Slow Wi-Fi: how to get faster speeds

Web pages crawl, video buffers and downloads take ages, although your Wi-Fi is connected. Tell whether the slowness comes from Wi-Fi itself, from your router or from your internet plan, and then speed things up.

Before you start

Slow internet has a few separate causes, and each needs a different fix. Wi-Fi is only one link in the chain, so the first job is to find out which link is slow. That takes about five minutes and saves you from changing things that were not the problem.

1. Run a speed test on the slow device while standing close to the router. How to check your internet speed explains how to get a reliable result.
2. If you can, plug a computer into the router with a network cable and run the test again. A wired test skips Wi-Fi.
3. Compare the two. If the wired result is fast and the Wi-Fi result is slow, the problem is Wi-Fi. If both are slow, the problem is the router, the modem or your internet plan.

Try these fixes in order

Fix 1: Restart the router and the device

This takes about 10 minutes and clears many slowdowns that build up over time.

1. Unplug the router and, if separate, the modem. Wait at least 30 seconds (2 minutes is safer).
2. Plug in the modem and wait until its lights stop blinking. Then plug in the router and wait a few minutes.
3. Restart the slow device.
4. Test again. See restarting your router the right way, and do not press the Reset button, which erases settings.

Fix 2: Move closer and clear the signal path

Wi-Fi gets slower as the signal weakens. Distance, walls, floors and large metal objects all weaken it.

1. Try the slow device in the same room as the router. If it is much faster there, the signal is the problem.
2. Move the router into the open, higher up if you can, and away from thick walls, mirrors, large metal objects and other electronics.
3. If the router has antennas, point them in different directions and test again. The manual may suggest a position.
4. If one distant room is always slow, an extender or a mesh system may help. An extender that repeats the signal can lower speed, so place it where the signal is still good, not at the edge. See router placement, extenders and mesh.

Fix 3: Use the 5 GHz band if you have it

Wi-Fi uses radio bands, and they trade range against speed and crowding. The comparison below is relative, not a measurement.

1. Open your device's Wi-Fi list. If your router shows separate names for each band, join the 5 GHz one. Apple suggests this, if your router supports it.
2. If you only see one name, the router combines the bands. Changing that is a setting in the router; use the router maker's instructions.
3. Use the 5 GHz name when you are in the same room or close by. Keep 2.4 GHz for far rooms.

The full explanation is in Wi-Fi bands explained.

Fix 4: Reduce what else is using the network

1. Pause large downloads, game updates, cloud backups and video streams on any device in the home. Then test again.
2. Close apps on the slow device that may be syncing in the background.
3. If a VPN is on, switch it off for a test. A VPN sends your traffic by a longer route and can reduce speed.
4. If the speed returns once other things stop, your plan or router may be too limited for the number of devices you use at the same time.

Fix 5: Check the router, cables and your plan

1. Look at your router's age and model on its label. Older routers support older, slower Wi-Fi standards. Newer devices will connect to them, but only at the speed the older router allows.
2. Check the router maker's website for a firmware update. Apple and Microsoft both advise keeping router firmware current. Follow the maker's steps in the router's settings.
3. Check the cable between the modem and the router, and the cable from the router to any wired computer. Old or damaged cables and old router ports can limit speed. Some older ports are capped well below what a fast plan can deliver. Try a different cable.
4. Check your internet plan's speed on your bill or in your provider's account page. Speeds advertised as "up to" are maximums, not promises. A result well below your plan, on a cable, is a question for your provider.

If it still does not work

• If a wired test is slow too, the problem is not Wi-Fi. Use the support page on your internet provider's website and have your test results ready.
• If only one device is slow, check that device's own Wi-Fi settings, update it, and compare it with a newer device on the same network. An older device may not support the faster Wi-Fi standards, so it connects at the top speed it supports.
• If the connection drops as well as slows, see Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting.
• If your computer is wired and still slow, see wired Ethernet not working.

Frequently asked questions