Broadband Speed – How to Increase It

Most people who go from dial-up service to broadband are happy with the improvement in speed. Nevertheless, if you feel your speed is not what it should be, there are a few things you can do. First, test your download speed. Look online for ‘test broadband speed’ to find sites that do this quickly and for free. Keep in mind that rarely do actual speeds match the speed your broadband provider has sold you. This is true for all providers. Often the actual speed is about one-half of the stated speed (4Mb instead of your plan’s 8Mb). However, with broadband, your Internet should in theory still be fast. If you still feel your speed is slow, speak to your ISP. They should be able to check your system and recommend improvements.

Remember that your router and modem are important links in the system, especially if you have wireless internet (Wi-Fi). Read the manual, especially the troubleshooting area, and see if tweaking might boost your speed. You can search for help for your particular router and modem online, to see if others have faced similar problems and how they solved them. If you download large files, like movies and TV programmes, these eat up a lot of bandwidth. Try downloading at off times. Certain applications on your computer can also slow your system. Ask a technician or your ISP for help on this. If all else fails, you can try going with a different ISP or upgrading to a higher speed if one is offered by our provider; before you go this route, look online for broadband comparisons to get the latest information and deals.