The main purpose of this article is to discuss about the issues of slow internet connection, and how to go about fixing it. Before diving into the subject matter, it is necessary to talk about the surrounding facts about Internet speed and communication, maybe a little background about the technology, so you can be familiar with the terms used by information technologists and professionals.
The term always used by information technology professionals, when talking about Internet speed is called “Bandwidth”, or “data transfer rate”. In simple terms, it is the speed of data transmission from one device to another which is measured in bits per second (bps). To clarify further, it is the amount of data and how long that data takes to reach the destination. For example, when connecting a computer to the internet by means of a cable, speed is measured by the amount of data this cable can carry and transfer in a given time. An often used analogy to describe this is a “water hose”, and the amount of water it can carry and transfer.
Bits are the amount of data to be transferred. Hence, 1 Mbps means 1 Megabit of data per second.
Accessing the internet from home usually starts off by purchasing a connection from local Internet service providers or ISPs. They usually have different plans to choose from, based on the speed one desires. The faster the speed, the more expensive it becomes. They usually offer Dial-up connections, cable and DSL. Cable connection is the fastest for now. Take note that it is not possible to accelerate the connection beyond the speed offered by ISPs. But sometimes, internet connection slows down, due to many factors.
One factor that can slow down one’s internet connection speed is the condition of the computer, such as the capacity of its memory, its hard disk storage, and the operating system it is running. It is a best practice to maintain computer hardware or upgrade its memory and storage capacity for better performance. If you have no experience dealing with hardware components, it would be good to consult a computer technician for guidance.
Running multiple programs at the same time can also affect internet connection. It is best to close all unnecessary programs that are running in the background.
Other factors are viruses and spyware. This is probably the most frequent cause of poor internet connection. Installing anti-virus software and frequently updating it would make a very big difference.
Remember that purchasing a connection from ISPs will determine the internet speed. So if a faster connection is desired, choosing cable over and DSL is the way to go. If you are looking for faster internet speed, you can find out a great deal on high-speed Internet by comparing leading home internet service provider’s plans, offers and packages at high-speedinternetproviders.com.
