If you keep losing your Internet connection, you are bound to feel irritated. It can be discouraging when you expect to be able to go online and you discover that your linkage speed to the World Wide Web is slow, intermittent or even non-existent. Understanding your options about what you can do to resolve the problem can be a weight off your mind.

Report issues

Unless the cause of connection difficulties is obvious, always make your first port of call contacting your service provider. Your provider may be able to instantly put your mind at rest by letting you know that the crisis is universal to all of their customers, as the problem stems from recent service changes or other issues that are currently being dealt with.

Check wires

It may not seem obvious at first, but damaged wires that go in or out of your computer might be the cause of your woes. If someone has tripped over them or they have become tangled in furniture legs they could easily have become dislodged from sockets. Alternatively, wires can be damaged by a variety of other causes like wet weather that affects wiring that is open to the elements on the exterior of your home.

Modem

Wet or extremely damp modems can become faulty or stop working altogether. LEDs on your modem should be green. However, if they are red and flash there is probably a problem.

Type of connection

The type of connection you have will make a difference to the speed received. Dial-up connections are known to be slow, whereas Broadband, Optical and DSL are generally reliable and quick.

Overload

New hardware you load onto your computer, and new programs you download can alter the connection speed you experience. At the same time, if you open many windows at once and enjoy add-ons your connection speed might become slow or intermittent.

Where you live

In some places, people are unable to connect to the Internet at all. In others, connection speed is always slow. It is possible to check your connection speed online, provided that you can access the Internet for long enough to do so.

Wireless connection

Try to use your computer a long way away from your router or wireless access point and you might have trouble. Likewise, place objects in front of your router or use a cordless phone next to it that operates at the same frequency and your connection might be slow.

Memory storage

Whenever you browse a website, your computer automatically stores knowledge about it for your future enjoyment, should you wish to revisit it. This takes up disc space and can slow down performance, leaving your computer running at a snail’s pace. Empty your computer cache regularly and its recycle bin and you could experience an improvement.

Broken or disconnected wires, weather and downloads can all affect how fast the connection speed of your computer is. Eradicating probable causes one at a time can help you resolve the issue once and for all.

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Laura was having trouble watching short videos on YouTube.  She ran a speed test and soon discovered the issue was with her broadband provider, so she quickly switched to a better provider in her area.