Does your connection seem very slow to you at certain times of the day? You know you have a high-performance Internet connection, but alas, some devices in your possession can’t take full advantage of it? In this case, you can follow the advice – hopefully useful on how to speed up the Internet as much as possible – that I am going to give you in the course of this guide.
In detail, I will explain how to carry out an initial speed test, which is essential to understand if the problem is attributable to a degradation of the line and, if not, I will provide you with a series of “tips” suitable for remedying a series of problems of various nature that, in some way, can affect the quality of the Internet connection.
So, without waiting any longer, make yourself comfortable and carefully read everything I have to explain to you on the subject: I am sure that, at the end of reading this guide, you will have acquired the necessary skills to achieve the goal you set for yourself, pushing ” at most ”your connection. Happy reading and good luck for everything!
Index
- Preliminary operations: perform a speed test
- How to speed up your Internet connection as much as possible: ADSL / Fiber
- Change DNS server
- Reset the browser
- Restrict download activities
- Use the cable connection
- Change the Wi-Fi channel and frequency
- Other useful tips
- Contact the operator
- How to speed up the Internet to the max: cellular network
Preliminary operations: perform a speed test
The first operation I recommend you do, even before taking the actual action, is to use a speed test and check the actual speed of your Internet connection using a special web service, such as the one provided by Ookla : everything that you have to do is connect to the website in question and press the Go button , to start the verification.
If the test results show a clear difference between the nominal speed of the connection (the one foreseen by the contract you signed with your provider) and the actual one, there are probably problems on the network and you should contact your operator . If, on the other hand, the difference between the two values is not very clear but you still feel a certain slowness in Internet browsing and / or downloading files, by putting into practice the advice I am about to give you you should be able to solve the problem.
I recommend, before testing your connection, make sure there are no “stressful” downloads or uploads in progress on the home network and, if possible, connect the device you will be checking from to the router using an Ethernet cable, rather than the wireless network. . If you need a hand to test ADSL or fiber , in my tutorial dedicated to the subject you will find all the information you need.
Note : the Ookla speed test, as well as almost all the other speed tests available online, have no legal validity in Italy . If you need to carry out a legally valid test, so as to be able to obtain reimbursement / termination of the line without penalties from your current operator, you must contact the Ne.Me.Sys software and analyze the network, with the official directives of AGCOM, for 24 subsequent hours. Find everything explained here .
How to speed up your Internet connection as much as possible: ADSL / Fiber
After having carried out all the preliminary checks of the case and made sure that the navigation problems are not due to a physical limitation of the connection provided by your operator, try to put into practice the instructions below, in the order in which you I suggest, to try to speed up the internet as much as possible .
Change DNS server
Let’s start with the simplest operation, namely changing the DNS servers . If I had never heard of it, DNS servers are those “translators” that allow you to visit Internet sites by typing simple text addresses (eg. google.com) Instead of very long numerical addresses (eg. 74.125.224.72), Which would then be the real coordinates for reach them.
Changing the default DNS of your connection with faster servers allows you to speed up access to websites with often noteworthy results, thus having a positive impact on browsing speed. There are many public DNS that can optimize the loading times of Internet sites:
There are many public DNS servers that allow you to optimize the loading times of Internet sites: personally, I recommend the DNS of Google ( 8.8.8.8e 8.8.4.4), those of OpenDNS / Cisco ( 208.67.222.222e 208.67.220.220) or those of Cloudflare ( 1.1.1.1e 1.0.0.1), which are extremely fast and also allow access to sites blocked by Italian providers.
DNS can be replaced both by acting on the settings of each individual device, and directly from the router, where possible (in this case, they are automatically applied to all devices connected to the local network); if you don’t know how to configure DNS , read the specific guide I dedicated to the topic, in which I gave you some “tips” about the best DNS servers to use and I explained how to apply them on computers, smartphones, tablets, consoles and router.
Reset the browser
If you notice that the download, upload and streaming activities run smoothly and that, despite the DNS change, Internet browsing continues to work in “hiccups”, you can try to intervene directly on the browser , ie on the program / app that you usually use to access web pages.
