Internet connection strength test
To fix weak Wi-Fi, first, check your router’s placement. For fast connection, we recommend ensuring you have at least three bars of signal strength. You can tell if signal interference and weak Wi-Fi signals are your issue by looking at your devices Wi-Fi meter. Weaker Wi-Fi signals mean slower speeds and frequent disconnects. Walls, distance, and interference from other Wi-Fi networks can weaken your Wi-Fi signal. Your ISP may be intentionally slowing down your connection for a number of reasons. Your provider is throttling your connection If your slowdowns are limited to certain devices, you should start your troubleshooting efforts with those devices rather than your internet connection sometimes, they just need a simple restart.Ĩ. It’s not always your internet connection that’s causing the slowdowns, it could be one or more of your devices. High latency causes your internet to feel sluggish and is particularly frustrating with highly time-sensitive activities like gaming and video calls. You can avoid exceeding your data cap by keeping track of your data usage or by purchasing more data. When you go over your limit, your ISP may slow your connection. Many internet providers limit how much data you can use per month. You can fix it by extending your Wi-Fi range, choosing a better spot for your router, or adjusting your router’s settings. You experience a weak Wi-Fi signal when you’re too far from your router, when the signal is forced to pass through obstructive materials, or when other Wi-Fi networks and electronic devices introduce interference. Provider networks can get overloaded the same way your home network can: too much traffic and not enough bandwidth. To fix it, you can either lower your internet usage or upgrade to a faster plan. This should always be your first step.Ĭongestion happens when you overload your internet connection with more traffic than it can handle. You need to restart your modem and routerĮquipment restarts are hands down the most effective internet troubleshooting solution. Here are the most common reasons for a slow internet connection:ġ. Click on an issue to auto-scroll to the solution. On the other hand, a wired (Ethernet) connection from the device straight to the modem will be about the same as the network speed to your home or building.We provide more detail on each of these potential internet slowdown causes further down the page. Over a WiFi connection, speed to your device may vary greatly depending on how close your device is to your WiFi point, as well as any obstructions or distance in between. Speed to your device may vary greatly depending on whether you have a wired or WiFi connection. This speed is measured to and from the device you are using to run the test, which means the type of connection has a big impact on the result. How quickly your internet can transfer that data from the network to your device and from your device back to the network determines your download and upload speed. Next, the speed test downloads and uploads a packet of data over that connection. The amount of time it takes for that information to make the trip is your ping. You will see the name in the lower right-hand corner of the testing window.Ī "packet" of information is sent from your device to the server and back. The internet speed test starts by identifying the network server that is closest to you.