What To Do When You Feel You Are Not Getting Your Proper Internet Speeds

When you signed up for Internet service, you likely picked a package that advertised a guaranteed upload and download speed for the service. However, there may come a day when your Internet is acting a bit slow and you are not sure why. It is a good idea to verify if you are getting the proper speeds to know if something is wrong. 

Perform A Speed Test

The first thing that you should do is perform a speed test. Your ISP may have a speed test site dedicated to checking your Internet speeds, or you can find one online with a simple search. This will let you know what the upload and download speeds are on your Internet connection. You'll want to run this test on a few devices to ensure that the problem is not with the device itself. Try a WiFi device and one that is hard wired to your router. 

If your router has a speed test function, that will be the best way to test your Internet speeds since there is no other hardware between the modem and the router.

Check Household Activity

Did the speed test come up with results that are below your advertised speed? You should check with other members in your household to see if they are doing anything that is using up a lot of bandwidth. For example, someone may be downloading large files over the Internet, which would slow down the Internet connection of other devices in your home.

It is also worth checking your router to see what other activity is going on within your network. There may be a device you don't know about that is being used to transmit data in your home. That will show up in your router's activity settings.

Call Your ISP

If you can't pinpoint the reason for your slow Internet connection, it is time to contact your internet provider for more information. They will look at your Internet connection, check the health of your modem, and perform a restart if necessary. They will also let you know if there are any known outages in your area. If so, you could end up receiving a credit towards your monthly bill for not getting the advertised speeds. In a worst-case scenario, they'll send a technician out to your home to further investigate the problem, since it could be due to the wiring between your home and the main service line.