Before trouble-shooting your Internet connection:
- Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask them what you should expect for your download and upload speeds, then,
- Check your Download and Upload speed using a tool like Speedtest.net to see if there is a noticeable difference.
Once you have your Internet connection speed test for a baseline, try the following. Whenever you make a change, check your connection speed again to see if there is any improvement.
- Restart your router by unplugging it from power. Wait about a minute then plug it back in. Routers can benefit from a restart just like computers.
- If you are on wireless try moving yourself and the router closer to each other. Avoid placing brick walls, fireplaces, or anything really dense between you and your signal.
- Your bandwidth is not infinite. Make sure to have a password set on your router to not only discourage hackers but also prevent additional connections from a nearby apartment or house, or even from someone sitting in a car outside or walking by with a phone or laptop. Don't give out the password, and caution your family members as well.
- If there are a lot of computers and other devices in your household on wireless, use an Ethernet cable to connect to your router directly. Your computer should auto-detect the wired connect and switch to it automatically. Turning off unused devices can also help.
Important: DO NOT plug your computer directly into your data provider's ethernet cable. This bypasses the password set on your router. Always go from wall connection to router to your computer.
If you are on Windows, you can test your connection. Do a Windows search for View Network Connections. Your connection should now say Ethernet instead of Wifi.
If your connection still says Wifi:
- Turn off your computer/laptop.
- Plug the cable into your router and computer.
- THEN restart your computer.
- Go to your Control Panel and check that your network connection now says Ethernet.
Additional tips to improve your computer's performance:
- Limit the number of browsers and browser tabs you have open.
- Clean out your browser cache and history.
- Try to work at less peak hours of the day. Early morning risers and night owls might find that a slight shift to their schedule may improve their connectivity.
- If you don't need them, remove/disable browser add-ons, extensions, and plugins. BTW - any Plugins or Extensions that are causing performance issues can also potentially be malware.
Remove/Disable Extensions for:
Microsoft also provides some Best practices for using Office 365 on a slow network.
In particular, the sections:
- Best practices for using your browser.
- Best practices for using Outlook and Outlook Web App.
- Best practices for using OneDrive.
Contact the IT Service Desk for additional help!