Why Is My Internet So Slow All Of A Sudden – Fix It Now!

Jack

By Jack

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Why Is My Internet So Slow All Of A Sudden

Are you wondering why is my internet so slow all of a sudden in the face of no problem being evident?

That is one common problem with users worldwide, and several factors are responsible for slow internet speeds.

We are going to discuss it all along with the best solutions for getting your internet working properly again.

Why Is My Internet So Slow All Of A Sudden – Internal Causes

When the problem is within, it is not only serious but also difficult to diagnose as you can only wonder. The devices enabling the internet connection like routers are the most important things to check while trying to find out internal disturbances. If your Wi-Fi has been serving a lot of purposes, you must diagnose it thoroughly for proper fixing.

Here are some of the common internal factors to know if you think why is my internet so slow all of a sudden:

Over-running Router

Over-running is a common problem with all electronic devices that affects their long-term performance. A similar case is of the router that can get exhausted due to being constantly active and providing multiple connections.

Excessive or constant use causes the router to heat up and even hang in some situations. The result would be ineffective Power cycling, connection issues, slow speed, etc.

An over-exhausted router can get several damaged or cease to operate completely.

Over-running Router

Outdated Router Configurations

Many times, it happens that the configurations of routers fail to match the compatibility demands of the latest ISP technology. The result is slow internet speed as the modem becomes disabled to process the connection well. There is an upper cap limit for every modem that comes with a product.

The routers are configured in a manner that facilitates the connection of multiple devices with it. It includes the distribution of the upper bandwidth speed for the connected devices. This causes a slowing down of the speed of both router and internet.

Location of the Router

Using the internet on a device located far away from the internet router can also cause slow speed. The reason is the weakening of signal strength and reduction in the coverage of the router.

At the same time, the router’s network capacity also directly impacts the strength of the signals delivered. As the distance between the devices and router increases, the signal strength keeps becoming poorer.

Thus, if you think why is my internet so slow all of a sudden, this can be a major reason. The problem can get aggravated further if there are lots of hindering objects in the way, like walls.

A Lot of Connections or Users

Like we said above, every router is configured to allow connection with a set number of devices. Just like that, the speed offered by the router is limited. Thus, if the number of users or devices connected with the router exceeds the limit, the speed will get reduced. This happens because of the pull cast on the bandwidth to allow the internet sharing requested.

A Lot of Connections or Users

You will see a drop in internet speed rapidly. This won’t be a major problem with normal browsing being done by users. The bigger impact is seen upon users performing downloads, doing gaming, or high resolution streaming.

Power Saving Mode Turned On

One of the efficiency and performance booster features pre-installed on routers is the Power Saving Mode. Another function of this feature includes facilitating balanced action for the router along with effective response at the signaling network request. It also boosts the signal strength in the routers having a higher transmitting power rate.

There is one drawback of this feature that slows down the internet speed. This is the limiting effect this mode has on the router’s capabilities. The connection range and number get reduced.

Outdated Network Drivers

If you are not able to think why is my internet so slow all of a sudden, know that network drivers can also be a reason. Old or outdated software drivers in internet routers render them disabled at matching the ISP speed. Such outdated network drivers can provide an internet connection to a few devices only, along with slower internet speed.

Background Apps or Programs

If you look at your device, there are many apps and programs that keep running in the background. Sometimes, these are the main reasons behind slow internet on the devices as they keep consuming the internet constantly.

Some such apps include live wallpapers, maps, settings, etc. These programs take over a major portion of the bandwidth and cause hindrance as you open other apps or browsers.

Background Apps or Programs

Another effect is their limiting effect on the overall data consumption of the device and sessions of high speed. The same problem happens in PCs too, where certain programs consume the most internet always. This includes applications like Antivirus and Internet Security. These keep running no matter what you do on the PC.

Faulty Device

You may just not be able to find any reason while trying to understand why is my internet so slow all of a sudden. After having run all the tests on the router, the next culprit that remains is the device with the issue. You may ultimately realize that there is only one particular device that is receiving slow internet speed.

Faulty Device

This is because the Wi-Fi module present in the device has got faulty configurations. Such devices always fail to connect with any router, and the speed will remain slow in any case.


