17 Easy Ways to Speed up Your WiFi or Internet Connection

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Make your internet and online games run faster

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IN THIS ARTICLE

1 Restart your router.

2 Get rid of bandwidth leeches.

3 Move your router to a better location.

4 Add an internet extender.

5 Shorten the space between your computer and router.

6 Change the Wi-Fi frequency channel.

7 Reduce how many devices are using your network.

8 Update your router's firmware.

9 Modernize your router.

10 Run a malware scan.

11 Update your Internet browser.

12 Clear your browser's cached files.

13 Use a VPN.

14 Disable any background apps.

15 Disable Wi-Fi channels that you're not using.

16 Use a cable connection instead of Wi-Fi.

17 Upgrade your Internet.

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Co-authored by Luigi Oppido and Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: December 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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This wikiHow teaches you how to increase your Internet's speed and consistency. While it isn't possible to increase your Internet speed past the speed for which you're paying your Internet Service Provider, most people don't get the most out of their Internet connections. By applying a mixture of general fixes, hardware solutions, and software updates—including changing your computer's DNS settings—you can optimize your Internet connection for speed.

Improving Your Wi-Fi Speed

1. Turn everything off, including your modem, and then restart everything.
2. Update the firmware on your router and modem.
3. Switch Wi-Fi bands or channels.
4. Move your router to a better location, such as up higher in the center of your home.
5. Protect your network with a strong password so no one can leech off of it.

Steps

1

Restart your router.

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1. Unplug your router and modem for a few minutes. This is commonly known as "power cycling", and it allows your router to clear out its internal cache and start from scratch. Restarting your router will also prompt it to re-select the least busy Wi-Fi channel, which is something that may change daily depending on your location.

   • You can program your router to restart itself daily from within its settings page.
   EXPERT TIP

   

   Luigi Oppido

   Computer & Tech Specialist

   Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.

   

   Luigi Oppido
   Computer & Tech Specialist

   Expert Trick: If you're on your phone or computer and your Internet seems slow, try connecting on another device. If it's also slow on that device, you'll know the problem is with the Internet. If that's the case, turn off your modem and router for 30 seconds, then turn them back on and wait 5 minutes. If that doesn't work, call your Internet service provider. They'll run an automated test on their end to make sure your modem is working properly.
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2

Get rid of bandwidth leeches.

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1. Use a strong and complex password with WPA2 security. If more people are on your network, chances are that they are making your Internet slow. In that case, make sure your password is complex and secure your network using WPA2 security.

3

Move your router to a better location.

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1. Establish a line of sight between your computer and the router. If your router's signal has to travel through even one wall or appliance (e.g., a refrigerator), its signal will be weakened. A good rule of thumb is to have your router visible from where you're using your computer or mobile at all times.

   • If your router is on a different floor than you, you may not even be able to receive a signal. You can use a range extender if you have one.
   • If your router has an external antenna, adjust it. If you can, pull the antenna out so it adjusts horizontally as well as vertically.
   • Line-of-sight between your work area and your router is important, but it doesn't matter if there are several dampening appliances near the router. Dampening appliances can be anything from baby monitors to microwaves to refrigerators, so make sure that your router is far away from these items.
   • Your router should also be up relatively high. If your router is at a lower level than the level at which you use your computer, phone, tablet, and so on, you'll probably run into Internet connection issues.
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4

Add an internet extender.

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1. These products boost your Internet signal to other rooms. Some are even wired, so they don't require using bandwidth to communicate.

   • You can also try a mesh Wi-Fi router, which is a few units that work together to spread your Wi-Fi around.

5

Shorten the space between your computer and router.

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1. Move your computer closer to your router. If you are connected to the Internet via a Wi-Fi router, you'll find that your Internet speed drops as you move further away from your router. Stay as close as possible to your router for maximum Internet speed.

   • Make sure that your router and your computer have plenty of room all the way around to prevent overheating.
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6

Change the Wi-Fi frequency channel.

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1. Switch between 2.4 and 5 GHz. Although 2.5 GHz is the most commonly used connection, 5 GHz provides better speeds with a shorter range.

   • However, if your router is limited to using the 2.4 GHz frequency, you can change the channel between 1, 6, or 11.
   • You can do this by logging into the router's admin page in a web browser.

7

Reduce how many devices are using your network.

