How to Troubleshoot Slow Internet
Quick Answer: Start by rebooting your modem and router (fixes 50% of speed issues). Then test speed on a wired Ethernet connection to determine if the problem is Wi-Fi or your ISP. If wired speed is fine but Wi-Fi is slow, reposition your router or upgrade to Wi-Fi 6 mesh. If wired speed is also slow, contact your ISP for line diagnostics or consider switching providers.
Quick Fix: The Reboot
Before diving into complex troubleshooting, try the solution that fixes half of all internet speed issues: reboot your equipment.
- Unplug your modem's power cable. Wait 30 seconds.
- Unplug your router's power cable (if separate from modem). Wait 30 seconds.
- Plug the modem back in. Wait 2 minutes for it to fully reconnect.
- Plug the router back in. Wait 2 minutes for it to broadcast Wi-Fi.
- Test your speed. If improved, the issue was a temporary glitch in the equipment's memory or connection state.
If rebooting does not help, proceed to systematic troubleshooting below.
Step 1: Identify Whether the Problem Is Wi-Fi or ISP
Connect a computer directly to your modem or router using an Ethernet cable and run a speed test at speedtest.net or fast.com. This test bypasses all Wi-Fi variables and measures your raw ISP connection speed.
- If wired speed is near your plan speed: The problem is your Wi-Fi, not your ISP. Skip to the Wi-Fi troubleshooting section below.
- If wired speed is also slow: The problem is upstream: either your ISP, your modem, or the cable/fiber line to your home. Skip to the ISP troubleshooting section.
Wi-Fi Troubleshooting
Reposition your router: Move it to a central, elevated location away from walls, metal objects, and electronic interference. Wi-Fi signal degrades by 25-50% passing through each wall. See our home network setup guide for optimal placement details.
Switch to 5 GHz: If your device is connected to the 2.4 GHz band, switch to 5 GHz for significantly faster speeds (at shorter range). The 2.4 GHz band is often congested in apartments and dense neighborhoods because it only has 3 non-overlapping channels shared among all nearby routers.
Reduce device load: Each connected device consumes some bandwidth even when idle. Smart home devices, phones, tablets, and background services all contribute. Disconnect devices you are not actively using, or set up QoS on your router to prioritize important traffic.
Check for interference: Microwave ovens, baby monitors, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices all operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency and can cause Wi-Fi interference. Running a microwave can temporarily drop Wi-Fi speeds on the 2.4 GHz band by 50% or more.
Upgrade your router: If your router is more than 3-4 years old, it likely does not support Wi-Fi 6 and may struggle with modern devices. A Wi-Fi 6 router ($80-150) handles more simultaneous connections more efficiently. For homes over 2,000 square feet, a mesh system ($200-350) provides better coverage than any single router.
ISP and Equipment Troubleshooting
Check for outages: Visit your ISP's status page or app to check for known outages in your area. You can also check DownDetector.com for crowd-sourced outage reports. If there is an area outage, there is nothing you can do except wait for the ISP to resolve it.
Check your modem's signal levels: Log into your modem's admin page (usually 192.168.100.1 for cable modems) and check signal levels. For DOCSIS cable modems, downstream power should be between -7 to +7 dBmV and upstream between 37-55 dBmV. Signal levels outside these ranges indicate a cable or connection issue that your ISP needs to fix.
Test at different times: If speeds are fast in the morning but slow in the evening (7-10 PM), the issue is likely network congestion on your ISP's node. This is particularly common on cable internet where bandwidth is shared among neighborhood subscribers. Unfortunately, the only real fix for systematic peak-hour congestion is upgrading to fiber or switching providers.
Replace old cables: Damaged or kinked coaxial cables can degrade signal quality. Check that all coaxial connections are hand-tight and that cables are not damaged, bent sharply, or running alongside power cables. Replace any cable showing wear or damage.
When to Call Your ISP
Contact your ISP if wired speeds consistently fall below 70% of your plan's advertised speed, if you experience frequent disconnections (more than once per week), or if modem signal levels are out of range. When calling:
- Have your speed test results ready (including dates, times, and testing method)
- Mention that you tested on a wired connection to rule out Wi-Fi issues
- Ask them to run remote diagnostics on your line
- Request a technician visit if remote diagnostics do not resolve the issue
- Document everything including ticket numbers and representative names
When to Switch Providers
If your ISP cannot resolve persistent speed issues after multiple service calls, it may be time to switch. Common indicators that switching will help:
- Your provider's infrastructure is aging and they are not investing in upgrades
- A fiber provider has recently become available at your address
- Peak-hour congestion is a systemic issue on your cable node
- Your provider's customer service is unresponsive to repeated complaints
Check alternatives at your address: AT&T Fiber, Verizon Fios, Spectrum, Xfinity, or T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. See our switching guide for step-by-step instructions.
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Systematic Troubleshooting: The Elimination Method
Random troubleshooting wastes time. A systematic approach that isolates the problem layer by layer identifies the root cause in minutes rather than hours.
Layer 1 - Is the problem your device? Test speed on a different device connected to the same network. If one device is slow but others are fast, the problem is device-specific. Check for background updates, malware, excessive browser tabs, or outdated network drivers on the slow device. Restarting the device resolves many temporary issues. On Windows, the "Network Reset" option in Settings > Network > Advanced resets all network configurations to default, which resolves most software-based connectivity issues.