With the same “power” of the line, in fact, a browser that is already light on its own and, above all, well configured, certainly offers better results than a browser weighed down by toolbars and, in general, third-party add-ons.
In light of this, try to delete the extensions you no longer use and, if the result is still not sufficient, to return the browser to its initial settings : I am sure you will be able to see appreciable improvements.
If you don’t know how to act independently, take a look at the thematic guides I made about it: how to delete extensions from Chrome , how to delete extensions from Firefox , how to delete toolbar , how to reset Chrome , how to reset Firefox and how to reset Safari .
Restrict download activities
Your internet connection has no obvious problems but have you noticed a general slowdown of some devices, at specific times of the day? In this case, the “fault” could be attributable to the download activity (even silent) carried out by computers, consoles and, in general, by other devices that download automatic updates or large amounts of data in a “silent” manner.
If this is your case, when you know you need a non-negligible amount of bandwidth to perform specific operations on a specific device, make sure that all other computers, smartphones, consoles, televisions or other devices connected to the network are not downloading . updates, nor by playing streaming content, let alone by downloading large files .
Alternatively, you can try to limit the download bandwidth for specific programs or devices, or temporarily disable automatic updates . Remember, however, that keeping programs, applications and operating systems up-to-date is essential in order to preserve the security of the devices and data on them; therefore, when you no longer need the maximum internet access speed, remember to enable automatic update download again.
Use the cable connection
Another excellent way you can take to obtain an improvement in the quality of the Internet is to connect to the modem all those devices that require more speed (eg Smart TV, console, computer with server functions and so on) directly via Ethernet cable . By doing so, the problems deriving from signal dispersion (with consequent slowdowns) due to the use of wireless connections are mitigated.
To connect a device to the router via Ethernet , you must first obtain a good quality cable (preferably cat-7 or later) and insert the two ends into the Ethernet ports present, respectively, on the router and on the device to be connected.
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If you need to connect a computer with only USB-A (“standard”) or USB-C ports and no Ethernet inputs, you can deal with it by purchasing a dedicated adapter.
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After connecting the router and the devices involved together, the Internet connection should be immediately available automatically, without the need for manual intervention; in any case, if you have any doubts, you can take a look at my guide on how to configure an Ethernet network , full of useful information about it.
Where developing a cable from the device of your interest to the router is not possible, because the distance between the devices is too great, you can evaluate the purchase of Powerline adapters : these are small devices, generally sold in pairs, which are used to transmit the signal. network through electricity. To configure a solution of this type, you need to connect the first of the two adapters to the router via Ethernet, plug it into an electrical socket and carry out the same operation between the second adapter and the device to be networked.
The use of the Powerline, however, is far from problem-free: for example, if the apartment is far from the meter, if the two areas to be communicated are dominated by two different lifesavers or, again, if the system electricity is in poor condition and / or not recent, the Internet signal transmitted may be poor or absent. How do you say? This is not the case for you and, therefore, would you be interested in learning more about how Powerlines work ? Then do not hesitate to carefully read the tutorial entirely dedicated to the devices of the category.
Change the Wi-Fi channel and frequency
The use of the Ethernet cable would be an optimal solution to try to remedy the small speed problems due to signal transmission via Wi-Fi, but this does not preclude the possibility of improving the quality of the Internet connection even in the latter case. .
For example, one of the first steps you can take is to change the Wi-Fi channel : disturbances and interference on the radio channels used by the router can greatly reduce the speed of Internet browsing and, therefore, you should enter the configuration panel. device to “manually” change these channels, especially if you reside in a dense area of surrounding wireless connections and / or other electronic devices.
This change is particularly useful when using networks operating on the 2.4 GHz band , as the various transmission channels tend to overlap (except those 1, 6 and 11) and, due to interference, to slow down data traffic. ; the situation is different, however, for 5 GHz networks: since the operating band is much wider, the channels are more and do not tend to overlap, therefore the data arrives at its destination in a decidedly faster way and with few complications. kind.
