Why is my Internet slow?

The short answer

"Slow Internet" can mean several different problems: weak Wi-Fi, a connection that bogs down when others use it, your provider's network, slow website lookups (DNS), or just one device. Each has a different fix, so the first step is working out which one you have. A speed test alone often can't tell you.

Find out what's wrong with yours

Free, about a minute, no account.

Start by asking: slow how?

"Slow" feels the same whatever the cause, but the causes behave differently:

What you notice	Most likely cause
Slow everywhere in the house, all the time	Your plan, your modem or your provider
Slow in some rooms, fine near the router	Wi-Fi coverage
Slow only when others are streaming or downloading	Bufferbloat (a busy connection queues everything else)
Pages take a moment to start loading, then load fast	DNS (website address lookups)
Slow only in the evenings	Busy household, or your provider's network at peak time
Only one device is slow	That device or its Wi-Fi connection

The common causes

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi gets slower with distance, walls, floors and interference from neighbors' networks. A device on the far side of the house can get a fraction of your plan's speed even when everything else is fine. See why your Wi-Fi is slow.

A busy connection (bufferbloat)

When one device uploads or downloads a lot, many routers let a long queue build up, and everything else waits behind it. Browsing feels sluggish and video calls stutter even though a speed test looks good. See Internet slow but the speed test is fast.

Your Internet provider

Outages, faulty lines and congestion at peak times happen. If every device is slow, including one plugged in by cable, the problem is more likely on the provider's side.

DNS

Before loading a site, your device looks up its address. If that lookup is slow, every new site pauses before it starts loading, while things already open work fine.

The device itself

Old Wi-Fi hardware, a VPN, security software, background updates or an outdated Wi-Fi driver can all make one device slow while others are fine. See why one PC's Internet is slow.

How to find yours in five minutes

Run our test on the slow device. It checks response time, lost data, slowdowns when the connection is busy, DNS and (if you choose) speed, and explains what's most likely wrong.
Run it again on another device, like your phone on the same Wi-Fi. Our results page can link the two. If only one device is slow, the problem is that device.
Try a cable. If a device plugged into the router is fine, the problem is Wi-Fi.

Fixes, easiest first

Restart your modem and router. Unplug both for 30 seconds, then plug the modem in first and wait for it to come online before the router.
Move closer to the router, or move the router somewhere central and off the floor.
Pause heavy uploads and downloads (cloud backups, game updates) and test again.
Turn on Smart Queue Management (SQM) or QoS in your router settings if a busy connection is the problem.
Contact your provider if a wired device is still slow. Share your test results, which include the measurements they'll ask for.

Questions people ask

Is my Internet slow, or is it the website?

If only one site or app is slow, the problem is probably on their end. If everything is slow, it's more likely your connection. Testing your connection directly settles it.

How fast should my Internet be?

For most homes, 25 to 100 Mbps per household is plenty for browsing, video calls and HD streaming, with more needed for several 4K streams or large downloads. But a fast plan doesn't help with Wi-Fi problems, bufferbloat or slow DNS.

Should I restart my router regularly?

Restarting clears temporary glitches and is always a good first step. If you need to restart it often to keep things working, that's a sign of a problem worth investigating, such as an overheating or failing router.

Last updated October 17, 2026.