How can I improve my Internet speed?

Sometimes the amount of traffic on the network can cause slowness, or an individual website may be 'slow', but if you're suffering from a consistently poor connection speed on all the websites you visit, here are some things to try -

Check that all wires to your Router are firmly connected

Avoid heavy traffic -

The speed of your Internet connection depends on a number of factors - one important factor is how many other people are using the network in your house, and another important factor is whether it is a 'peak period' or not. The peak period is around 5pm to 12 midnight.

So, for example, if someone uses peer-to-peer software in your household, they can schedule their internet use at times when other people aren't using the internet.

Is your computer powerful enough? -

Generally, the more powerful computer that you have then the faster your browsing experience will be. For us to provide the Broadband Service, you must have a fully working and licensed personal computer. 

Keep your Router away from sources of electrical interference -

Common household electrical items can affect your broadband speed -

So make sure that your Router is placed at least five feet away from any of these -

• Dimmer switches
• Stereo or computer speakers
• Christmas Tree lights
• Halogen desk lamps
• Televisions and monitors
• 900MHz cordless telephones
• AC Mains cords.

Clear your browser's cache - 

Slow web pages can also be caused by a full cache of web pages or incorrect settings in Internet Explorer. To clear the cache, improve speed and also restore your default settings -

• Open Internet Explorer
• Click on Tools in the top menu
• Select Internet Options
• On the General tab, click on Delete Files and then click OK
• Click on the Advanced tab at the top
• Click on Restore Defaults
• Click on Apply, then click on OK
• Restart the computer and try again.

Pause any background downloads -

If you are downloading video, music, or other files, then your connection will slow down - and consequently, browsing the web may be a slower experience. To improve your broadband connection speed pause the download, and resume it at a later time.

Check for Spyware / Adware -

Are there any programs running in the background which may be affecting your connection speed? Viruses, spyware and some adware are together known as malware (short for "malicious software"). These programs can get on to your computer without your knowledge and run in the background while using up resources.

Check your firewall -

Have you raised the "security level" or equivalent setting on your firewall software? If you have it set to a very high security level this may give the appearance of a slower connection. This is because when the security level is high your firewall software will be closely examining everything being downloaded to your computer, which takes time. This is a matter of personal choice, but you may wish to consider lowering the security level to the default or normal setting in order to speed things up.

Also, check that you are only running one firewall and one antivirus program. Running more than one of each can cause processor overload and incorrect message reporting on intruder detection, hacker attacks, and more commonly virus reporting.