Why is my internet so slow

Why is my internet suddenly weak?

If your internet connection suddenly becomes slow or unreliable, there are a few likely causes:

1. A malfunctioning router
2. An overheated or otherwise unhappy router
3. Something blocking or interfering with the WiFi signal
4. A new device or process stealing all the bandwidth

If the problem is new, ask yourself what’s changed recently. The culprit could be anything from a sudden heatwave to a new Ring doorbell.

Top fixes to improve a slow internet connection

You don’t have to settle for endless buffering, try the following to see if it sorts the problem:

1. Run our Wi-Fi speed test to see if the connection is as slow as it seems. It might be time to upgrade your broadband package or contact your provider if it’s slower than the speeds you signed up for
2. Disconnect any laptops, phones or tablets you’re not using (or just switch them off)
3. Restart your router
4. Restart whatever device you’re currently using
5. Carry out any security updates needed on your devices
6. Check for software updates
7. Try plugging your device directly into the router with an ethernet cable
8. Check that the cables to and from your router are securely plugged in and not damaged or worn

What can affect your home broadband speed?

Lots of things can affect the speed of your home broadband connection, including:

• The strength of your WiFi signal
• The placement of your WiFi router
• The connectivity of the device you’re using
• The time of day - peak times between about 4pm and 7pm can mean slower speeds
• The connection type - hybrid fibre is slower than full fibre and peak-time congestion is more noticeable
• How many people are using the connection at the same time
• Network problems such as internet outages
• Viruses, malware and other security breaches
• The internet speed you’ve chosen. If it’s not fast enough, maybe it’s time to compare broadband deals and switch

Quick fixes for poor internet

Before you do anything time-consuming, run through our top four quick fixes to see if they solve your internet woes.

1. Turn your router off and on again

It’s an IT support classic for a reason. If you want to sound a bit more technical, you can call it “power cycling” instead. Sometimes your internet gets slow because the router’s processing power is overloaded from conflicting demands. The power cycle will clear everything that’s draining the memory.

2. Turn your device off and on again

If there’s a glitch in the connection between your device and the Wi-Fi signal, restarting the device itself can clear this up. You could also turn off any other non-vital devices that could be draining bandwidth in your home.

3. Plug in an ethernet cable

Connecting a device to the router with a physical cable will work if the problem is the Wi-Fi signal rather than the broadband connection to your house. It doesn’t solve your Wi-Fi problem, but it will bypass it, which can allow you to get back online in a hurry. When you have more time to look into your connection issues, you’ll be armed with the knowledge that it’s definitely a Wi-Fi issue.

4. Move your router

Is your router in the wrong position to do its job properly? If it’s hot to the touch then it definitely needs to be moved away from whatever’s making it overheat (like a radiator or direct sunlight). Ideally, it should be in an elevated position, with room for air to circulate around it.

How do I test my broadband speeds?

It couldn’t be easier. Try our Wi-Fi speed test to see your broadband’s current download and upload speeds.

You can then compare it to the average speed that was advertised when you purchased your broadband deal. If you’re not getting what you paid for, contact your provider to see what can be done.

Thinking of switching broadband? Use our bandwidth calculator to find out what speed your home needs to keep your internet reliable.

How do I know if I need a faster internet plan?

You might want to consider switching to a faster internet plan if:

• Films, shows and social media keep buffering
• Members of your household regularly use the internet for activities like online gaming and streaming in 4K
• Your connection regularly drops out
• You have an at-home business that relies on a fast broadband connection for things like video calls

Remember that not all customers will receive the advertised speed on a broadband deal. If a speed is described as “average” then it has to be available to at least 50% of customers, even at peak times.

Your contract might also specify a guaranteed minimum speed, which will probably be lower than the headline speed given in your provider’s advertising. If you’re not getting that and you’re still tied into a contract, it’s time to complain to your provider.

If you’re out of contract, you can switch to a faster plan with no penalties.

Find out if you could switch to faster speeds

Broadband speeds across the UK are getting faster as the full fibre rollout continues. If you haven’t switched provider for a while, you might be able to get a much speedier deal without paying much more. Just check that you’re out of contract, so you don’t have to pay any exit fees.

Our address checker lets you see the range of deals available to you. Switching is easy with One Touch Switch. Just sign up with your new provider and it will handle the transfer, including cancelling your current contract .

Compare broadband deals available in your area .

The Do’s and Dont’s for the best Wi-Fi router placement

There’s an art to finding the perfect position for your router. Try:

• Choosing a central location, so you can receive signal throughout your whole home
• Placing it somewhere off the ground. A table or shelf can help the signal reach further
• Avoiding the kitchen or any room with multiple electrical devices. Items like fridges, microwaves and baby monitors can disrupt your Wi-Fi connection
• Keeping your router away from reflective surfaces like mirrors or even aquariums
• Installing it away from large pieces of furniture, as well as thick walls and doors

You might even want to consider having two routers in your home to eliminate poor signal areas, especially if you live in a larger property.

