How to speed up your slow internet connection?

A slow Internet connection can be very annoying when you are trying to do something on the Internet. Here are some steps you can take to fix or improve your connection.

dentify what speed you are supposed to be provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This is important, because your slow connection could be due to a problem on their end, not yours. This should be on your bill. If you don't have a bill handy, you can check the ISP's website or contact them directly to find out.

Use a Better Browser
The browser you use has a great effect on the speed you will get when trying to access the internet so it is very important to use a better browser and not necessarily the default one that came with your computer. Most people use internet explorer but I have observed that internet explorer contributes to the slowness of a website so you might want to try some better browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Opera Browser.

Conduct a speed test online. This should get you results close to what your ISP is supposed to provide. If you get a low result, try another computer on your network first. If both get a low result, contact your ISP. If only yours has a problem, the problem lies with the computer.

Eliminate needless programs. Your Internet connection requires memory to be able to be at the speed your are paying for. If your computer is bogged down by programs you don't need, your connection will go slower. Close programs you aren't using.

Disable Add-ons
By following my above suggestion your next question will be what if my internet connection is still slow after using a different browser? The solution to this is very simple yet many people are ignorant of it. A lot of people load their browser with a lot of add-ons that aren’t useful to them and end up cluttering their browser. These add-ons constitute to the slow speed of your internet connection so you might want to disable the unnecessary ones. Make sure you only use an add-on that is “totally necessary”, if you feel you don’t have much need for an add-on you will be better off disabling it.

Do a virus and spyware scan. Viruses and spyware also use up memory which can contribute to a connection appearing slow. Run a thorough or complete scan of each even if you have it on and scanning. These will catch additional items. See below if you need either of these programs for free virus and spyware scanning programs.

Check your firewalls, you could have a SOA. Make sure you don't have more than one firewall running. If you do, uninstall the second because you do not need it


Update Your Hardwares
It is always surprising to see someone using a 1999 modem and then complaining about his/her internet connection being slow. Speed has to do with the new era (not the old) and a lot of old and outdated hardwares such as your modems, cables etc. will contribute to the slowness of your internet connection so it is important to make sure you have them all upgraded. In most cases, this step alone is enough to solve 99% of the problems you’re facing.

Run a disk defragmentation. This should be done once every two weeks. It will improve your overall performance which can only help your Internet connection.

Consider a computer upgrade. An older computer may not have the power to make use of many things on the Internet now. Even something as simple as a RAM (Random Access Memory) upgrade could help, but if your computer is more than five years old, it may be time to consider getting a newer model.