Why is my Wi-Fi so slow?

1. Move closer to the router.
2. Try the same website or video on another device.
3. Pause any large downloads or streaming on other devices.
4. Restart the router.
5. Test the connection again.

If that fixes it, you may not need to change anything else.

Wi-Fi becomes weaker as it travels through distance, walls, floors, doors and furniture.

A simple test: stand in the same room as the router, then try the same website, video or app again.

If it becomes much faster, the internet connection itself may be fine — the problem is more likely Wi-Fi coverage inside the home.

Router position matters. A better position is usually open, raised off the floor, reasonably central in the home, and away from thick walls where possible.

Avoid hiding it inside a cupboard, behind large furniture, on the floor in a corner, behind a television, or next to large metal objects.

The router needs room to send its signal around the home.

A restart can clear temporary connection problems.

1. Turn the router off or unplug its power.
2. Wait about 30 seconds.
3. Turn it back on.
4. Give it a few minutes to reconnect.
5. Test again.

If only one phone, tablet or computer is slow while everything else works normally, the Wi-Fi network may not be the main problem.

Try closing and reopening the app, turning Wi-Fi off and back on on that device, restarting the device, or checking whether other apps are also slow.

If every device is slow, look at the router or internet connection instead.

Several things can use a lot of internet capacity, including 4K video streaming, large game downloads, computer updates, cloud backups, uploading lots of photos or videos, and several people streaming at once.

Think of your internet connection like a road. One car is easy. Twenty cars at the same time can slow everyone down.

A speed test can help show whether the connection reaching your device is much slower than expected.

Reputable options include your internet provider’s own speed test if available, Speedtest by Ookla, or Fast.com.

Run the test close to the router, when the connection feels slow, and more than once if necessary — then compare it with the internet package you are paying for.

Wi-Fi speed on a device may be lower than the maximum advertised internet-plan speed, and a single test result is not absolute proof of a problem.

Mbps is simply the usual way internet speed is measured.

Wi-Fi does not travel equally well through every home. Things that can weaken it include distance, thick walls, concrete, multiple floors, metal, and where the router is positioned.

If one side of the house works well and another does not, that strongly suggests a coverage problem rather than a problem with the whole internet connection.

It can.

Simply having devices connected does not always cause a noticeable problem — what matters more is what they are doing.

Ten idle devices may use very little. A few devices simultaneously streaming, downloading, backing up files or making video calls can use much more of the connection.

Count activity, not just devices.

Some routers offer two Wi-Fi frequency bands. You may see names such as “HomeWiFi” and “HomeWiFi-5G”.

2.4 GHz usually reaches farther and passes through walls more easily.

5 GHz usually offers faster Wi-Fi at shorter distances.

“5 GHz Wi-Fi” is not the same thing as “5G mobile service.”

If the router automatically manages both bands under one network name, you may not need to change anything.

Consider contacting them when every device is slow, the connection is slow even close to the router, the internet keeps dropping completely, restarting the router does not help, speed tests are repeatedly far below what is expected, the router shows an internet or service warning light, or there may be an outage.

Before calling, have ready: account details, approximately when the problem started, whether all devices are affected, and a speed-test result if available.

Not necessarily.

Do not buy equipment before identifying the problem. A newer router or mesh Wi-Fi system may help if the internet is fast beside the router, distant rooms consistently have weak Wi-Fi, the home is large or has several floors, or the existing router is old or poorly placed.

But new Wi-Fi equipment will not fix an internet connection from the provider that is itself slow.

Diagnose first. Buy second.

Everything above the router is the internet connection coming into your home. Everything from the router onward is the Wi-Fi connection inside your home.