How to Fix Slow Wi-Fi
Slow Wi-Fi has a handful of common causes, and most are fixable in under 10 minutes. Work through these steps from the top and you will find the problem.
Diagnose the Problem First
Before changing anything, run a speed test at our speed test tool from two places: once directly plugged into your router with an Ethernet cable, and once over Wi-Fi. If wired speed is close to what your ISP promises but Wi-Fi is much slower, the problem is in your wireless setup. If both are slow, the problem is upstream — either your ISP or the modem.
Fixes in Order of Likelihood
Unplug the power cable, wait 30 seconds, plug back in. Wait 90 seconds for a full restart. This fixes memory leaks and stale connection tables that accumulate over time and degrade performance.
Wi-Fi speed drops sharply with distance and obstacles. Every wall, floor, and large metal appliance between you and the router reduces signal. Ideally the router should be central, elevated, and away from microwaves and other 2.4 GHz devices.
If your device is near the router, connect to the 5 GHz band instead of 2.4 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is shared with microwaves, baby monitors, and most of your neighbours networks, causing congestion. 5 GHz is significantly less crowded.
Log in to http://192.168.1.1, go to Wireless settings, and change from Auto to a fixed channel. For 2.4 GHz, use channels 1, 6, or 11 only. A Wi-Fi analyser app on your phone shows which channels nearby networks use so you can pick the least congested one.
Outdated firmware can cause significant performance regressions. Check Advanced > Firmware Update in your router admin panel and install any available updates.
One device doing a large backup or streaming 4K video can impact everyone else on the network. View connected devices in the admin panel and check for unexpected activity. QoS (Quality of Service) settings can prioritise traffic if bandwidth is limited.
If the problem is distance in a large home, a Wi-Fi extender or mesh system is the most effective solution. Extenders repeat the signal at about half bandwidth. A mesh system (Netgear Orbi, TP-Link Deco, Asus ZenWiFi) creates a seamless multi-node network with much better performance than standalone extenders.