How To Test And Increase Your Internet Speed

The speed of your internet connection will determine the experience that you have on the web. Fast internet is important for a growing number of people who make their living working from home. Make sure to use the following tips to get the most of your internet service.

Test Your Internet Access Speed

Go to a site like Speedtest.net to check your connection’s download and upload speeds. Your results should come within 1-2 Mbps of the speed that you’re paying for.  Another site you can use is the FCC’s Broadband.gov website if you want to do your part in improving broadband service across the U.S. There are apps available for iOS and Android operating systems that you can use to check your smartphone data speeds.

Change Your DNS Settings

The DNS server settings on your computer and network routers can also affect your internet speed. DSN servers present domain names as IP addresses. In this case it displays the IP addresses of the servers where the websites are hosted. You might need to adjust your IPs to connect to DNS servers that are faster or closer to you.

By default, your ISP’s DNS servers are added to your computer or router when you start using the service. You can change these settings to ones that are faster and more reliable if it doesn’t completely disable your internet. Use the free public DNS provided by Google or OpenDNS in order to increase the speeds at which you access the internet.

Notify Your Provider If You Have Slow Speeds

 
A number of factors could influence internet speeds. Peak time usage, type of routers and weather conditions are just some of the influencing factors. But if your internet is consistently underperforming it could be an indication that something is wrong.

Go back and test your internet with a wire connection during off peak hours to eliminate those possibilities. If the results are still the same, call up the provider and ask them how to go about getting the speeds that you’re paying for.

The provider might run their own speed tests and use some Internet boosting programs to optimize the speed of your connection.

Apart from that, some ISPs state clearly that they use the term “up to” in their advertising. To them it clearly means that they didn’t promise the actual rate, just up to. If your provider insists that they’re under no obligation to increase your speed it might be time to move on to someone who will.

Tweak Your DSL or Cable Settings

Finally, an adjustment of your network device settings could also boost your internet speed. A web accelerator is also an option you can explore. DSL Reports, another speed test site, provides an invaluable service when it comes to troubleshooting your internet speed.
The free test offers suggestions that you can use to modify your settings. Keep in mind that tweaks can affect the stability of your system. This might be a price you’re not willing to pay for a slight increase in speed.

Author Bio:

Steve Brown believes that consumers should get the best value out of their broadband services. He advocates the use of an adsl checker before signing up for any broadband package.