Does resetting your router make the connection faster?

Resetting your router could help to speed up your internet. This is because it will clear any temporary data or logs that have been slowing down your connection. It will also revert the router back to the manufacturer’s settings.

It will depend on what has caused the issue, though. If the problem is that you’ve placed the router next to your microwave or on the floor, then resetting it won’t do anything. Also, your router might not be capable of delivering the speeds you require, which means you’d need to upgrade it.

What type of internet is the fastest?

Full fibre connections are capable of delivering the fastest internet speeds, depending on the package this could be 2 Gbps broadband or even higher.

Cable (or rather hybrid fibre-coaxial) is a very close second. Both full fibre and cable are capable of delivering gigabit download speeds. Cable has slower upload speeds than full fibre.

Long term broadband speed fixes

Once you’ve run through the quick fixes, there are some bigger changes you can try that might make a difference to your broadband speed in the long term.

Poke around in your WiFi settings

If you go into your WiFi settings you can:

• See what devices are connected to your home network
• Give certain devices priority

Try finding the IP address on your router and typing it into a search engine. Hopefully this will bring up the web interface for your Wi-Fi settings and then you can log in using the information written on the router.

Plug everything in

A wired connection is always going to deliver the fastest and most stable internet, even if you have a really strong Wi-Fi signal.

Plugging in your laptop with an ethernet cable is a good diagnostic step because it helps you see if the problem is with the broadband itself or just the WiFi. But for top speeds maybe you should stay plugged in permanently.

For smaller devices like tablets and phones you’ll need an adaptor, easily bought online.

Build a WiFi “heat map” of your home

If your internet is unreliable, the changes in speed and connectivity might be about where you are in your home. Get scientific about it and make notes of where the good and bad spots are.

You can download an app to help you track the varying signal strength as you move around. When you’ve identified the cold spots, you can fix them with a Wi-Fi booster or just remember to avoid them.

Sort out your devices

Sometimes a slow internet experience is about how your device picks up the signal, not the signal itself. Try checking for (and carrying out) updates to your:

• Operating system
• Computer security
• Browser
• Computer drivers

Security

Doorbell cameras are supposed to keep us safe, but any kind of “smart home” device represents a potential risk to your network and any security breach can cause internet problems.

If you have a Ring doorbell, a smart thermostat or app-controlled lighting, consider setting up a guest network. You do this by going into your router settings and setting up a new wireless access point. This keeps potentially hackable gadgets separate from your important devices where you carry out sensitive processes like internet banking. Visitors to your home can use the guest network, too.

Make sure the trusted devices on your actual home network stay safe as well. Run regular virus scans and keep anti-virus software up to date.

How do I increase my broadband speeds?

See if the following suggestions can help you boost your internet speed:

Increase your download speed

Your maximum download speed is determined by the limits of your broadband plan. If it always feels too slow for your needs, try our bandwidth calculator to see if you should be upgrading to a faster plan.

But first try clearing your cache and cookies. Browsers like to save temporary files from the websites you visit so it doesn’t have to download them every time. That’s the cache.

Meanwhile, websites like to store bits of information about you so they can track your online activity. Those are the cookies.

They’re not necessarily bad, but all these little files could be slowing down your browser’s download speed. So click on browser settings and try deleting them. (This action might be in the menu as “Clear browsing data”.)

That’s a download-specific tip, but obviously it isn’t the only thing you can do! All the other tips we’ve outlined for increasing your internet speed apply to download speeds.

Tips to increase your upload speed

As with download speeds, there’s no fix you can apply that will make upload speeds faster than what you can get with your broadband plan. If that’s not fast enough for your needs, it’s time to compare and switch.

If you need to increase your upload speed for work reasons, like Zoom calls or working in the cloud, consider business broadband. A broadband deal specifically for business use will have faster upload speeds, usually symmetrical upload and download speeds.

If you have cable broadband and upload speeds are a specific sticking point for you, maybe you should switch to full fibre. This technology has higher potential upload speeds.

In the meantime, you can manage a slow upload speed by using it more carefully. If your priority is to upload a stack of big files, don’t have a video call at the same time.

Why is my phone internet so slow?

There are two main reasons why the internet connection on your phone is slow: the phone itself and the signal.

Phone issues

If browsing is slow on your phone, your phone’s processing power could be to blame. This could be because there are too many apps running at the same time. Try closing down apps (or using the “Force Stop” option in Settings) to see if it makes a difference.

Or maybe it’s the phone’s operating system. Have you been postponing updates for a while? If you’re not sure an update is needed, go into settings and look for the option labelled “System Updates” or similar.

The problem might be the browser, so it’s worth installing a different one to see if that speeds things up. Most people are guilty of having too many browser tabs open at once, so take this opportunity to close down the ones you’re not using.

Or it could be your handset. Maybe it’s too old and you need a new one. If it’s time to upgrade, we can help you find a great mobile phone deal .