Why Is My Internet So Slow All Of A Sudden – External Causes

It’s not always a problem from the internal that can cause your internet speed to slow down. There are plenty of external factors that can do the same directly and indirectly. Here is a list of certain outside elements that may be slowing your internet strength:

Heavy Traffic

why is my internet so slow all of a sudden - Heavy traffic

Traffic is the number of users being active on any particular website at a certain time. In cases the traffic begins heavy, the web page takes longer to open. This is an indirect slowing of the internet speed. The problem aggravates when the website you are trying to open does not have compatible hosting capabilities for heavy traffic. The result is a longer time taken for any web page to open.

If you think why is my internet so slow all of a sudden, this problem has nothing to do with internet speed. You may be having a good connection speed and still face an inability to land on the website traffic.

Many Routers at the Same Place

Many Routers at the Same Place

Another common factor that affects router performance is the crowding of routers in one place. The signals emitting from different routers located in one place clash with each other and affect the strength. This mostly happens while using any public Wi-Fi that works on several networks. You may also face a router clash when connected with a single channel.

Such clumsy networking can cause high congestion of the signals. The routers active on a single channel start to clash, and the result is the failure of all the connections.

Wireless Interruption

This involves the existence of different hotspot connections being used while receiving internet from another router. This usually happens due to the existence of heavier traffic on any network that results in signal strength getting diverted. In such cases, you cannot connect with any secured internet connection from a particular signal network.

Another associated problem arises in the power of signal when another Wi-Fi interface is used on any particular router. The final power output declines significantly. The devices that cause so are microwaves, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc. Such instruments cause disturbance by using the same frequency as others from the Wi-Fi connection.

Connection not Secured

Your unsecured connection can be the reason if you think why my internet is so slow all of a sudden. Unsecured connections always give non-reliable connections, and the speed is never fast.

Server Rush Hours

Server Rush Hours

This is another very common issue that causes internet speed to slow down. You may face slow speeds at particular times while browsing. This is the rush hour issue. It indicates a certain time in the day when internet usage across the network is highest. Naturally, you will experience a slow speed on any device.

ISP Issues

Sometimes, nothing, including the device or router, is at fault. In such cases, it is the ISP or your Internet Service Provider that is having problems. There can be any maintenance or installation issues. You will have to wait till the personnel fixes them.

Besides, if you wonder why Windows 10 is very slow or phone WiFi is slow, click to learn more about it.


Fixes for the Internal Causes Causing Slow Internet Speed

We have seen the internal problems that can potentially affect the internet speed above. Now, we are going to give you effective fixes for them.

Power Cycling the Internet Router

You may have an overworked router that is susceptible to a lot of damage. This can be helped with active power cycling that boosts router performance and health.  Here is how to power cycle your router:

  1. Start with turning off the main cable power supply to the router. Let the router rest for some time now.
  2. Keep the router like this for 5 minutes at least.
  3. Remove the power cables along with every other power supply from the router completely.
  4. After the cool-down time is over, put in the power cables, followed by turning on the router.
  5. You may have to make certain memory setting changes now, but the router will be all good after the reset.

Upgrade the Router

An outdated router causes you to think, why my internet is so slow all of a sudden must either be fixed or replaced. You can choose to buy a higher-capacity router. However, you can fix your current router configurations too with the following steps:

  1. On a PC, connect with your router via the Wi-Fi module.
  2. Now, launch any browser on the PC. Open a reliable and effective internet speed test website like speedtest.net. Check the upload and download speed of your connection here.
  3. Do the test at least three times and maintain the result records.
  4. Do the same process above on a different device now. Upon noticing any speed drop, know that it’s time to change the router.

Change Router Location

Change Router Location

The location of the router impacts signal strength significantly. This can be fixed by checking the router thoroughly first to see if it has been affected by any dampness, dirt, etc.

Now, observe how distanced it is from the target device or devices. Look for hurdles like doors, walls, etc. too. If you are using any public network, change it to a private network that is closer or on your device only.

The best thing you can do is change the location of the router. Consider a place that is at the center point of the house so that the signals get distributed around evenly. Alternatively, you can place the router where the target devices are mostly present.

