Slow Wi-Fi? 8 checks to try before you call your provider

Before you start

• You can reach your router, the box your provider sent you.
• You have a phone, tablet or laptop that normally uses the Wi-Fi.
• Ideally, a laptop that can plug into the router with a network (Ethernet) cable. Many laptops need an adapter for this.
• Something to write down your speed test results.

0 of 4 done. Ticking just helps you keep track; nothing is saved or sent.

Steps

1. 1

   Test the speed in two places

   Stand next to the router and run a speed test on your phone or laptop. Your provider usually has its own speed checker on its website. Then run the same test in the room where the Wi-Fi feels slow, and write both results down. If the speed is fine next to the router but poor in the other room, the problem is almost certainly coverage, not your broadband line.

2. 2

   Restart the router properly

   Switch it off at the wall or unplug it, wait at least 30 seconds, then switch it back on. Give the lights a few minutes to settle before you test again. Our free guide shows how to restart your router the right way.

1. 3

   Look at where the router lives

   Walls, floors, mirrors, fish tanks and large metal objects all weaken Wi-Fi. If the cables allow, move the router somewhere open and raised, such as a shelf, and away from microwaves, cordless phone bases and baby monitors. A central spot in the home usually works better than a corner.

2. 4

   Try the other Wi-Fi band

   Many routers broadcast two bands, often with names ending in 2.4 and 5. The 5 GHz band is usually faster at short range, while 2.4 GHz reaches further but is often slower. If you see both, join the other one in the problem room and test again. Some routers combine both under one name, so you may only see one.

3. 5

   Find out what else is using the internet

   Large downloads, game updates, photo backups and high-quality streaming can slow everything else down. Pause anything you know about, check whether a games console or computer is installing an update, then test again. If the speed recovers, the network was simply busy.

4. 6

   Restart and update the slow device

   Restart the phone, tablet or laptop that feels slow and check it has the latest software updates. On older devices, the Wi-Fi hardware itself may limit your speed.

5. 7

   Plug in with a cable, if you can

   Connecting a laptop straight to the router with a network cable takes Wi-Fi out of the picture. If the wired speed is good, your line is probably fine and the issue is Wi-Fi coverage. If the wired speed is also poor, the problem is more likely to be the line or your provider.

6. 8

   Check for a known outage

   Most providers have a service status page or app. A local outage or engineering work can explain sudden slow speeds, and no amount of home troubleshooting will fix it.

What to tell your provider

• Your speed test results next to the router and in the problem room.
• Whether a wired connection was slow too.
• That you've restarted the router, and when.
• When the problem happens, for example every evening or all day.

If this happens, try this

• If it's fast by the router but slow upstairs

  That's a coverage problem. Try moving the router, then ask your provider what options it offers for better coverage around the home.

• If one device is slow but the others are fine

  The problem is probably that device. Restart it, update it, and try forgetting the Wi-Fi network and joining it again.

• If everything is slow, even with a cable

  The line or the provider's network is the likely cause. Call your provider with your test results.

• If it only slows down at certain times

  Note the days and times. It may be a busy household or a busy local network, and the pattern helps your provider.

Things to be careful about

• Restarting is not resetting. A restart is safe. A factory reset wipes the router's settings, so only do one if your provider tells you to.

• Unexpected calls about your internet. Scammers sometimes call claiming your router has been hacked or your broadband is about to be cut off, then ask to connect to your computer. Hang up. Our guide to spotting scam calls and messages explains the signs.

• Covering the router. Keep it somewhere with air around it, not shut in a cupboard or buried under papers.