Signal problems

If the problem’s not with the phone, it’s probably with the signal.

You might be in an area with poor network service. Use our mobile coverage checker to see what the signal is like where you are.

Or perhaps something is blocking the mobile signal. This could be:

• A geographical feature (like a hill or a ditch)
• A building feature (like thick stone walls)
• A device with an overlapping frequency (like a baby monitor)

Another possibility is straightforward network congestion. If lots of people are trying to use the same mobile phone network at the same time, it can slow down your browsing speed.

FAQs

Do WiFi boosters actually work?

Yes, Wi-Fi boosters do work. If your slow or patchy internet experience is caused by Wi-Fi problems, a booster could fix it.

Sometimes the connection to your home is fine but the Wi-Fi signal isn’t reaching the room(s) where you actually want to use the internet. If that’s the case, a Wi-Fi booster can help by capturing the signal, amplifying it and re-sending it. Do your research to find the right one for your home, as well as where to place it so it works effectively.

If your internet issues aren’t caused by the Wi-Fi, a booster obviously won’t help and you should check out our other tips.

Can I get compensation for slow internet speeds?

It might be possible to receive compensation if you regularly receive speeds slower than advertised. But it depends on the provider and it can be difficult to prove that it is at fault.

You might find that your broadband contract doesn’t guarantee that you’ll receive the advertised speed. It could also state that issues could be a result of the distance from your home to the internet exchange cabinet on your street, router problems or the layout of your home, so the provider can’t be held at fault.

If you’re experiencing buffering and your internet is dropping out, do a broadband speed test. You could even do one every day for a week to show that it’s consistently underperforming.

You can then contact your provider and ask what can be done. If the answer is unsatisfactory, then you can enter into its complaints procedure where it should be resolved within eight weeks.

Certain providers, including BT, Plusnet and Virgin Media, are signed up to Ofcom’s Broadband Speeds Code of Practice. This states that providers should display a minimum speed guarantee and be upfront about the broadband speeds you can expect. If your slow internet problem can’t be fixed within 30 days, you have the right to exit the contract without paying any cancellation charges.

Why is my internet slow on my laptop but fast on other devices?

There are a few different reasons why you’re experiencing a slow internet connection on your laptop, including:

• Where you’re using your laptop. If it’s located in a room that’s far from your router with thick walls in the way, it will weaken the signal
• Using your laptop near other electronic devices that interfere with your Wi-Fi connection, like wireless speakers or a smart fridge
• Other people in your house using devices at the same time. If members of your family are streaming or gaming simultaneously, it could impact your laptop’s internet speed
• The laptop itself. It might require security or software updates. Alternatively, you might need to adjust the settings to boost its performance

Can a new router increase internet speed?

If you’re consistently getting much lower speeds than expected, your router could be the problem. If it’s an old router, it might be malfunctioning or simply coming to the end of its life.

Some providers including YouFibre, Zzoomm and BeFibre offer the latest Wi-Fi 7 routers as standard, which have a faster data transmission rate. If your router operates on Wi-Fi 5 or lower, you might want to think about upgrading.

So if you’re struggling with speed, it’s definitely worth trying a new router. A change of router can’t make your internet speed faster than what your provider is supplying, though. If the broadband speed itself is a problem, it’s time to switch.

What is a decent WiFi speed?

98% of UK households have access to superfast broadband, which has download speeds of at least 30 Mbps, according to Ofcom. This should be fast enough for the average household to browse and stream on multiple devices at the same time. In fact, the average UK download speed in 2025 was 285 Mbps.

The infrastructure in your area will determine what speeds you can get. 78% of the UK now has access to a full fibre connection and 87% of homes have access to gigabit-capable internet. Some parts of the UK (mostly rural areas) haven’t yet been reached by the fibre rollout and are still getting their internet through the old phone lines (ADSL). If that’s you, the highest speeds available won’t be much over 30 Mbps.

What counts as a decent WiFi speed depends on how you’re using your internet connection. Our bandwidth calculator is a handy tool that suggests what internet speed is ideal for your specific needs.

What’s the difference between a modem and a router?

A modem connects your home to the internet and allows the signal from your internet provider to be used by devices in your home. Typically, it will have two ports. One will connect to the fibre or hybrid cables that run to your property and the other will connect to your router, or you can plug in a single device using an ethernet cable.

A router plugs into the modem enabling the internet signal that runs to your home to be distributed by a Wi-Fi network. This means you can use multiple devices at once throughout your property.

Why is UK Wi-FI so bad vs Europe?

The UK is regularly outpaced by other European countries including France, Denmark, Iceland, Romania and Spain when it comes to internet speeds.

In fact, it came 44th in a list of the fastest 50 countries for fixed line broadband speed in 2024, as reported by the UK Future Connectivity Forum.

Although the UK is making strides towards increasing its fibre network and connecting more rural areas to high speed internet, it still falls short of the investment in full fibre broadband infrastructure shown by other European countries.

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