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In this dynamic world of technology, people have neither the time nor the patience to wait for something, because they are usually on the move. People tend to be very impatient when it comes to a slow internet connection. Most of them want their internet connection to display results as soon as they type and search. The speed of internet connections has improved dramatically in recent years, but people are still experiencing slow internet problems in their systems. Fortunately, it is not always the fault of the ISP, and there are certain simple tips that can speed up the internet connection.
Tips to speed up the internet connection
Here are some tips that you can use to speed up the internet connection on your PC or laptop.
Check your internet speed
This is the first thing you should do before you start optimizing your system to increase the speed of your internet connection. If you know the speed of your internet connection, you get an idea of the speeds down and the speeds that your ISP offers you. There are many online tools that help you in measuring the speed of your internet connection such as Speedtest by Ookla and many others. These websites only need a few moments to run and you do not need to download or install anything. You learn whether you can achieve the speeds that your service provider says you should.
Delete the reserved bandwidth
Bandwidth is basically the amount of data that you download or upload at any time. You may have noticed that the internet speeds of your system are lower than what your ISP claims to offer. This is due to the bandwidth bookings that are set by default on most PCs and laptops. Computers come with a QoS (Quality of Service) package planner that controls the percentage of connection bandwidth that the system can reserve.
By default, your computer can reserve up to 20% of the total network bandwidth for QoS traffic handled by QoS package scheduler to improve the performance of ERP applications, IP and Windows Updates. If you experience slower browsing speeds, consider removing this reserved bandwidth and here are the steps to follow.
- Open the Run command window by pressing the Windows logo key and the R key simultaneously.
- Type gpedit.msc and press Enter or click OK. This opens the local group policy editor window.
- In the menu on the left under computer configuration, select Administrative Templates and in the menu on the right, double-click Network -> QoS Packet Scheduler -> Limited reserved bandwidth.
- Select enable and change the bandwidth percentage to 0 and click Apply.
Once you’ve done it, you’ll experience faster internet on your PC or laptop.
Troubleshooting your hardware
Before you start cursing your ISP for providing slow internet, you are advised to perform a fast hardware check. Reset your modem and check if it works. You can also check other gadgets, such as other computers or mobile devices in your house that are connected to the Internet. If they are also slow, you can file a complaint with your internet provider. However, if the problem only occurs on one computer, the problem is in the computer, not the internet connection. Restart your computer and troubleshoot problems with your computer’s hardware to speed up the Internet on the computer.
Turn off automatic updates
There may be some applications running in the background to download the latest updates even after you close them. These applications, such as the Windows update, take up most of your bandwidth to update your system and you experience slow browser speeds. It is therefore recommended that you manually disable the automatic update of all applications installed on your PC or laptop, including the Windows updates. If you want, you can manually update the applications and windows whenever you want. This will help you speed up the internet on your computer.
This is how you disable the automatic Windows update:
- Press the Windows key + R key to open the Run command window
- Type gpedit.msc and then press Enter. This opens the Local Group Policy Editor.
- In the left pane, go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update.
- Double-click Configure automatic updates.
- Select Enabled in the dialog box.
- Find the option box, and then select the desired option from the drop-down list.
Speed up the loading of web pages
One of the biggest culprits of a slow internet connection is the settings of your browser. The moment you browse something, your computer is bombarded with data that is needed to be organized and presented in order. Processing this information requires time to load, which means that the more information, the longer it takes to load. However, you can adjust the browser settings to quickly load the web pages by reducing the amount of multimedia, animations, and scripts. Here’s How to do it:
- Click Start on your computer.
- Open the Control Panel.
- Open internet options.
- Click on the settings.
- Go to Multimedia.
- Now reduce the options to increase the speed at which the web pages load into your browser.
Here you go, this speeds up the internet on your computer and allows you to open the web pages faster than their actual loading times.
Keep your system free of viruses and malware
If one of your computer files is affected by viruses or malware, your internet connection will certainly suffer. It is therefore recommended that you scan your computer for viruses and malware at least once a month. You must also check whether a malware application is installed on your computer. If this is the case, you must remove it immediately. You can seek the help of many antivirus and antimalware software available on the market today to perform this task. This speeds up the internet on your computer.