Not happy with your broadband
speed? Here's our handy guide with these tips to help speed up your broadband
connection! Find out the factors that can cause your connection to slow and how
to fix them.
Some Genuine Tips
Understand what your maximum speed is
Standard broadband over telephone lines
degrades in speed the further the line is from the telephone exchange (in
cabling length). While most deals are advertised as 'up to 8Mb', most telephone
lines will be rated to achieve slower connection speeds. Run a broadband speed
test on your line using your postcode. Ensure that the speed you're told to expect
is actually higher than the speeds you're experiencing - it may be that you're
already achieving the fastest speed your line can expect.
Don't use telephone extension cables
Don't connect your modem/router using an
extension cable. Poor quality extension cables are probably the number one
cause of poor broadband speeds. Extension cables can massively increase
interference on your line and cause broadband speeds to be lowered. The
simplest way to solve the problem is to ditch the extension cable and connect
the router directly to the phone socket and then use a long ethernet cable to
connect your computer to the router (these can be purchased in any computer
store and cost around £ 1 per metre), ethernet cables will not degrade the
speed of your connection.
Use the BT Master Socket
Plug your modem/router directly into the BT
Master Socket. The master socket is where your BT telephone line comes into the
house. Most master sockets have a split across the front plate. The lower
section of the plate can be unscrewed and inside is an engineer's test socket.
If you remove the lower faceplate it will disconnect all the extension wiring
in your property. You can then connect your modem/router using the test socket.
If you get an increase in speed then your internal telephone wiring is causing
interference that is lowering your speeds.
Fit an I-Plate
If test 10 made a difference, try fitting an
I-Plate (also known as a BT Accelerator). Telephone extension wiring can
act as a big aerial and cause interference on the broadband signal. An I-Plate
is a device that fits into the bottom half of your split BT Master Socket and
works by preventing the interference from your internal wiring. This can have
significant positive effects on your speeds. An I-Plate costs around £10 and
can be DIY fitted. Note, newer master sockets with 'Openreach' written on them
will not benefit from an I-Plate as the technology is already built in.
Get a good quality router
If you are using a cheap modem or router,
consider replacing with a newer higher quality router. A cheap radio gives a
poorer sound reproduction than a quality radio, in the same manner a cheap
modem or router can sometimes be the cause of a poor broadband experience.
Investing in a higher quality router can lead to improvements in speed and
reliability, especially on poor quality telephone lines. If you're not sure,
look online for user reviews of your make and model of modem or router - if
there are problems it's likely that reviews will show this.
Check for electrical interference
Electrical equipment can cause interference.
Electrical equipment can cause real problems for your connection, anything with
a motor or pump can particularly be an issue. Try turning off electrical
devices to see if they are interfering. If possible keep your router/modem away
from other electrical equipment. BT have shown that faulty fluorescent lighting
and even christmas tree lights can drastically reduce broadband speeds in some
cases. Experiment with turning off devices.
Speak to your ISP
It's always worth speaking to your broadband
supplier to see if your speed can be increased, this is particularly relevant
for people who have had their connection for a long time and may still be on
deals capped at a speed below that which your line can support.
Use a wired connection instead
Connecting to your router via a wired
connection rather than wireless can improve your speeds. Wireless networks can
be subject to interference and are affected by the size and composition of your
home. Thick walls on old houses can be a particular problem. A wireless network
that has lots of interference can make your broadband connection seem slow.
Required security measures, such as encryption, also add an overhead to
wireless connections that is not necessary for a wired connection. Connecting
using a wired Ethernet (network cable) connection gets round the problem and
can improve speeds, but it obviously is less flexible than a wireless
connection.
