Step 1 – Switch to an open-source web browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Opera. Internet Explorer may have come with Windows computers, but switching to a lighter-weight open-source browser can speed up your Internet connection.
Step 2 – Ensure that your computer meets the recommended specifications of your cable Internet service provider. Nothing will make an Internet connection seem slow like an underpowered computer.
Step 3 – Close programs that access the Internet while you aren’t using them. A notorious bandwidth drain are programs that run in the background—Windows updates, chat programs, browser windows left open, media players and program updates, among others.
Step 4 – Check the computer for viruses and spyware regularly. Such programs can run in the background, using portions of your overall Internet bandwidth, effectively slowing your overall connection speed.
Step 5 – Contact your Internet service provider for information on settings that you can tweak on your computer or router to speed the connection with them. Your provider may also be able to recommend hardware upgrades for you, such as a new modem. An outdated modem, like an outdated computer, can severely slow down your Internet connection speed. If you have trouble finding contact information, look at your provider’s website or a recent bill for a phone number or email address.
Step 6 – Secure your wireless connection with WPA or WEP encryption. This will prevent nearby users from gaining access to your connection without your permission and taking up your bandwidth.
Step 7 – Get rid of wireless altogether and use an Ethernet patch cable instead of a wireless connection. Although this option is by no means required and can be an inconvenience to many people who rely on their wireless connectivity, it also has the potential to speed up a connection.
Step 8 – Refrain from using cable Internet at times of high traffic, usually in the evening. On a cable Internet connection, bandwidth is shared among all users on a network. This means that the more people try to access the Internet at one time, the slower each person’s connection speed will be.