This is is the most common problem of every internet users. I am working as a Network Engineer since 2013 and today I am going to do in depth discussion on this matter. I hope after reading this all your doubts will be clear and you will be able to do some basic troubleshoot on your own.
In the world of slow internet issue there are two types of problems. One is user created problem and another one actual problem. Let’s discuss one by one.
User created problem:
Suppose you took internet connection from your local operator or from a reputed service provider. Now you see after one or two days of using you are facing slow internet issues, your YouTube videos are buffering, your whatsapp call is dropping, you are not getting proper speedtest results and lots of other issues. So now in general scenario you will call your local operator or you may call directly ISP help line to file a complaint. Your ISP tech team or local operator (in most cases, the ISP tech team provide support) will take your system in remote (if you want to provide remote access) and they will do some troubleshoot. After troubleshoot done by your ISP team, they may inform you that the issue is solved now. But if the problem not solved then they may ask you to check the connection using a LAN cable (if you are using WiFi) or they may suggest you do something else like assign a field engineer to check the issue physically.
So what your ISP tech team actually do?
They do some basic checks like checking DNS configurations, clearing browser cache/cookies, clearing system temp files, system performance, WiFi configurations, check how many devices are connected through that WiFi etc. It all depend on the knowledge of the person who is checking the issue.
Now the question is why your internet connection gets slow sometimes or it is slow all the time?
To understand this, you need to know what are the things which is involved for slowing your internet. Let’s talk one by one.
Internet speed depends on so many things specially when you are using a higher package (above 100Mbps).
System Hardware performance: Your computer or laptop play major role in providing proper internet speed. If the hardware is old or the configuration is not enough to run the system properly then you may face slow internet issue. Open the task manager and check system performance. If you see anything continuously going up like CPU or HDD/SSD showing 100% in use or RAM usage is almost full then this will slowdowns your internet speed.
Wi-Fi: Nowadays everyone use Wifi to surf the internet and most of the issues come from here. At present there are two types of Wi-Fi available in market. One is 2.4Ghz (single band) and another one 5Ghz + 2.4Ghz (dual band). If you are using a internet package of 40 to 60 Mbps speed then you can use 2.4Ghz band Wi-Fi. But you should always use 5Ghz Wi-Fi band above 70 Mbps internet package. Please read this article to know what is the difference of 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz Wi-Fi and also read what is Wi-Fi interference.
Multiple devices are connected on the same Wi-Fi: Let’s assume that you are using 50Mbps speed internet package and 2 people are using the same Wi-Fi. So in this case your 50Mbps package speed gets divided into 2 device depending on what they are using. For example, if any one device is streaming 4K video then this one device will consume up to 25 Mbps bandwidth. Because 4K videos need minimum 25 Mbps bandwidth to play properly. So in this scenario one device is consuming upto 25 Mbps. If another device start downloading some 1Gb size files they will get upto 2.5Mbps/sec downloading speed instead of 5Mbps because another device is already streaming 4K video. This was just an example that how connecting multiple devices on the same Wi-Fi can cause slow internet issue.
Bonus Tip:
Why might an internet speed device divide the speed by 8?
An internet speed device might divide the speed by 8 to convert the speed from bits per second (bps) to bytes per second (Bps).
Here’s why:
Bits vs. Bytes: In networking, internet speed is typically measured in bits per second (bps). However, data storage and file sizes are usually measured in bytes. Since 1 byte equals 8 bits, dividing the speed by 8 converts the measurement from bits per second to bytes per second. For example, if your internet speed is 80 Mbps (megabits per second), the equivalent speed in megabytes per second (MBps) would be:
Speed in MBps = 80 Mbps/8 = 10 MBps
Wi-Fi Router Hardware/Firmware Issue: Are you using an old router? The more your router gets old, the performance also gets decrease with time. Sometime updating the firmware can also fix the problem (if any firmware update available).
