Dear Lifehacker,
I have a fast internet connection, but it doesn't always earn the title. Sometimes I get half the speed I pay for during certain times of the day. Other times my upstream connection barely works. I've done all the usual modem resetting tech support always requires but I still have the problem. Any ideas?
I have a fast internet connection, but it doesn't always earn the title. Sometimes I get half the speed I pay for during certain times of the day. Other times my upstream connection barely works. I've done all the usual modem resetting tech support always requires but I still have the problem. Any ideas?
Sincerely,
Sporadically Sluggish
Sporadically Sluggish
Dear SS,
Yes, I have a lot of ideas! Internet connections slow down for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the fault belongs to your internet service provider (ISP) and sometimes you're the culprit. It may be a little bit of both. Let's take a look at some common causes of internet slowdown and get to the bottom of this.
Yes, I have a lot of ideas! Internet connections slow down for a variety of reasons. Sometimes the fault belongs to your internet service provider (ISP) and sometimes you're the culprit. It may be a little bit of both. Let's take a look at some common causes of internet slowdown and get to the bottom of this.
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How to Fix a Slow iPhone *Please note, these steps work for me and many friends that use the process. Explore › Technology. Is your iPhone slow to respond? Trying to open an app and there is a delay? Just like a normal computer, sometimes a little maintenance can help speed up the OS. I'm facing an issue where app downloads and updates are painfully slow. Is downloading things at appropriate speeds, my guess is that rules. So if the App Store has become painfully slow, you may want to disable location services for the Genius for Apps feature until Apple addresses the issue in the next iOS software update. OSXDaily reports that the issue has been observed on iOS 6 devices that have grey or purple icon next to “Genius for Apps” setting. So what you should do is, you are to going to want to be a dickhead and go interrupt their conversation, because with them busy talking, it takes up a lot of your internet which then leads to your slow internet on Windows 10.
It's Not Your Connection, It's Your Wi-Fi
You have a fast connection, but Wi-Fi can degrade that speed in all sorts of ways. Most people won't enjoy all their bandwidth because Wi-Fi reception usually sucks. There are numerous ways to improve it, but they'll only take you so far. When using the internet wirelessly, you often have to lower your expectations a little bit.
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Let's take a look at what you can expect under ideal circumstances (not the maximum theoretical speeds each wireless technology can provide):
- Using 802.11ac: Around 50-80mbps (downstream), depending on the quality of your reception. Unless you have an internet connection capable of exceeding those speeds, you probably don't have to worry about slowness.
- Using 802.11n: Around 25-30mbps (downstream), and much less if you have poor reception. Although 802.11n theoretically can handle faster speeds, and certain routers can boost your bandwidth a bit using technologies like MIMO, speeds in this range are pretty common.
- Using 802.11g: Around 5-15mbps (downstream). It's probably time to upgrade your router if you have a faster connection.
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Before you assume you aren't getting the speeds you pay for, make sure your expectations are correct. Try the same, slow download or run a speed test from a computer that's hard-wired (via gigabit ethernet, preferably) and compare the results. If that machine provides the speeds you expect, you have a Wi-Fi problem. If that's happening in a part of your home prone to bad reception, move somewhere else. If you want to try and improve your Wi-Fi reception to avoid these sorts of issues, however, try these tips.
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Read more ReadIt's Not Your Connection, It's Someone Else's
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Just because a speed test reveals your connection is capable of certain data rates doesn't mean you'll always get them. For example, if your connection provides 25mbps downstream, the server you're connecting to has to provide the same speed upstream just to you. You're not the only one connecting, so that's a lot of bandwidth. Major sites do have crazy amounts of bandwidth and can match your speeds on numerous occasions, but many will not. This doesn't mean there's something wrong with your connection, but that the server you're connecting to cannot match your speeds.
How can you tell? If your speed test looks good that's one sign. Personally, I like to have a reliable server I can connect to and download from at a specific rate. I test those speeds to find out if I can max out my connection or not. Web hosts tend to work well. So does Usenet. If you don't have a good place to check outside of a speed test, keep an eye out for generally reliable sites with downloadable content. When you come across one that provides consistently fast downloads, just give it a try when you think your connection isn't performing at its peak.
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Um..You Left BitTorrent On (or Other Downloads)
If you have multiple computers (or a NAS) in the house, you might forget you've left a bandwidth hog like BitTorrent running. BitTorrent seeds (uploads) files you've finished downloading to a potentially unlimited number of people for an indefinite amount of time. Downloading, at least, will stop when the file arrives. In the event you don't have files adding themselves regularly through automation, you don't have to worry about a drain on your downstream connection. Uploading, however, can take a big hit if you forget to turn BitTorrent off.
