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They call the Internet the information superhighway, but why does it take forever to load that YouTube video that everyone’s been talking about, doing a quick Google search should only take seconds to perform, not minutes. Internet speed in video games is absolutely critical to win, a slight lag can cause all the difference between winning or losing. Fortunately, there are a few methods to alleviate load times and to make the most out of your internet connection speed. Before you go and buy that app claiming to boost internet speed for 50$ at SuperSuspiciousWebsite4U.com, try these tips to increase your internet connection speed by yourself. Some of these tips are aimed at advanced users and should be done with caution.

Do a Speedtest and Pingtest at their respective websites

It’s important to verify if there are any problem with your internet line or your Internet Service Provider before performing tweaks. After the tests are done, you can compare yourself with the ISP average in Speedtest and verify your line quality in Pingtest. If your results are mediocre, try contacting your ISP and ask for them to resolve it. It’s possible that your ISP have mis-configured your line and causing mediocre internet speeds. It’s also possible that your router is mis-configured and does not provide the optimal speed.

Optimize the WiFi signal

For the best WiFi signal, the computer should be the closest as possible to the router and there should be minimal interference. Many consumer electronics, from cell phones to microwaves,  emit radiation that can affect WiFi speed and quality. In densely populated areas, other WiFi networks near you can equally affect your connection as well. You can try to reduce these issues by changing your WiFi channel and putting potential interferences away from the computer.

Stopping background downloads and uploads

It may seem obvious, but programs running in the task bar can leech precious bandwidth from you. For example, torrent softwares and Limewire will still actively share and upload to other peers even after the download is completed. Make sure to close them if you are experiencing slow Internet speeds. If there are more than one computer in your network, close all downloads on the other computers as well.

Change DNS servers

When connecting on websites, the computer sends a request to a DNS server and the server returns the IP address for the website. For example, when trying to connect to google.com, the computer sends a request to the DNS server asking for the IP of google.com. The DNS server will return 173.194.32.104, which is Google’s IP address. The Internet browser then use that IP address to connect to the website. The problem? Some DNS servers from ISPs are have a slow response and will delay the time to load a web page. The solution? use free alternative DNS servers like OpenDNS or Google’s own public DNS servers. Instructions are supplied on their websites.

Configure your router

It’s possible that your router is simply mis-configured for the job.(Wrong MTU setting, for example) Changing or tweaking those settings is not recommanded at beginner uses, as mistakes can result in loss of Internet connectivity. DSLReport’s tweak diagnostic tool can assist you through this. I won’t provide instructions, as the exact procedure differs from a router model to another. Google is your friend or comment below and I will try to help you.

Tweak your Internet Browser

Internet browsers can be tweaked to offer a better performance and speed. Check out our tweaking guide for Firefox and the second Firefox tweaking guide. We have received reports from users that turning off IPv6 provided an drastic performance boost, instruction to do so is written in the second guide.

Upgrade your Internet

When everything else fails, you’ll have to assume that your Internet Provider is giving you an sub-standard connection. You probably want to upgrade to an better plan or switch your ISP for an better service. Be sure to check out DSLReport’s ISP review page when considering. Fiber optics internet and MLPPP can offer better speeds than the usual DSL. MLPPP allows you to literally double your download speed and bandwidth, provided that your router and your ISP support it. More about MLPPP here.

A lot of other Internet articles suggest you to disable Windows QoS Bandwidth Reserve Limit, it’s only a myth and disabling it arguably does more harm than good. Got other tips n’tricks to boost your Internet? Shoot them in the comment section below! If this guide helped, don’t hesitate to subscribe to us!

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