Slow wired connections can be very disturbing. Don’t pay attention to articles that say wireless connections are faster. While they are rapidly improving, the fact remains: that wired connections are faster due to lesser data losses.
Read the useful tips below to fix your internet speeds at home. They work in most cases. Apply them and get rid of lagging games, streaming issues, and more.
Table of Contents
Check the Internet on Another Device
If your device is connected and network signals are visible, then your ISP is working just fine. Once you check this, then the next step is testing your internet speeds. You can easily find a good speed checking website online. Look at both the download and upload speeds. Carefully note down the latency speeds as well. It is advisable to use this technique instead of trying to fix Spectrum 5GHz WiFi by using unrecommended techniques.
If you don’t know how to check the internet speed like this, there’s another way. Go to your network settings and check your ethernet connection. Here, you will see your network speed. In order to check if your device is malfunctioning, insert the ethernet cable into another device. If you get the same speeds, then the devices are working fine but there’s some issue with the router. If the speeds on both the devices are different, then one of your devices is malfunctioning.
Test Your LAN Ports
Your ISP as well as your device may be working just fine. The problem may be arising from your LAN port. If you are getting poor speeds on multiple devices consistently then it’s time to perform a LAN test. A router usually comes with 5 ports. There’s a possibility that your current port is not functioning properly. Simply plug the wire in a different port to see if the internet starts working properly again. If none of the ports work then you may need to change your router.
Change Damaged or Broken Wires
Check your network cable. Look for any twists or breakages. Damaged cables cause data losses. Also, make sure that your router and LAN port are working correctly as mentioned above. If your cable is damaged, buy a new one.
Check the Rating of Your Cable
Nobody ever really checks their cable rating at the time of installation. Note that only CAT 5e, CAT 6, and CAT 7 support gigabit speeds. You must have a network cable with one of these ratings to enjoy blazing fast internet speeds. Cables that come with a lower rating than Cat 5 do not provide good network speeds. One can easily end up fixing Cox WiFi by simply changing their cable. The same stands true for other providers.
Disable and Enable Your Network Cable
If it’s not the router, LAN port, cable, or the ISP then it’s time to check the network card. PCs and laptops come with network cards to process internet data. On your device, try to disable and then enable it. If this technique does not work then you may need to change it. Do not directly attempt to remove it. Call a professional instead.
Update your Network Driver
A computer has drivers to make hardware function properly. It is important to check for their updates every now and then. It may be that you have outdated network drivers. Check if an update is available. Update them to the latest version to get consistent and high internet speeds.
Set-up a Good Security Service
Do you scan your computer regularly for viruses? Malicious software or malware can affect your network speeds quite significantly. Use Windows Defender if you have Windows 10 or subscribe to a subscription-based anti-virus utility to safeguard against malware.
Check Network Usage
Sometimes, unnecessary apps may be using your network data in the background. It is a good practice to single out such apps and close them. You can do this quite easily. All you have to do is go to Windows Task Manager. Look closely at the list of applications that appear in front of you. Here, check out which applications are consuming the largest chunks of internet bandwidth. Close all unneeded applications exhibiting such behaviors.
Employ these techniques to minimize data losses and use wired connections. Do not attempt to fix Spectrum packet loss by putting yourself in harm’s way. Only professionals should replace the faulty hardware. For example, do not tamper with the network card. Always request professional assistance to handle hardware components of electronic devices.