In any case, despite what you might believe, changing the Wi-Fi network channel is really child’s play and takes very little time: the important thing is to carefully analyze the surrounding environment, using specific programs and applications specially designed for it. purpose and, based on the state of “crowding” of the networks, identify the right channel , that is, the least crowded.
Once this information has been obtained, access the router management panel, locate the section dedicated to Wi-Fi networks and, after selecting the 2.4 GHz band network , use the drop-down menu dedicated to changing the channel .
If you need an extra hand in completing the above operations, I refer you to reading my tutorial on how to find and set the best Wi-Fi channel , entirely dedicated to the topic in question.
Other useful tips
To conclude the list of “do it yourself” solutions, here are a series of useful tips that could help you further improve the performance of your Internet connection, if the speed you have reached is still not satisfactory.
- If you only notice slowdowns on a specific device, you may be dealing with malwarethat has altered the operation of the operating system, and / or changed the browser settings in a harmful way. To solve the problem, install a [ good antivirus ( https://www.aranzulla.it/i-migliori-antivirus-gratis-26511.html ) (if you have not already done so) and run a system anti- malware scan using software such as Malwarebytes and Adwcleaner . More info here .
- If you use programs with server functions (e.g. peer-to-peer software or game servers) and you notice that they are very slow, make sure you have opened the portsthey use to communicate externally in the configuration panel of the router. I explained how to do it in my tutorial on how to open router ports .
- Don’t install software that promises to magically speed up your Internet connection– they often do more harm than good.
- Try moving the routeror placing Wi-Fi amplifiers in the apartment. The distance between the router and the devices involved could be too great, or the devices could be in areas full of obstacles that obstruct the diffusion of the signal. To learn more about how to boost the Wi-Fi signal , take a look at the specific guide I have dedicated to the topic.
- If you are having network problems with your computer only, check that the network carddrivers are installed correctly and / or are up to date. I explained how to update the drivers in my tutorial dedicated to the topic.
Contact the operator
Have you slavishly followed the instructions I gave you in the course of this guide but, after carrying out a second test, did you find improvements, but nothing that could come close to the real speed expected from your connection? In this case, the most useful advice I can give you is to contact your Internet service provider and explain the problem you are experiencing to the operator who will accept your request.
If you have never contacted your service provider before and do not know how to proceed, my guides on how to contact TIM , how to contact Vodafone , how to contact WINDTRE , how to contact Fastweb , how to contact Iliad and how to contact Tiscali may be useful. .
In this phase, you will be asked some questions and tests will be carried out on the line, so that the operator can understand if the low speed of the Internet (or at least the considerable performance cable on the line) is attributable to a physical failure of the router, an incorrect configuration of the same, a high level of degradation of the line / cabinet or the physical limits of the network technology active on your contract.
If you find yourself in the latter situation, try asking the person who took charge of your request if it is possible to obtain an improvement in the connection technology, while keeping your subscription active: where possible, it will be the operator himself who show you the steps to take to switch to faster technology.
Finally, if the problem is closely related to the quality of the Internet connection and there is no room for improvement, I urge you to take a look at the Internet coverage offered by competitors in the sector and to evaluate a change of telephone operator , in order to pass to better connection technology than you already have.
I recommend: when checking the coverage, carefully check the minimum, maximum and average speeds estimated and then examine the contract, looking for information about the minimum guaranteed speeds in download and upload. I know, these are time-consuming checks, but they could keep you safe from unwelcome surprises and speed -degrading contracts .
How to speed up the Internet to the max: cellular network
How do you say? Do you need some tips to speed up the Internet even on your mobile? If you are referring to browsing through your home Wi-Fi network , please follow the instructions I gave you in the previous step of this guide.
If, on the other hand, you want to get more from your data connection , first check that the network coverage offered by the provider in your area of interest is satisfactory; secondly, make sure that your smartphone is set up to use the best connection technology available (e.g. 5G / 4G ), in line with the contractual terms of the active offer, and try to limit the use of background data , especially when you are in areas poorly covered by your provider’s network services.
To get even more precise information on what to do, read my guide on how to speed up the Internet on your mobile , full of useful tips on the topic in question.