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Read more ReadYou can solve this problem simply by checking anytime your connection seems slow, but if you regularly forget that won't help much. Fortunately, most BitTorrent clients—like our favorites for Windows, OS X, and Linux—provide bandwidth caps and scheduling. Using caps allow you to always limit the amount of your upstream and downstream connection that BitTorrent can use. Just give your client a number—say 100kbps—and it won't exceed that amount. Fat joe discography download torrent. Scheduling takes that a step further by applying those caps or stopping all traffic at specific times during the day. If you only want BitTorrent running while you're at work, you can limit its activity (or stop it altogether) by setting a bandwidth schedule in your client's preferences. Using either method, you'll avoid surprise drains on your internet connection.
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Of course, BitTorrent isn't the only thing that bogs down your connection. Lots of other apps can run in the background and slow things down, either briefly or for quite awhile. Apps often automatically update themselves. App Stores and programs like Steam can causes a big bandwidth drain when downloading several updates, for example. Be sure to check on everything capable of utilizing your connection in the event a slowdown occurs. And if you want to learn to impose some limits, read the next section.
Your Router Isn't Doing Its Job
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Routers are tiny little computers that manage your network. Sometimes they require a bit too much of themselves and cause problems. That's why many routers require a regular restart. Sometimes you can easily fix this problem, but other times you may just have a bad router. Unfortunately, routers often don't fail by completely dying. Rather, they'll stop working well and you won't notice immediately. If your router turns into a declining dud, you'll probably want to get a new one.
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Read more ReadThat said, sometimes you can fix issues with your router by adjusting its settings and learning how it works. Most (good) routers allow you to change the Wi-Fi channel to help avoid interference. In some cases, you can even boost its transmit power to reach a bit further (though this can cause more trouble than it's worth if you push it too far). You can read up on how to change either of those settings here. Often times, a small adjustment to your channel make a big difference.
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Read more ReadA good router also has Quality of Service (QoS) settings, which can prevent bandwidth hogs from, well, hogging bandwidth. If people in your household tend to slow down a connection for any reason, you can cap their usage based on their IP address. You can also limit bandwidth based specific applications. To learn how to use QoS, read our networking night school lesson.
Why Do My Apps Download So Slow Download
There's a Problem With Your Line or Modem
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Let's not forget one of the most common issues: your ISP. When you rent a modem from them, you usually end up with crappy, used hardware. Additionally, they provide the line to your home that gets you the internet, whether by phone, fiber, or cable. That line has to go outdoors where you'll find bugs, wild animals, hostile weather conditions, and more fun stuff. I've had a number of strange issues, including a gopher dig up and eat through a cable line. I've also had normal ones where equipment failed or a technician did a poor job of connecting the line to my building. Lots can happen, so if you've ruled everything else you should call your ISP.
Most ISPs won't want to send someone to your home without a little technical support, so pick a time where you can spare 30 minutes to unplug your modem, wait with them on the phone while they ask you about the weather, plug it back in again, and repeat the process another six times. Once you've indulged them, make it clear you want someone to come to your home and look at the issue.
When the technician comes, if they can't fix the problem outright you want to ask to have the line monitored as well. They may suggest this themselves, but if not you should ask for it. This way they can see if anything strange happens over the next few days and come back to replace the line if it does. Of course, the problem could be so many different things. Just make sure you keep your ISP looking into the issue until they solve it.
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Love,
Lifehacker
Lifehacker
Images remixed from originals by pirsik12 (Shutterstock), Muhammad Desta Laksana (Shutterstock), cobalt88 (Shutterstock), Oleksiy Mark (Shutterstock), and Robert Anderson.
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Is your iPad running slowly? Does it seem to get bogged down after a few hours? While this is more common with older iPads that don't have the processing power of the iPad Air line and iPad Pro tablets, even the newest iPad can bog down. There are multiple reasons why an iPad may begin running slow, including an app having issues or simply a slow internet connection. Luckily, this is often easy to fix.
Quit Out of Your Current App
One common reason for an iPad to start chugging along is an issue with the app itself rather than the iPad. If you experience an app that is running slower than normal, it may sound logical to click the home button to close the app and then relaunch it. However, clicking the home button doesn't actually close out of the app. It suspends the app, which basically keeps it frozen in the background.
Some apps even continue running in the background. These are common apps that stream music like Pandora, Spotify or the Music app that comes with the iPad.
If your problem is mainly with a single app, we'll want to quit out of it using the task screen. This will properly shut the app down and purge it from memory, allowing you to launch a 'fresh' version of it. Please note that you can lose unsaved work by quitting out of the app. If it is currently working at a task, it can be best to wait until the app finishes the task before proceeding.
While in the task screen, it is a good idea to close out of any apps that are playing music. It is unlikely they are causing a problem, and even if the app is streaming the music from the internet, it shouldn't use up enough of your bandwidth to matter. However, closing out of the app won't hurt and will ensure the app isn't impacting anything.
