In almost all cases, a slow internet connection on one computer results from a weak WiFi signal. If you use a traditional router or modem your ISP offers, you must position it properly so that its movement spreads throughout the house.
Although spyware, viruses, and the amount of memory your computer has and the programs running can slow down your Internet connection, they are not the only culprits. Instead, spyware and viruses are two of the most frequent reasons for sluggish Internet performance.
When you discover that your computer’s internet speed is significantly lower than that of other devices, the problem is made more annoying.
It is a common problem, and various things can affect the circumstance.
Learn how to reconnect your Computer to the Internet by reading on.
How to test Internet Speed?
You can test the Internet speed using online tools if you want to be sure that it is faster on one device and slower on another.
The following websites will display your location and the name of your internet provider as soon as you open them on your device. Then they’ll start testing the Internet’s upload and download speeds as well as PING, which measures how quickly the PC responds to requests from the Internet.
The results will be shown after a short while:
Why will the Internet be Slower on a PC than on a laptop?
This might result from age, environment, equipment, or a combination of all three.
There might be a problem if your laptop and desktop computer is significantly older than each other.
Integrated hardware is typically a more affordable option, and even if they claim to have the same specs, older hardware may be of lower quality.
Try replacing the network cable connected to the problematic Computer if you use a different one.
Your download speed might be impacted by your settings as well. But if you don’t know where these settings are, I doubt this is a problem.
However, in case…
- Select properties by performing a right-clicking on Network.
- Then select Change Adapter Settings.
- Since you said you were using wired, you may have more than one adapter, but you’re looking for “Ethernet.” To access the Properties menu, right-click this.
- Click Configure under the “Connect Using” box.
- Select Advanced.
- Choose “Speed & Duplex.” Make sure that Auto-Negotiation is the value. This indicates that your router and the network device will haggle over the best speed.
- On the Power Management tab, click. Be sure to uncheck “Allow the computer to turn the device off to save power.”
- Select OK.
Try switching to a 100 Mbps full duplex since this is most likely your router’s top speed if Auto Negotiate doesn’t seem to make a difference.
1. Computer Location
In almost all cases, a slow internet connection on one computer results from a weak WiFi signal. If you use a traditional router or modem your ISP offers, you must position it properly so that its call spreads throughout the house.
Reduce the distance the signals need to travel to reach your Computer by moving the router or your laptop closer to the router. The likelihood of slow speeds, connection issues, and dropouts increases with increasing distance. Remember that objects can disrupt connections as well.
Place the router in an area that is high and open, away from clutter. Don’t store it in a room or cabinet that is locked.
Other electronic devices that emit radio-frequency signals, such as cordless phones, microwaves, TVs, monitors, and so forth, may use the same frequencies as your WiFi. Remove them from the vicinity between your Computer and the router to see if the connection improves. However, they can obstruct or ultimately interfere with the WiFi signals.
Investing in a top-notch WiFi extender that can increase signal strength and cover more of the home is the best solution for any of the abovementioned problems. For instance, the TP-Link AC1200 WiFi Extender supports 25 simultaneous connections and a coverage area of up to 1,500 square feet.
Consider placing mesh networks—more recent internet technologies that build a web of nodes—in various locations throughout your house. Every device will be able to connect to the node closest to it in this manner, maintaining a stronger connection.
2. The Health of the Computer
Along with other issues, viruses, spyware, and inadequate browser add-ons can slow down the Internet. They can slow down your Computer and the Internet by interfering with your browser and monopolizing your internet connection, starting with spyware.
Spyware is designed to track how you use the Internet, slowing down your work. Multiple spyware programs may impact your browsing experience. Running anti-spyware programs is necessary to get rid of the infestation. Viruses typically embed computer code that tries to spread by emailing copies of itself.
Some virus types can generate thousands of emails per minute, consuming all available internet bandwidth.
Because virus infections don’t always have obvious symptoms, you should always have a reliable and effective antivirus program running on your device.
Finally, some third-party browser extensions can be problematic and slow your internet connection.
If you don’t need any browser extensions, especially ad blockers, disable them and check to see if your internet speed improves.
Here is how to remove extensions from various browsers:
Chrome: Click the puzzle-piece icon in the window’s upper right corner. From the menu that appears, select Manage Extensions.
Microsoft Edge: Select Extensions by clicking the three dots in the top right corner.
To disable the unnecessary extensions, depress the switch next to them or choose Remove.
3. Corrupt TCP/IP Stack
Your network problems could be caused by a corrupt TCP/IP stack.
The steps below can be used to reset the TCP/IP or to uninstall and reinstall it:
- First, open the tool by typing “Command Prompt” into the Windows search box.
- Then, by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard, type “netsh int IP reset c:resetlog.txt” into the field.
The following keys will be overwritten by the command mentioned above:
- SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters
- SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP\Parameters
- Instead of choosing a directory path for the log file, use the “netsh int IP reset” command.
- Restart the Computer.
4. Outdated Drivers:
A slow internet connection may be brought on by outdated or ineffective Wi-Fi or network drivers, which can be updated to address the problem:
- Select Device Manager from the menu by right-clicking on the Windows logo.
- Double-click on Network Adapters to select it from the list.
- Update Driver can be found by right-clicking on the name of your network adapter.
Additionally, consider the possibility of your Computer receiving a strong enough signal via the Ethernet connection. Nevertheless, the programs and applications’ outdated drivers prevent them from effectively utilizing that signal.
Like many other users, you might achieve fantastic results by updating all of your outdated drivers. Although there are many drivers in Windows, it is much simpler to use a third-party tool that can automatically identify all the outdated drivers and install the most recent versions.
5. Bandwidth and Hardware Related Settings & Issues
By default, Windows reserves 20% of your network bandwidth for system apps and Windows updates.
You can disable the Windows update feature if you don’t use it frequently.
- Open the application by typing “Local Group Policy Editor” into the Windows search box.
- Take this route: Network > QoS Packet Scheduler > Administrative Templates > Computer Configuration
- Double-click on Limit reservable bandwidth, which can be found on the right side of the window.
- Set the Bandwidth limit value to “0” under Options after selecting the Enabled option.
- Click Apply, then OK.
If none of the software-related fixes mentioned above successfully increased your internet speed, your computer might have a hardware problem to blame.
You’ll need to start your PC in Safe Mode and check the internet connection there to see if that’s the case.
Here is a tutorial from Microsoft on how to start your Computer in Safe Mode.
If you discover that the issue is hardware-related, you should have a professional examine your computer.
Conclusion:
Your laptop probably has a faster hard drive, RAM, and CPU. Suppose we use Windows XP on an old desktop. The memory is 256 megabytes. And a laptop has four gigs of ram and Windows 7. The computer can reach up to 17 Mbps when connected to the same ethernet cable powered by my cable modem (megabytes per second). The speed of the desktop is only about one-fourth that of the laptop. The issue is that the laptop’s throughput is greater than the desktop’s computer.
