. The signal strength depends on the location where the router is installed. What can you do if the Internet is slow?

• Make sure that the router is not blocking any large object. It is better to place it in an open space. Many users hide their Wi-Fi router in a closet or table to save space. This is only permissible if the device has enough power to create a stable signal.
• In some cases, you can speed up the Internet by raising the router higher or, conversely, lowering it. The optimal height above the floor will have to be determined experimentally.
• Try moving it closer to your workplace. In large apartments or office buildings, the signal strength may weaken away from the router.

Cheap plan

It’s trite, but this is one of the most common causes of “problems” with the Internet. If the tariff you paid guarantees a speed of up to 2 Mbit/s, then a movie weighing 1.5 GB will download for several hours. Of course, doing something resource-intensive in a browser will also be inconvenient.

In this case, it is worth measuring your Internet speed on one of the specialized sites, familiarizing yourself with the offers of providers and choosing the most suitable tariff for yourself.

Router failure

If a connection problem occurs unexpectedly, then most likely your router is simply frozen. Don’t be surprised: this device has the same operating principle as a computer or smartphone, and it can also experience an internal failure.

Most routers have a key that allows you to easily reboot the device. If it is not there or you do not know where it is, you can do one of the following:

• Press the power off button.
• If it does not work, hold it down and hold it for 15-20 seconds.
• As a last resort, you can simply unplug the power cord from the outlet.

You need to turn on the router no earlier than 30 seconds so that the overload that occurs in the electronics of the device has time to disappear.

Software problem

There is no Internet on your smartphone, or its speed is very low, while other devices easily access the network? No need to try to configure your router! The problem is with the smartphone. Perhaps your Wi-Fi is simply not configured. Or you need to install new drivers. Or perhaps the built-in memory is not enough for normal operation. In such a situation, it is better to contact a specialist who will tell you whether you need to reinstall the software or whether it is enough to simply perform the setup correctly.

Running background task

Many users forget to turn off applications after they are finished using them. They continue to work in the background and take up part of the Internet. Which, accordingly, ceases to be enough for other tasks.

Running programs can also reduce speed because they use a significant part of the device’s built-in memory. This is especially true for low-cost smartphones, tablet phones and budget laptops.

To speed up your internet, try the following:

1. Close all unnecessary browser tabs. It is best to leave only one - the one you are currently working with.
2. Did not help? Then additionally clear your browser cache.
3. Turn off running programs or applications. In Windows, this can be done through the Task Manager. Mark the unnecessary application with the mouse and click on the “End task” button at the bottom of the window.
4. If you have any computer cleaning program installed, such as CCleaner, delete all temporary files.

As a rule, these simple steps can significantly speed up not only the Internet connection, but also the gadget itself as a whole.

The signal is jammed by other electronic devices

The cause of an unstable Internet connection may lie in devices that emit radio frequencies. This could be a TV, remote control, car radio. It’s easy to check whether they affect communication: step aside and try to access the Internet again.

If the suspicion is confirmed, you will have to make a small rearrangement: move the router as far as possible from the “hostile” equipment, ideally, in another room. Make sure that there is nothing else between the router and the place where you usually use the Internet that could jam the signal.

In most cases, problems that arise can be easily solved using one of the methods listed above.

Modern technologies make it possible for household users to reach speeds of up to one gigabyte. But a slow connection prevents you from fully enjoying all the benefits of the information age.

The Internet can slow down for many reasons, ranging from viruses to line problems. With proper skill, the user can cope with most problems himself. But first you need to discover them.

Viruses

There are a number of prerequisites that allow you to determine the presence of virus software:

• it is impossible to delete files;
• the computer freezes;
• Ads appear in the browser while working;
• Error messages appear constantly;
• The key combination ctrl+alt+del (calling the task manager) does not work;
• programs do not start;
• access to some folders is blocked;
• The processor is 100 percent loaded, despite the absence of running programs.

If you discover any of the above while working, you need to scan your computer for viruses. If you have an antivirus program, it's worth considering an alternative. Since the installed software module does not cope with the task.

Before scanning, you need to update the virus databases to the latest version. If you are interested in what programs can help in this situation, then the best healing utility is Cureit, developed by the dr.Web laboratory. It performs a deep scan and can eliminate the most dangerous viruses.