Alongside this, other devices can help to increase the signal range of the router. Get a Wi-Fi extender that is compatible with almost every ISP.

Change the Internet Sharing Settings.

We saw how over-exceeding usage limits could affect internet speed. Use the following methods if you are worried about why my internet is so slow all of a sudden.

For an internet connection being used by the whole family or many friends, the bandwidth limit can be fixed. This fixes the internet bandwidth allocated to every device. As a result, each device would be using only a particular amount of internet that will increase the speed.

Alternatively, you can also get a good ISP and do proper settings in the router to get a stable connection. You may have to get another high-configuration router for customizable settings since that is not the option in all routers.

Turn off the Power Saver Mode

This router feature affects internet speeds greatly, and you must turn it off for optimal results. Here is how to do so:

  1. Open the control panel and then click the option of System and Security.
  2. Here, out of the options available, select Power Options.
  3. Now, you can see plenty of power plan settings. Choose the one that is right for your requirements.
  4. Change the settings now and hit the button for proper power results.
  5. Lastly, open the tab – Advanced settings. Here, you will be able to see adapter settings. Select the option of Maximum performance here.

You are all set.

Update the Network Drivers

You can stop worrying about why my internet is so slow all of a sudden and just update router network drivers. For that, you will need a Flash drive compatible with your OS version. Now, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the control panel on a PC and select the tab Hardware Settings.
  2. Here, select the option Sound and device manager.
  3. Open the menu of Network Adapters and find the option of your network connection.
  4. Keep clicking on the connected devices, followed by hitting a right-click on them. Select the option Driver software from the drop-down list.
  5. If you have a Flash drive, use that for installing the updated network driver software simply.
  6. Finally, search for updates online for updating the drivers.

Close the Background Programs and Apps

We saw how background apps could affect data speed. Keep checking for such apps being active on the target device. Turn them off and check the speed after that. Using anti-spyware programs can also help in the reduction of data consumption by these background apps.


Fixes for the External Causes Causing Slow Internet Speed

Even when an external factor affects internet speed, there are ways out of the mess. Here is what you can do:

Come Back Online Later.

You can run a diagnostic test for your connection with any speed testing tool online. Check the speed of your connection, and if it’s high enough, the problem is with the traffic. The best way out of this is patience, where you can come online later when the traffic decreases.

Avoid Router Congestion

Signal clashes can be avoided by using one and different channels with each router if you think why is my internet so slow all of a sudden?

Secure Your Connection

A secured internet connection gives the best and most reliable speed. You can make your connection secure by configuring the Wi-Fi settings and password by following the IP setting instruction manual.

Here is how to do so:

  1. Look at your router and find the username and password mentioned on it for the connection.
  2. Open the default login site of your router to get on to login details.
  3. Enter the credentials here. On the interface, select the option Configure.
  4. Check the settings properly. Now, open the section IPV4 under the menu Network Adapter.
  5. Enter all the details here properly for the right Wi-Fi configuration. After that, save the changes, and you are done.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

  1. Why is my internet suddenly slow? There are several possible reasons for a sudden slowdown in internet speed, including overloaded networks, hardware issues, software problems, interference from nearby devices, or issues with your internet service provider (ISP).
  2. How can I check my internet speed? You can use various online speed test tools or apps to measure your internet speed. These tests provide information about your download and upload speeds, as well as ping and latency.
  3. Will upgrading my internet plan improve the speed? Upgrading your internet plan may potentially increase your internet speed, depending on the available options in your area and the capacity of your ISP.
  4. Why does my internet slow down during peak hours? Internet traffic congestion during peak usage hours, when many users are online simultaneously, can cause slower speeds due to the strain on network resources.
  5. How often should I update my modem or router? It’s advisable to keep your modem and router updated with the latest firmware provided by the manufacturer. Check for updates periodically or enable automatic updates if available to ensure optimal performance.

Final Words

This was our attempt at helping you find out why my internet is so slow all of a sudden. We also gave you the best and most effective fixes for the several issues that could be plaguing your internet connection.

You can get expert help if nothing works out for you or explain your issue to us in the comment section.

Jack
Jack

Ten years of experience in information and computer technology. Passionate about electronic devices, smartphones, computers, and modern technology.

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