To close the application, you need to bring up a list of all apps that are running in the background:
- Double-press the home button at the bottom of your iPad.
- When you press it twice in quick succession, your most recent apps are shown as cascading windows across the screen. You can navigate through this screen by swiping from left-to-right or right-to-left. The active window will have its corresponding app icon above it.
- Without lifting your finger from the screen, swipe toward the top of the display. This gesture resembles 'flicking' the app off the iPad. Remember: You touch the app window, not the app icon.
Reboot the iPad
Closing apps won't always do the trick. In this case, rebooting the iPad is the best recourse. This will flush everything from memory and give your iPad a clean start.
Many people believe the iPad powers down when the Sleep/Wake button at the top of the iPad is pressed down or when the flap of their Smart Cover or Smart Case is close, but this only puts the iPad in suspend mode.
- Hold down the Sleep/Wake button until instructions appear telling you to slide a button to power off the iPad.
- When you slide the button, the tablet will shut down and the iPad's screen will go completely dark.
- Wait several seconds and then boot the iPad back up by holding down the sleep/wake button again. You will first see the Apple logo on the screen and your iPad should boot up shortly.
- Your iPad should now reboot.
Once you've rebooted, your iPad should run more quickly but if it starts bogging down again, keep in mind the apps that are running at the time. Sometimes, a single app can cause the iPad to perform poorly.
Is your iPad still running slower than you'd like?
Check Your Wi-Fi Connection
It might not be your iPad that is running slow. It might be your Wi-Fi network. You can check the internet speed of your Wi-Fi network by using an app like Ookla's Speedtest. This app will send data to a remote server and then send data back to the iPad, testing both upload and download speeds.
The average Wi-Fi network in the U.S. gets around 12 megabits-per-second (Mbps), although it is not uncommon to see speeds of 25+ Mbps. You probably won't see much of a slowdown with your connection unless it gets around 6 Mbps or less. That's about the amount of bandwidth it takes to stream movies and video.
If you are experiencing a problem with your Wi-Fi connection, try moving closer to your router. If the speed increases, you may need to look into boosting your Wi-Fi range. This is common in larger buildings, but even a small house can have issues.
Make Sure You Are Running the Current Version of iOS
iOS is the operating system running on the iPad. While a major update sometimes will actually slow the iPad down a little, it is always a good idea to run the latest operating system. Not only will this ensure that you have the most recent performance tweaks, but it also ensures that you have the latest fixes for any security issues.
You can check the version of iOS you are running by going into your Settings app, tapping General settings and tapping Software Update. If you are new to the iPad or iOS, here's how to upgrade to the latest version of iOS.
Install an Ad Blocker
If you are primarily seeing a slow down while browsing the web in the Safari browser but your internet speed isn't slow, it may be more a symptom of which pages you are browsing than the iPad itself.
The more advertisements on a web page, the longer it will take to load. And if any one of those ads stalls out, you may be left waiting for the web page to pop up.
One solution to this is to install an ad blocker. These widgets enhance the Safari browser by disallowing ads to load on the web page. They make both for easier reading and faster loading. Sites like this one make money from ads, so this is a balance you have to wrestle with.
Turn Off Background App Refresh
This one could actually save you some battery life as well as keep your iPad lean and mean. Background App Refresh allows apps to refresh their content even when you aren't using them. In this way, Facebook might reach out and retrieve posts to your wall or a news app may fetch the latest articles.
However, this uses a little bit of your processing speed and your internet connection, so it could the iPad to run a little slower. This usually isn't the main cause, but if you often find the iPad running slow (and especially if the battery drains quickly), you should turn off Background App Refresh.
To turn off Background App Refresh:
Why Do My Apps Download So Slow Youtube
- Go toyour iPad's settings.
- Select General from the left-hand navigation menu.
- Tap Background App Refresh.
- Tap the on/off slider at the top of the screen.
- Background App Refresh should now be turned off.
If you're still experiencing slow speeds, there is one more thing you can do.
Clear Storage Space
Why Do My Apps Download So Slow Lyrics
If you are running desperately low on storage space, clearing up a little extra elbow room for the iPad can sometimes improve performance. This can be accomplished by deleting apps that you no longer use, especially games that you don't play anymore.
It's easy to see which apps are using the most space on your iPad:
Why Do My Apps Download So Slow Lyrics
- Go to Settings.
- Select General from the left-hand navigation menu.
- Tap Storage & iCloud usage.
- Tap Manage Storage (under the upper Storage section). This will show you which apps are using up the most storage.
- You can now choose which apps to clear storage space from.
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You can also speed up Safari by deleting your cookies and web history, although this will cause you to log back into any websites that have saved your login information.
Want more tips like this? Check out our hidden secrets that will turn you into an iPad genius.