Layer 2 - Is the problem your Wi-Fi? Connect directly to your router via ethernet cable and run a speed test. If wired speed is fast but Wi-Fi is slow, the problem is your wireless connection. Common Wi-Fi issues include channel congestion from neighboring networks, router placement too far from your device, interference from appliances (microwaves, baby monitors, Bluetooth devices), and outdated router firmware. Our home network guide provides detailed Wi-Fi optimization steps.
Layer 3 - Is the problem your equipment? If wired speed is also slow, restart your modem and router (unplug for 30 seconds, then reconnect modem first, wait 2 minutes, then reconnect router). If speeds improve temporarily but degrade again within hours, your modem or router may be overheating or failing. Check for excessive heat, ensure ventilation is adequate, and consider replacing equipment that is more than 3-4 years old.
Layer 4 - Is the problem your provider? If speeds are slow on all devices, over both Wi-Fi and ethernet, and persist after restarting equipment, the issue is likely on your provider's end. Check your provider's status page or app for reported outages in your area. Contact technical support and request a line quality test, which checks signal levels from the street to your modem. Common provider-side issues include node congestion, damaged lines, and equipment at the street cabinet that needs replacement.
Time-Based Slowdowns and Their Causes
When your internet is slow only at certain times, the pattern itself reveals the likely cause. Identifying the timing pattern helps you explain the issue precisely to your provider for faster resolution.
Slow only during peak evening hours (7-11 PM): This classic pattern indicates network congestion at the neighborhood level. Cable internet is most susceptible because bandwidth is shared among homes on the same node. Contact your provider and report consistent peak-hour slowdowns. They can check node utilization and may schedule a node split to add capacity. In the meantime, scheduling large downloads for off-peak hours and enabling QoS to prioritize interactive traffic helps maintain usability. If congestion is severe and persistent, switching to fiber or 5G may be the most effective solution since neither technology shares neighborhood bandwidth in the same way.
Slow at random times throughout the day: Intermittent slowdowns without a predictable pattern often indicate a hardware issue, either with your equipment or your provider's infrastructure serving your home. Check for loose coaxial connections, damaged cables, or a modem showing error lights. If your equipment appears normal, request a technician visit to check the line from the street to your home for signal issues. Water ingress into cable connections and corroded connectors are common causes of intermittent speed problems.
Slow only on specific websites or services: If Netflix is slow but other sites are fast, or gaming servers lag but web browsing is fine, the issue may be traffic throttling or routing problems specific to certain destinations. Run a speed test on Fast.com (Netflix's servers) and compare to Speedtest.net. A large discrepancy suggests your provider may be throttling streaming traffic. A VPN can confirm this: if speeds to the slow service improve when using a VPN, throttling is the likely cause. See our bandwidth throttling guide for detailed diagnosis and solutions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my internet slow only at night?
Evening slowdowns (7-10 PM) are caused by neighborhood network congestion. When everyone comes home and starts streaming, gaming, and browsing simultaneously, cable connections on shared nodes experience reduced speeds. Fiber connections are less affected because they provide dedicated bandwidth. If nightly slowdowns are severe, switching to fiber is the most effective solution.
Does restarting my router really help?
Yes, in about 50% of cases. Routers and modems accumulate memory errors, stale connections, and software glitches over time that degrade performance. A restart clears these issues and reestablishes a fresh connection. If you need to reboot frequently (more than weekly), your equipment may be failing and should be replaced.
Is my ISP throttling my speed?
Possible but less common than it used to be. Test with a VPN: if speeds improve significantly when using a VPN, your ISP may be throttling specific types of traffic (like streaming). Note that VPNs add encryption overhead, so speeds should be somewhat slower, not faster, under normal conditions.
How old is too old for a modem or router?
Replace modems older than 4-5 years, as they may not support current DOCSIS standards. Replace routers older than 3-4 years to get Wi-Fi 6 support, which significantly improves performance with modern devices. Older equipment can be a hidden bottleneck even on fast internet plans.
Will a signal booster or extender fix my slow Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi extenders amplify the signal but halve the available bandwidth because they use the same radio to receive and retransmit. They are a cheap short-term fix but not ideal. Mesh Wi-Fi systems are significantly better because they use dedicated backhaul channels. If budget allows, always choose mesh over extenders.
How long should I wait before calling my provider about slow internet?
If slow speeds persist for more than 2-3 hours after you have restarted your modem and router, and confirmed the problem is not device-specific, contact your provider. There is no need to wait days hoping the issue resolves itself. For intermittent issues that occur daily at predictable times, document the pattern for 2-3 days with timestamped speed tests before calling, as this evidence helps the provider diagnose the issue more quickly. Do not accept vague responses about "network maintenance" if the issue persists beyond a week.
Will upgrading my internet plan fix slow speeds?
Only if the slowness is caused by insufficient bandwidth for your usage. If you have a 100 Mbps plan and 5 family members are streaming simultaneously, upgrading to 300 Mbps will help. However, if your current plan should be sufficient for your usage and speeds are still slow, upgrading will not fix the underlying problem. The issue is more likely Wi-Fi congestion, equipment failure, or provider-side congestion, none of which are resolved by paying for a higher speed tier. Diagnose the actual cause before spending more money.
Can my internet provider remotely diagnose my speed issues?
Yes. Providers can check signal levels at your modem remotely, see error rates on your line, and identify issues at the street-level equipment without sending a technician. When you call technical support, ask them to run remote diagnostics on your line before scheduling a truck roll. Remote diagnostics can identify 60-70% of common issues. If remote diagnostics show normal readings but you are still experiencing problems, a technician visit is necessary to check physical connections and wiring that cannot be tested remotely.
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