After completing treatment, the best solution would be to change the antivirus utility. Avast is considered one of the best free applications. It puts minimal load on the system and provides decent protection. As an alternative, it's worth considering Kaspersky Internet Security.

You also need to check your firewall and configure it to work with programs that have an Internet connection. Moreover, it is important to avoid dubious sites. They are the ones that most often contain malware.

Video: Is the Internet slow? Changing DNS settings

operating system

Sometimes the reason why the Internet is very slow is the operating system itself. For example, this situation is possible when the system disk is full and the OS cannot quickly access the required entry. It is enough to delete part of the data from the system disk to get rid of this defect.

The best option would be to delete old restore points and temporary files. Be sure to empty the trash. Remember, storage space for data sent there is reserved on the system hard drive.

Additionally, you need to take care of cleaning the registry. For this it is better to use CCleaner. It will carefully erase outdated records without harming the operating system.



If after carrying out maintenance work the loading speed remains the same, perhaps the reason lies in poor-quality OS assembly. Unlicensed versions of Windows often cannot work properly with the network.

For example, the computer does not receive an IP, the ping disappears, or unstable drivers were installed at the very beginning. In this case, the only solution is to reinstall.

Antiviruses and firewalls

In some cases, difficulties arise due to the antivirus. This is due to the fact that the program checks information when loading web pages. If the verification algorithm is too complex and the information packets are large, the download will take a long time.



Disable the firewall for a while to test this hypothesis. If the flow of data reception has increased, then the problem is with the antivirus. The best option would be to change the security utility settings, lowering the security level. Or you can find an alternative program that will use fewer system resources.

Incorrectly configured wireless equipment

Most users prefer wireless routers to connect their devices to the network. Incorrect configuration may result in unauthorized access and reduced download speed through the router.

Therefore, you need to set data encryption and appropriate settings. It wouldn't hurt to change your access password to a more complex one. It is best to use numbers and letters in combination.

Router limitations

To set restrictions, connect all devices to the network. Then go to settings and enable MAC address filter. Enter the details of the connected gadgets in the appropriate fields. Make a couple of test visits to the Internet.



If nothing has changed, connect the computer directly to the cable. If changes are detected, we can conclude that the reason is in the router itself: its characteristics are not enough to ensure comfortable surfing on the Internet.

1. go to the official website of the manufacturer;
2. download the updated firmware;
3. perform the installation.

Some operators create unique firmware for the routers they sell. Try installing it too. Also keep in mind that most products only indicate the ability to connect to a network designed for 100 Mbit/s (Ethernet 100 Mbit/s). This does not mean that the device will work at the same speed.

When choosing a router, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:

• Static IP;
• Dynamic IP;
• PPtP;
• L2TP;
• PPPoE.

They indicate the actual transfer of data between WAN and LAN. These indicators are published on the pages of manufacturers or independent testing laboratories. The last attempt to increase the speed of the router is to switch the device to bridge mode.

Video: speeding up the Internet

Internet slows down after reinstalling Windows

Check whether your laptop meets the system requirements of the new version of the installed OS. Test the network on other browsers. Make sure you are using the latest version of the search engine. If this is not the case, please update.

Do not write off the incorrect operation of drivers installed in automatic mode. Go to the motherboard manufacturer's website and download the appropriate software. Then make a replacement.

Important! Sometimes, in order to achieve good network performance on a new OS, you need to increase the amount of RAM or make more radical modifications to the PC.

Network card problems

A faulty network card is difficult to notice. The device may be normally detected by the system and respond to the connected cable, but this does not mean that it is working properly.

The best option would be to connect another PC and test the Internet on it. If everything is fine, reinstall the drivers on the first computer. Ideally, you need to install a different network card and try to download data from some site.

Some cards have Full Duplex functionality. It is located in the Speed&Duplex or Connection Type sections. Set the download to within 10 Mbps. If the device is faulty, this will help stabilize the channel for a while until a replacement is made.

Cable defect in the apartment

If the cable is broken, the system usually shows that there is no network as such. Without specialized equipment, the break point can only be found manually. After detecting damage, it is necessary to twist the copper wires and insulate them.

Attention! If you decide to replace the cable yourself, consider not only the number of pairs, but also the presence of pairs.

Otherwise, after replacement the speed will be extremely low. It is logical to assume that you are interested in how to make the laid cable work stably?

There are a few simple rules to follow when laying wires in an apartment: