Why is my internet so slow

Why is my internet suddenly weak?

If your internet connection suddenly becomes slow or flaky, there are a few likely causes:

1. A malfunctioning router - maybe because of memory overload
2. An overheated or otherwise unhappy router
3. Something blocking or interfering with the WiFi signal
4. A new device or process stealing all the bandwidth

If the problem is new, ask yourself what’s changed recently. The culprit could be anything from a sudden heatwave to a new Ring doorbell.

Top fixes to improve a slow internet connection

1. Run our wifi speed test to see if the connection is as slow as it seems.
2. Disconnect any laptops, phones or tablets you’re not using (or just switch them off)
3. Restart your router
4. Restart whatever device you’re currently using
5. Carry out any security updates needed on your devices
6. Check for software updates and do them too
7. Try plugging your device directly into the router with an ethernet cable
8. Check that the cables to and from your router are securely plugged in and not damaged or worn

What can affect your home broadband speed?

A number of different factors can affect the internet speed you get from your home broadband connection, including:

• The strength of your WiFi signal
• The placement of your WiFi router
• How good your device is at connecting to the internet
• The time of day - peak times between about 4pm and 7pm can mean slower speeds
• The connection type - hybrid fibre is slower than full fibre and peak-time congestion is more noticeable
• How many people are using the connection at the same time
• Network problems such as internet outages (which can have multiple causes)
• Viruses, malware and other security breaches
• The speed that your provider offers - and if that’s not fast enough, maybe it’s time to compare broadband deals and switch

Quick fixes for poor internet

Before you do anything time-consuming, run through our top four quick fixes to see if they solve your internet woes.

Turn your router off and on again

It’s an IT support classic for a reason. If you want to sound a bit more technical, you can call it “power cycling” instead. Sometimes your internet gets slow because the router’s processing power is overloaded from conflicting demands. The power cycle will clear everything that’s draining the memory and let it start from scratch.

Turn your device off and on again

If there’s a glitch in the connection between your device and the WiFi signal, restarting the device itself can clear this up.

Plug in an ethernet cable

Connecting a device to the router with a physical cable will work if the problem is the WiFi signal within your house rather than the broadband connection to your house. It doesn’t solve your WiFi problem, obviously, but it does bypass it and allow you to get back online in a hurry. When you have more time to look into your connection issues, you’ll be armed with the knowledge that it’s definitely a WiFi issue.

Move your router

Is your router in the wrong position to do its job properly? If it’s hot to the touch then it definitely needs to be moved away from whatever’s making it overheat (like a radiator or too much direct sunlight). Ideally it should be in an elevated position, not too hot and not too cold. Moving it might not work, but it’s a quick and easy attempted fix and so definitely worth trying before you contact your provider.

How do I know if I need a faster internet plan?

If your current connection feels slow, try our WiFi speed test to see if the speed you’re actually getting is in line with what you’re paying for. When broadband providers put a speed in their marketing, they don’t have to deliver it to all customers all the time. But if a speed is described as “average” then it has to be available to 50% of customers, even at peak times.

Your contract should also specify a guaranteed minimum speed, which will be probably lower than the headline speed given in your provider’s advertising. If you’re not getting that and you’re still tied into a contract, it’s time to complain to your provider.

If you’re out of contract, you can switch to a faster plan with no penalties. But don’t overpay for speed that isn’t actually needed. The internet speed you need depends on how many people are using your home connection and what they’re using it for. Our bandwidth calculator is a great place to start.

Find out if you could switch to faster speeds

Broadband speeds across the UK are getting faster as the full fibre rollout continues. If you haven’t switched provider for a while, you might be able to get a much faster deal without paying much more. Just check that you’re out of contract, so you won’t have to pay any exit fees.

Our address checker lets you see the range of deals - and speeds - available to you. Switching is easy these days thanks to a system called One Touch Switch. Just sign up with your new provider and let them handle the transfer.

Compare broadband deals available in your area.

What type of internet is the fastest?

Full fibre is the technology capable of delivering the fastest internet speeds. Cable (or rather hybrid fibre-coaxial) is a very close second. Both full fibre and cable are capable of delivering gigabit download speeds, but cable has slower upload speeds than full fibre.

Long term broadband speed fixes

Once you’ve run through the quick fixes, there are some bigger changes you can try that might make a difference to your broadband speed in the long term.

Poke around in your WiFi settings

If you go into your WiFi settings you can:

• See what devices are connected to your home network
• Give certain devices priority

Getting into your WiFi settings in the first place is the hard bit, but there’s usually a web interface so you don’t have to type commands into a terminal window. As a quick way of reaching it, try finding the IP address on your router and typing it into Google. Hopefully this will bring up the web interface for your WiFi settings and then you can log in using the information written on the router.

Plug everything in

Even a great WiFi connection won’t deliver the exact speeds you’re getting from the broadband through your wired connection. And a flaky WiFi connection can really slow you down.

Plugging in your laptop with an ethernet cable is a good diagnostic step because it helps you see if the problem is with the broadband itself or just the WiFi. But for top speeds maybe you should stay plugged in permanently. (You literally can’t get the full benefit of gigabit broadband without a physical connection.)

For smaller devices like tablets and phones you’ll need an adaptor, easily bought online.

Build a WiFi “heat map” of your home

If your internet is unreliable, the changes in speed and connectivity might be about where you are in your home. Get scientific about it and make notes of where the good and bad spots are. You can download apps to help you track the varying signal strength as you move around. When you’ve identified the cold spots, you can fix them (maybe with a WiFi booster) or just remember to avoid them.

Sort out your devices

Sometimes a slow internet experience is about how your device picks up the signal, not the signal itself. Try checking for (and carrying out) updates to your:

• Operating system
• Computer security
• Browser
• Computer drivers

Security

Doorbell cameras are supposed to keep us safe, but any kind of “smart home” device represents a potential risk to your network and any security breach can cause internet problems.

If you have a Ring doorbell, a Nest thermostat or app-controlled lighting, consider setting up a guest network. You do this by going into your router settings and setting up a new wireless access point. This keeps potentially hackable Internet of Things gadgets separate from your important devices where you carry out sensitive processes like internet banking.

Visitors to your home can use the guest network too.

Make sure the trusted devices on your actual home network stay safe as well, and

• Run a virus scan
• Keep anti-virus software up to date

Increase your download speed

Your maximum download speed is determined by the limits of your broadband plan. If it always feels too slow for your needs, try our bandwidth calculator to see if you should be upgrading to a faster plan.

But first try clearing your cache and cookies. Browsers like to save temporary files from the websites you visit so it doesn’t have to download them every time. That’s the cache. Meanwhile, websites like to store bits of information about you so they can track your online activity. Those are the cookies.

They’re not necessarily bad, but all these little files could be slowing down your browser’s download speed. So click on browser settings and try deleting them. (This action might be in the menu as “Clear browsing data”.)

That’s a download-specific tip, but obviously it isn’t the only thing you can do! All the other tips we’ve outlined for increasing your internet speed apply to download speeds.

Tips to increase your upload speed

As with download speeds, there’s no fix you can apply that will make upload speeds faster than what you get with your broadband plan. If that’s not fast enough for your needs, it’s time to compare and switch.

If you need to increase your upload speed for work reasons, like Zoom calls or working in the cloud, consider business broadband. A broadband deal specifically for business use will have faster upload speeds - possibly even symmetrical upload and download speeds.

If you have cable broadband and upload speeds are a specific sticking point for you, maybe you should switch to full fibre. This technology has higher potential upload speeds.

In the meantime, you can manage a slow upload speed by using it more carefully. If your priority is to upload a stack of big files, don’t have a video call at the same time.

Why Is My Phone Internet So Slow?

There are two main reasons why the internet connection on your phone is slow: the phone itself and the signal.

Phone issues

If browsing is slow on your phone, your phone’s processing power could be to blame. This could be because there are too many apps running at the same time. Try closing down apps (or using the “Force Stop” option in Settings) to see if it makes a difference.

Or maybe it’s the phone’s operating system. Have you been postponing updates for a while? Time to get them done even if it means being offline for a bit. If you’re not sure if an update is needed, go into Settings and look for the option labelled “System Updates” or similar.

The problem might also be the browser, so it’s worth installing a different one to see if that speeds things up. Most people are guilty of having too many browser tabs open at once, so take this opportunity to close down the ones you’re not using and see if that speeds up your internet experience.

Or it could be your handset. Maybe it’s too old and you need a new one. (We can help you find a great mobile phone deal.)

Signal problems

If the problem’s not with the phone, it’s probably with the signal.

You might be in a place where there’s poor network coverage. The big four mobile network operators all have a page on their websites that lets you quickly check the service where you are.

• EE phone service checker
• O2 phone service checker
• Three phone service checker
• Vodafone phone service checker

Or perhaps something is blocking the mobile signal. This could be:

• A geographical feature (like a hill or a ditch)
• A building feature (like thick stone walls)
• An electrical device with an overlapping frequency (like a baby monitor)

Another possibility is straightforward network congestion. If lots of people are trying to use the same mobile phone network at the same time, it can slow down your browsing speed.

FAQs

Does resetting your router make the connection faster?

Resetting your router won’t increase the speed of the broadband signal that enters your home, but it can definitely improve your internet experience. If the router is working poorly because of memory overload, resetting it will clear whatever processes are slowing it down and let it work better.

Do WiFi boosters actually work?

Yes, WiFi boosters do work. If your slow or patchy internet experience is caused by WiFi problems, a booster could fix it. Sometimes the connection to your home is fine but the WiFi signal isn’t reaching the room(s) where you actually want to use the internet. If that’s the case, a WiFi booster can help by capturing the signal, amplifying it and re-sending it.

If your internet issues aren’t caused by the WiFi, a booster obviously won’t help and you should check out our other tips.

Can a new router increase internet speed?

If you’re consistently getting much lower speeds than expected, your router could be the problem. If it’s an old router, it might be malfunctioning or simply coming to the end of its life.

Older routers are also likely to be on the older WiFi 5 standard, which supports slower connections. A new router will be on the WiFi 6 standard, which has a wider frequency band for the signals and therefore a faster data transmission rate.^[1]

So if you’re struggling with speed, it’s definitely worth trying a new router. But a change of router can’t make your internet speed faster than what your provider is supplying. If the broadband speed itself is a problem, it’s time to switch.

What is a decent WiFi speed?

The average download speed in 2024 was 223Mbps, according to Ofcom.^[2] That single figure conceals a wide variety of internet experiences, from the very slow (below 10Mbps) to the fastest possible gigabit broadband.

The infrastructure in your area will determine what speeds you can get. Some parts of the UK haven’t yet been reached by the fibre rollout and are still getting their internet through the old phone lines (ADSL). If that’s you, the highest speeds available won’t be much over 30Mbps.

Some areas have the opposite experience: all homes have full fibre and the phone lines have been deactivated so you couldn’t get ADSL even if you wanted to. If this is the case where you live, the lowest speeds available will be around 50Mbps.

What counts as a decent WiFi speed depends on how you’re using your internet connection. Our bandwidth calculator is a handy tool that suggests what internet speed is ideal for your specific needs.

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[1] Wi-Fi Alliance, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6

[2] Ofcom, Connected Nations UK report 2024