Broadband Issues: Why is My PC Internet So Slow?

In this day and age, having a fast and reliable internet connection is a necessity in most homes and businesses. Between downloading, streaming, gaming and working online, fast internet plays a fairly important role in our day to day lives. 

For any computer user, dealing with a slow connection, long buffering times or extreme lagging can be a frustrating experience. Although you may have a broadband plan that promotes speeds of up to 100MBps, it doesn’t necessarily mean that those are the speeds you’re getting.

If you’re fed up with your slow broadband experience, take a look at our checklist on why your PC internet may be slow:

You need to reset your router

Your slow internet speeds could be fixed by simply restarting your router! This is because your router may be struggling if it has multiple devices all sending requests to it at the same time. 

By restarting your modem, it will clear its memory and reset the tasks it was performing. 

Your router is in the wrong place

Surprisingly, the location of your router can have a huge effect on your internet speeds. Obstructions and electrical appliances - like your television, stereo and monitor - can actually disrupt the connection, causing slower broadband speeds.

The best place for your router is off the ground, close to where you use your internet the most and on a shelf - this will enable the signal to carry throughout your home more effectively.

For the fastest possible speeds, a wired connection from your router to your computer (using an ethernet cable) will provide the best results.

You’re not on the right broadband connection

If you’re currently on an ADSL or VDSL broadband plan, you may want to check whether you can upgrade to ultra-fast fibre. With ADSL, your max download speed is around 25MBps. VDSL is slightly faster, providing max speeds of up to 100MBps. Compare this to ultra-fast fibre with speeds of up to 200MBps, and fibre is the clear winner.

Not sure if you can get fibre internet? Use this fibre checker to see if it’s available in your area.

You’re not on the right broadband plan

When was the last time that you accessed your broadband plan and provider? If you’ve been on the same plan for a number of years, there might be a faster and cheaper option out there for you.

Comparing broadband deals can help you determine whether it’s time to upgrade your plan or switch providers. With our comparison tool, it’s easy to compare all of New Zealand’s leading internet providers. Best of all, it’s 100% free to use, and you’re not obliged to sign up to anything.