How to Make Your Internet Faster: 15 Fixes That Actually Work
A practical, step-by-step guide to improving your internet — from free checks to hardware upgrades that may be worth paying for. Ordered roughly by effort and cost.
Some "make your internet faster" advice online is either obvious ("restart your router") or too general ("buy a new plan"). This guide is an ordered repair sequence, from low-cost checks to larger changes. If you have not narrowed down whether Wi-Fi, a device, the plan, or another factor is limiting you, start with our guide to diagnosing why internet is slow. The benefit of each fix depends on your equipment and conditions, so start at the top and re-test before spending money.
Before you change anything, run a speed test and write down your download, upload, ping, jitter, and packet loss. You need a baseline — otherwise you can't tell if a fix worked.
Free fixes (do these first)
These cost nothing and take minutes. They can reveal whether local conditions are limiting the result before you spend money.
1. Test wired, then test wireless
Plug a laptop directly into your router with an Ethernet cable and run the test again. If wired is materially faster, Wi-Fi is contributing to the result and the next several fixes may help. If wired is also slow, investigate the plan, modem, route, and provider rather than assuming Wi-Fi is the cause.
2. Switch to the 5 GHz band
Many modern routers broadcast two networks: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band often reaches farther but can be more crowded; 5 GHz can provide more throughput over short-to-medium distances. On your phone or laptop, connect to the network ending in "5G" or "5GHz" when you're in the same room as the router, then re-test rather than assuming a fixed improvement.
3. Move your router (this is huge)
Wi-Fi is radio. Walls, floors, metal, and water can weaken or reflect the signal, while nearby electronics can add interference. A router in a closet on the floor behind a TV may be poorly placed. Put it:
- Out in the open, not inside a cabinet
- Elevated (a shelf, not the floor)
- Central to where you actually use devices
- Away from microwaves, cordless phones, and large metal objects
This change can improve real-world speed in a far room when placement is the limiting factor.
4. Reboot the modem and router properly
Not just an off-on. Unplug both for a short power cycle, then plug the modem in first and wait for its lights to settle before the router. A restart can clear a temporary fault or renegotiate the connection, but it will not fix every underlying problem.
5. Kill background bandwidth hogs
Open Task Manager (Windows: Ctrl+Shift+Esc → Performance/App history) or Activity Monitor (Mac: Network tab). Look for anything quietly downloading: Windows Update, macOS updates, Steam, cloud backups (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive), and torrent clients. Pausing a large background transfer can restore capacity while it is running.
6. Change your DNS
Your ISP's default DNS resolver can be slow in some locations, which may make websites feel sluggish even when your raw speed is fine. Switch to a public resolver and compare:
- Cloudflare: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
- Google: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4
You set these in your device's network settings or, better, in your router so every device benefits. It won't raise your Mbps, though it may change lookup and page-start times.
7. Update your router's firmware
Router makers may ship performance and security fixes for years. Log into your router (often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), find the firmware/update section, and install the latest version. Many newer routers can do this automatically — check that it's enabled.
8. Trim the device pile
Homes often have many connected things: phones, TVs, doorbells, smart bulbs, consoles, and laptops. Active devices use bandwidth and Wi-Fi airtime. Disconnect what you're not using, and check your router app for any device you don't recognize.
Low-cost fixes (small money, real gains)
9. Use Ethernet for the things that matter
A low-cost cable can be more consistent than Wi-Fi for latency and throughput. Hard-wire your desk PC, game console, and smart TV if they're near the router. This also frees up Wi-Fi airtime for everything else in the house.
10. Add a powerline or MoCA adapter
If you can't run a cable across the house, powerline adapters send network over your electrical wiring, and MoCA adapters use existing coax (cable TV) outlets. They can provide a more consistent path to a far room, but results depend on the home's wiring and adapter; compare them with Wi-Fi before buying.
11. Replace a cheap Wi-Fi extender with mesh
Old "range extenders" can reduce available throughput because they share airtime, and some create a second network you have to switch between. A modern mesh system (two or three units) can provide a more seamless network. If you have dead zones, compare placement, wired access points, and mesh before choosing an upgrade.
Hardware upgrades (bigger money, bigger ceiling)
12. Replace a router older than 5 years
Routers age, but an older standard is not by itself proof that replacement will help. If your router predates Wi-Fi 6 or struggles with your devices, a newer router may improve throughput or coverage; check the existing wired result and the device capabilities first.
13. Stop renting your modem
If you rent your modem/router from your ISP, compare the rental cost and hardware capabilities with a compatible replacement. Buying your own equipment may save money or improve features, but check the ISP's approved-device list and the full cost first.
14. Check your laptop's Wi-Fi card
Older laptops can have Wi-Fi 4 or 5 hardware with lower practical limits than a newer router or plan. If one device is consistently slow while others are fast, the device may be the bottleneck; compare it with another client before buying an adapter.
When the problem isn't you
15. Confirm whether to call your ISP
If you've gone wired, rebooted, and you still can't get near your plan's advertised speed, it's time to escalate. Before you call:
- Run the speed test wired, at a quiet time and during a busy period when you notice the problem, then screenshot both.
- Note your plan's advertised speed from your bill.
- There is no universal pass/fail percentage. Record repeated wired results under similar conditions and compare them with the speed and performance terms in your plan.
Ask the ISP to check your line signal levels and whether your neighborhood node is congested. If the issue persists, compare the other providers and technologies actually available at your address instead of assuming a switch will solve it.
The realistic order of operations
| Step | Effort | Potential benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Move router + use 5 GHz | 5 min | Can help where coverage or interference is the limit |
| Reboot modem + router | 2 min | Can clear a temporary fault |
| Kill background downloads | 2 min | Restores capacity while they run |
| Ethernet the key devices | varies | Often improves stability |
| Mesh or MoCA for dead zones | varies | Can help in far rooms |
| New Wi-Fi 6 router | varies | May help if the old router is the limit |
| Switch ISP / plan | varies | Changes available capacity and route |
Work top to bottom, and re-test after each change so you can see what helped in your home. You may not need to spend money if placement, wireless conditions, or background traffic are the limiting factors.