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1. Turn off Wi-Fi for systems that aren't using it, like security cameras. Like a freeway, your Wi-Fi network can only handle a certain amount of traffic before it slows down. If possible, make sure that your computer is the only connection to your router; this will give you the best Internet results.

   • It isn't always feasible to limit Internet access to one computer, but you can turn off and unplug things like smart TVs, extra computers, video game consoles, and anything else (e.g., an extra smartphone or tablet) that maintains an Internet connection even when turned off.
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8

Update your router's firmware.

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1. If you have older firmware, you'll see a notification to update when you visit the router's admin settings. Out-of-date router firmware can prevent your router from maintaining a consistent connection. This is a process that varies from router to router, so you'll need to check your router's manual to verify the process. Typically, though, you'll go to the router's settings page, find the Update or Install Firmware button, and click it.

   • This is especially important if you just bought a brand-new router, or if you use a router that's more than a year or two old.

9

Modernize your router.

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1. Buy a new router. There's only so much that you can do with old technology. If your router and/or modem is more than a few years old, buying a new one will almost certainly increase your Internet speed and reception.
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10

Run a malware scan.

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1. Run an antivirus scan on your computer. Sometimes malware or viruses can interfere with a computer's ability to access the Internet. Running antivirus software will locate and remove any harmful programs on your computer.

   • It's a good idea to run antivirus scans once a week or so, even if everything seems to be running fine.

11

Update your Internet browser.

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1. Go to "Settings" in your browser and update if prompted. An out-of-date Internet browser can result in slow webpage load times, choppy video, and many more symptoms commonly associated with Internet issues. For instructions on how to do so, click one of the following links:

   • Update Google Chrome
   • Update Firefox
   • Update Safari
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12

Clear your browser's cached files.

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1. Go to "Settings" in your browser and clear the cache. Cached files allow you to browse faster, but corrupted ones can cause slowdowns, so you will want to clear the cache once in a while.

   • Websites will be a little bit slower to load the first time visiting them after clearing the cache; this is normal.

13

Use a VPN.

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1. Try using a VPN. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) allow you to avoid ISP restrictions by using external servers. While this usually won't improve your Internet speed if your ISP doesn't restrict or throttle your connection, using a VPN will prevent your ISP from volitionally slowing down your network.
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14

Disable any background apps.

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1. Use Task Manager or Activity Monitor to close any unnecessary apps. You might have something running in the background that's using your Internet connection and making it slower for you. To fix this, use your computer's built-in task manager to close anything that you aren't using.

15

Disable Wi-Fi channels that you're not using.

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1. You can disable these from your router's admin page. Turning these off might increase your Internet speed.
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16

Use a cable connection instead of Wi-Fi.

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1. Use ethernet instead of Wi-Fi. Some computers can plug directly into the back of the router using an ethernet cable, which removes the lag time between the router's signal departing and your computer receiving the signal.

   • If you use a Mac computer, you'll most likely need an Ethernet to USB-C adapter if you want to plug your computer into the router.
   • You cannot connect mobile platforms (e.g., smartphones and tablets) to Ethernet without an adapter.
   • If your computer does not have an ethernet port, you can purchase a USB-to-Ethernet adapter and easily plug in your cord that way.

17

Upgrade your Internet.

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1. Buy an Internet plan with a faster advertised speed. If you're getting slow speeds, that might be because you're paying for a cheaper, slower Internet plan. In this case, the only way to increase your Internet speed is to buy the faster tier.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How do we know if the internet provider is responsible for all our computer's slow action?

  

  Community Answer

  You can call them and ask if you hit the data cap (which most ISP [Internet Service Provider] shouldn't, depending on where you live) but if it is and you're not getting the speeds they advertise, you could be throttled (your ISP is limiting how much data you are getting). Follow the steps above and make sure it's your computer. Sometimes it could be an old computer that has the issue.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 38 Helpful 42
• Question

  Can my internet speed slow down if I am using a long internet broadband cable?

  

  Community Answer

  Yes. Your internet will slow down depending on the length of the cable going from the router to your computer.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

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  Not Helpful 64 Helpful 68
• Question

  If we place our internet modem at very high height, will that increase our internet speed?

  

  Community Answer

  No. What you can do is move it closer and/or change the channel it's broadcasting. If you have an Android, look for a WiFi scanner app that will tell you what channel other routers are on and what channel your router would be best on. If you can, hard wire the computer into the modem.

  Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
  Thank you for your feedback.
  If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow

  Yes No

  Not Helpful 48 Helpful 38

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