Should My Broadband Speed Fluctuate And How Can I Fix It?

Introduction

Internet connections with high speeds are essential for our day-to-day lives as they allow us to do much more during our free time. However, it can be frustrating when the same connection so fast earlier at night slows down, or even worse when it just disconnects and reconnects, interrupting your work. Stop fighting your internet provider and yourself! This article advises you on how to troubleshoot your internet speed fluctuations and what you can do on a large scale to stabilize them. Let us know ‘Should My Broadband Speed Fluctuate And How Can I Fix It?’.

Broadband Speed

Should My Broadband Speed Fluctuate, And How Can I Fix It?

So, your question is, “Should my broadband speed fluctuate?”. And if yes, how do you fix it? The answer to those questions is a simple “Yes.” Fluctuation of internet speed is a common problem many faces. And it is not just limited to issues faced by users having a slow internet connection. Those with a fast internet connection may be disconnected periodically after using the computer, especially at night when the connection speed is lower. Fixing such issues is not a difficult task at all. However, you must know what is causing the speed fluctuations to fix them.

Causes Of Broadband Speed Fluctuation

There are many possible reasons you may be facing speed fluctuations. The following are some of the common issues.

  1. Congestion In Your Area – Congestion occurs when a particular area connects to your local access point and uses up all the available bandwidth. When this happens, every other person connected to the same network also faces slow internet speeds as they share the same connection.
  2. Heavy Use Of Your Local Access Point – This means there is something wrong with your local access point which is causing it to slow down
  3. Using Your Internet Connection At Night – This is a good problem. When the internet speed is slow at night, it will allow you to catch up on all the work you could not complete during the day.

How To Check The Average Speed of Your Internet Connection?

Several tools are available to check and monitor your internet connection speed.

Bandwidth Monitor – This is a small tool that can be downloaded for free and will sit in the system tray showing real-time graphs and information about your internet connection speed. The best thing about this tool is that it allows you to set alarms for various activities, including if the connection drops or transfers faster than a specified speed.

Speedtest: While it does not give you real-time information about your internet speed, using this website will allow you to get a reasonably accurate figure of how fast your connection is. The good thing about this tool is that it also allows you to upload the test result and compare your internet connection speed with those of other ISPs.

How To Fix Speed Fluctuations Caused By Congestion?

The first step for you to take if you are facing issues related to congestion is to get a faster connection. If that is not possible, you may have to put up with slow internet speeds. Here’s what you can do if your computer keeps disconnecting because of congestion on the network. It has been verified and tested, so it should help.

  1. Rule out congestion – The first thing to do is to rule out congestion as the main reason. You can try running a test by turning off all the network utilities. It will force the computers connected to your network used by you and others to send information without interruption and interference continuously.
  2. Increase your connection speed – If you are still facing slow internet speeds, you have another option available to you as well. You can increase the speed of your internet connection. Several options are available, such as using a dial-up or ADSL modem if your ISP offers it, connecting an Ethernet cable from your modem to a switch or router, or even installing an internal broadband modem at home (which is quite expensive).
  3. Make sure that you have a fast connection – The next thing to do is to make sure that your internet connection is immediate. You can use speedtest.net to check the average speed of your reference and compare it with those of other ISPs.
  4. Turn off unused network utilities – You can also turn off any network utilities that are unnecessary for you, like the DHCP server of your ISP or the router you use if you use one. Most home routers come with a feature to schedule power cuts automatically, which may be causing internet speed fluctuations on your part (the “power cycle” feature).

How Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) Affects Your Broadband Speed?

The service provider’s policy is the most significant cause of internet connection speed variations. Many internet service providers do not want to provide a high-quality service to their subscribers. Hence, they will lower your connection’s speed while not using it and then increase it when you utilize its power. It may be because they want to put you off using the internet during your peak hours to prioritize those needing high-speed internet the most – businesses and large corporate houses. 

Another reason behind your ISP slowing down the connection speed can be lapses in equipment maintenance. Maintenance breaks in your internet service provider’s equipment may slow down your connection.

How To Fix Issues When Your Broadband Speed Fluctuates?

To fix issues when your broadband speed fluctuates, follow these steps:

1] – Go to the Help Desk of Your ISP: Many internet service providers provide helpdesk support options to their subscribers. You need to call them at that number and inform them about your issue. They will guide you on how to fix this issue and how you can use a fast internet connection even when it has been high-speed disconnected.

2] – Find a new ISP: If you are unable to get help from your current service provider, it is suggested that you should look for a new internet service provider and switch to their network. When paying for a specific bandwidth, you must receive what you have.

3] – Check Your Router: There might be some problem with your router, which may be causing the slow internet speed in your locality. Make sure that the network cable of your router has not been cut off or damaged in any way. Also, ensure that there aren’t any other obstacles that may be stopping the internet signals from reaching your PC.

4] – Use a Static IP: When using a broadband connection, you must assign a Static IP address to your LAN network device. It is necessary because the dynamic IP addresses assigned automatically by the ISP will change regularly, affecting your network speed.

5] – Check Your Antivirus: Your antivirus software is probably causing this issue. It may be left on scan even though there’s nothing to scan. If that’s the case, turn off your antivirus software until the internet speed gains its strength again. Once the issue is resolved, you can re-enable your antivirus.

6] – Re-open ports: If your router or modem is connected to a router that has been used previously, it may be causing this fluctuation in the internet speed. You will need to reset these network devices and reconnect them fresh again. Open up your ports and ensure they are set to open forwarding.

7] – Uninstall any software: There might be some software installed on your computer that is causing this fluctuation in your internet speed; whether or not it’s safe to use, you will have to check its compatibility with your ISP’s network.

Conclusion

So, if you are having internet speed issues and cannot get help from your ISP, you should try the tips mentioned above. There are some quick and easy things that you can do, and they will certainly solve the issue. Do not forget to share any other solution you have come across!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Why is my internet speed fluctuating?

The speed of your network can be affected by several different things:

  • It can be affected by the location of your office/home.
  • The frequency of your internet access can also cause this.
  • The number of users accessing the same connection from different terminals will also play an essential role.
  • security patches and upgrades are required for your operating system or other network devices.
  1. How is the internet speed measured?

To measure the internet speed of your connection, you need to use an online tool like Speed Test. It is a survey application that uses your computer’s connection to send and receive data from various other sources to calculate the speed of your network. This information will be collected and displayed accordingly through the speed test results. 

  1. What is speedtest.net?

Speedtest.net is a tool that measures the internet speed of your connection, but this may not be very accurate in showing the actual status of your network. Its results display only a percentage of the current connection’s speed, which can vary from time to time depending on various factors. 

  1. What is the ping?

The ping is the speed at which data can be transferred between two network endpoints. A higher ping indicates a slower internet connection, while a lower one indicates a faster and better connection. You can use an online tool called Ping Test to measure this factor.

  1. What is an IP address?

An IP address or Internet Protocol address is a unique identifier for your device in the network.

Should My Broadband Speed Fluctuate And How Can I Fix It?

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