If you are a fiber internet user, you should be getting the fastest internet speeds possible. Yet, if your internet does not seem to be as quick as you need it to be, you might need to figure out how to optimize your broadband speed and look for any potential drains.
Before you begin to poke around for solutions, make sure that you use a speed tester to mark your starting point. The first thing you need to do is test your internet speed at speedcheck.org and see what are the results. That way, you can compare any progress that you might find along the way.
1. Reboot your computer and router
The first thing to do in order to increase your internet is to reboot your device and your router. Sometimes there are processes running in the background that you cannot see. Having the devices start fresh might close out of anything unnecessary.
2. Run speed optimizer tool if you have one
Some FiOS have a speed optimizer tool that should be run on each device that goes online. The tool should be available through your ISP if it is available at all. You only have to launch it and then follow the instructions.
3. Look at the placement of the router
It might be that your router is not in the best place in your home. Your router should be placed in a central location, away from microwaves and concrete walls. You do not want it in a basement but on the central floor. This way, the signal can transmit more efficiently throughout your entire network.
4. Get a new router
Sometimes the problem is the router. You might have an older router that is not optimized. You need to get one that will work for your ISP, however. For example, if you have Verizon, you will want to look for Verizon FiOS compatible routers to find one that will work for you. With WiFi Standard 6 on the market as well as tri-band routers, you might just need a good router update to get the types of speeds that you really want.
5. Use anti-malware, anti-virus, and anti-spyware software
With cookies and tricky emails, you might be tricked into downloading malware or a virus onto your computer. Much of the nefarious cybercriminal behavior happens in the background and you might not even know what it is up to. It will definitely slow down your internet speeds. It is best to run all of the protective software that you can to look for any breaches in your system. You also might want to look through your security settings and options to make sure that you have locked your network down as much as possible. Good security features to look for into VPNs, firewalls, and even guest networks. Also, make sure your system is password protected with a unique password.
6. Confirm what you are paying for
If you cannot find any other solution to why your internet might be slow, you should call your ISP and confirm what you are paying for. You might not be using the right speed package for your needs. If you stream television or game regularly, you will want to be on a higher speed package. This is also true if you have a lot of users online at the same time, draining your available bandwidth. It might be that you need to bump up your speed package.
7. Reset the router
If nothing else seems to be working, you might need to reset your router back to its factory settings. It will wipe out all of your custom settings, but in some cases, it might boost your internet speeds by removing anything unnecessary that might be causing problems for you.
Reminders
The way that you use the internet will dramatically affect how well your internet is performing. Even with FiOS, there are bandwidth hogs or other activities that could easily slow your internet down to a snail’s pace. Your router should be able to see what devices are logged on and where any hogs might be. If you do get a new router, you might want one with Quality of Service (QoS) that allows you to indicate which devices should be getting the most bandwidth.
