Why Is My Wi-Fi Slow? 12 Common Causes and Fixes

First, find out where the problem is

Before you change anything, work out whether the slowdown is in your Wi-Fi, your router or the line from your provider. This takes five minutes and saves hours of guessing.

1. Run the speed test with a laptop plugged into the router by an Ethernet cable. Pause other devices first.
2. Run it again on Wi-Fi, standing next to the router.
3. Run it again on Wi-Fi in the room where you have trouble.

What the results mean:

• Cable is close to your plan, Wi-Fi next to the router is close too, but the far room is slow: the problem is signal strength or distance.
• Cable is fine but Wi-Fi is slow even beside the router: the problem is the router, interference or the device.
• Cable is also slow: the problem is the line or your provider. See are you getting the speed you pay for?.

12 common causes and what to do

1. Distance and walls. Wi-Fi weakens through concrete, brick, metal and water pipes. Move the router to a central, open spot, or move closer.
2. A bad router position. Routers in cupboards, behind TVs or on the floor lose range. Put yours up high and in the open.
3. Too many devices. Phones, TVs, speakers and cameras all share the connection. Disconnect what you do not use.
4. Interference from neighbors. In flats, many networks crowd the same channels. Switch to the 5 GHz band, or change the channel in the router settings.
5. Household interference. Microwave ovens, cordless phones and some baby monitors can disturb the 2.4 GHz band. Keep the router away from them.
6. The wrong band. 2.4 GHz travels farther but is slower and more crowded. 5 GHz is faster over a shorter distance. Use 5 GHz when you are close to the router.
7. An old router. Routers more than five or six years old may not handle a fast plan or many devices. A newer Wi-Fi 6 router can make a large difference.
8. Old firmware. Check for router updates, which often fix bugs and improve stability.
9. An old device. An older phone or laptop may only support slow Wi-Fi. Test with a newer device to compare.
10. Background activity. Cloud backups, game updates and photo uploads can use the whole line without you noticing. Check your devices.
11. Latency under load. If pages stall only when someone downloads, you may have bufferbloat. See what bufferbloat is and how to fix it.
12. A VPN or security software. These add a detour. Turn them off briefly and test again.

Quick fixes to try right now

• Restart the modem and router. Unplug them for 30 seconds, then plug the modem in first.
• Forget and rejoin the Wi-Fi network on the slow device.
• Move closer, or open a door.
• Switch between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and compare.
• Test one device at a time to find a problem device.

When Wi-Fi is the weak link

If the cable test is fast and the Wi-Fi test is slow, improve the Wi-Fi: place the router better, add a mesh system, or use a cable for devices that stay in one place, such as a desktop, a console or a TV. See how to improve your Wi-Fi signal at home and Wi-Fi vs Ethernet.

When to contact your provider

Contact them if the cable test is far below your plan at several different times of day, if the speed drops after a restart, or if your connection keeps dropping. Bring your results. A short log with dates, times and numbers makes the call far more effective.