Was in our household problem: my netbook and another laptop took too long to connect to ours WiFi router. After rebooting or waking up from hibernation, the system thought for half a minute or a minute before connecting. The process could be speeded up by explicitly selecting the router from the list of available access points and clicking on the “connect” button, but even then the connection took ten to fifteen seconds to establish. At the same time, tablets and phones always connect in flight, that is, it’s not a matter of the router or the quality of the signal.
I occasionally tinkered with this problem, nothing helped, and I abandoned it until the next time. But yesterday, while struggling with another problem, I simultaneously solved this one. Now the laptops connect on their own in a few seconds, as expected. The method was tested on Windows 7, but should work on both Win8 and Win 10.
What need to do.
1. In the “Network and Sharing Center”, click on the “Change adapter settings” link on the left. You have several icons for different connections there - a wireless network connection, a local network connection, and possibly several more. In the menu on this screen there is an item “Advanced - Additional options...”, and there is the order of using connections. Move your active wireless connection to the top of the list.
2. Another link from Control Center, "Manage Wireless Networks," lists all the access points you've ever connected to. Review this list. Remove access points that you definitely won't need again. Move the most frequently used ones to the top of the list. Look in the properties of each connection: frequently used ones should have a checkbox “connect automatically”, and uncheck “connect to a more suitable network”. On occasional networks where you rarely visit, disable automatic connection. You can connect to them explicitly from the list when necessary. (By the way, next to it, on the “Security” tab, you can see the password for this access point. Convenient if you have forgotten it).
3. Run the registry editor (regedit) and go to the section HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControl Set\Control\Network\(4D36E972-E325-11CE-B FC1-08002BE10318) (there are four of them with similar names, differ by one number, this is the top one). There are many subsections inside, one for Connection. If you go through them, you will almost certainly see many subsections where the Connection Name is equal to "Local Area Connection 5" or "Local Area Connection 12"... These are remnants of old connections that you no longer need. Just in case, export the Network section to a file on disk, and then delete these unnecessary subsections for connections via local or wireless network with numbers that you did not see in the list of connections in step 1 (delete not only Connection, but the entire subsection with a long number). Attention! There are also other service Connections with other names. Don't delete them.
4. Reboot. Now everything should connect quickly.
Many users are scared to death by rebooting their computer.
This process should be easy and user-independent, but sometimes it can take a minute or two or seem like an eternity.
This is a rather controversial topic, since much of what is known about booting a computer is a myth.
But still, the operating system should not boot longer than 90 seconds. If the user is forced to endure more, it is worth starting to take action.
Computer diagnostics
Very often the user becomes nervous for no reason.
Diagnosis takes a lot of time. Although the reason may lie in the most common things.
Tip: If you use your PC frequently, you can leave it on or set it to hibernate when you press the power button. In this case, there is no point in turning it off every time. Then the user gets rid of the need to deal with slow loading.
It's all about organizational skills and discipline. Take this example: very few software installations require regular reboots.
Some changes require a forced reboot while others simply “prompt” you to reboot now or later.
And let's be honest, sometimes users want to save time, which means they choose to reboot later... and sometimes that “later” happens much later.
And then several updates, patches and ignored reboot requests just pile on top of each other.
The system gets confused about the update order, there are delays, there is no visible to the eye ordinary user.
After such a long-awaited reboot, the device takes some time to process all these changes. This is normal, but can still be annoying for most users.
Many do not even wait for this necessary download, and reboot the unfortunate device again. Then all updates are reset. This cannot be done.
Disable autostart programs
Programs that are loaded at startup remain active in memory.
Therefore, they are one of the main reasons for slow Windows boot. Disabling programs that the user is not using may work.
To manage startup programs, you can install a very interesting tool, Mike Lin’s Startup Control Panel.
With its help, the user can easily remove unused programs from the list of resident programs and startup programs.
Scandisk and Defrag program
Using Microsoft Scandisk and disk defragmentation, you can make sure that your hard drive is working without errors.
These programs are also necessary to ensure that data is stored in the most efficient way.
Even experienced users run both of these programs at least once every few months.
Yes, they take some time to use. But it’s better to spend it once than to painfully wait for the download every time.
Not enough free space on your hard drive
For a personal computer to perform optimally, it must have at least 250 MB of free hard disk space on which the operating system is installed.
If the amount of free space is less, overall performance and boot times may be significantly reduced.
The operating system itself takes up a lot of space, but in addition, additional space is used to temporarily store files needed during operation.
Determining free space on your hard drive.
In order to determine the availability of free space on your hard drive, you need to open “My Computer”.
In the window that opens there will be a column “Devices and disks”, then you need to right-click on Disk C. And select the “Properties” option from the drop-down menu.
The new screen will show the total volume, free volume and used space. It is necessary to check the data on Drive C, since the operating system is most often installed on it.
If there is not enough free space, you need to delete temporary files, clean the system of unused programs and recheck the free space.
Update Drivers and Windows
Custom, incorrectly installed, or outdated drivers can lead to a number of different conflicts.
Drivers need to be updated regularly operating system, the Windows operating system itself, as well as update the software used on the device.
This is the only way to ensure that software problems will not arise.
All of the problems listed above are not yet related to hardware faults. This is a completely different layer of problems.
Updating the operating system to a new version
Still working under Windows control 7? Upgrading to Windows 8 or 10 will seriously speed up boot times.
Not every operating system update will necessarily be faster, but the jump from 7 to 8 was huge.
How to update the Windows operating system.
In order to obtain the necessary operating system updates, you need to go to the Control Panel.
If the necessary updates are found, the system will offer automatic installation. latest updates.
The user can only wait installed updates and reboot the device.
Cleaning the registry
If the user has already followed all the previous recommendations from this list, but the long-awaited result has not yet arrived, you can clean the system registry. To do this, you can install any program from the Internet.
The process of cleaning the registry itself rarely depends on the user. Most programs work automatically.
Reinstalling Windows
Although this may require time and a free removable drive to save important files, it is one of the drastic solutions.
Additionally, the process itself can be a bit labor-intensive, requiring you to completely erase all data and reinstall Windows.
This process will result in the user's computer operating the same way it did when it was new.
Equipment modernization
Improving the hardware
This is a hardware method to solve the problem. There are more financial costs here than time and moral ones.
Of course, this is one of the most effective ways to increase performance and reduce loading times.
You just need to call any company that deals with modernization or upgrades and order the appropriate service from them.
You can also upgrade your computer yourself by replacing outdated components with new ones.
Adding RAM
Installing additional memory (RAM) for your computer helps increase the overall speed of the computer, and in some cases can reduce boot times by several times.
If your unit runs on less than two gigabytes of RAM, you should think about upgrading or expanding it.
Adding an SSD
Solid State Drive is the most effective method improve the performance of the system as a whole.
On desktop and laptop computers, you can move Windows from a regular hard drive to an SSD. This will significantly reduce loading times.
Solid state drives are faster, more reliable, more resilient, and more stable. On this moment- This the best choice among hard drives.
Resetting BIOS Settings
When you first set up your computer in BIOS Setup, the administrator may have disabled some settings.
In order to check what is disabled there, you need to press the del key for a long time when starting the computer.
This is the most common key that motherboard manufacturers assign to enter BIOS Setup.
If it doesn’t work, you should look on the Internet to find out how to enter BIOS Setup by selecting a specific motherboard model.
Once in the BIOS, you can enable the “fast boot option” mode and move the hard drive to the first place in the boot priority list. You also need to turn off "Logo" when loading.
This way the computer won't waste time displaying beautiful picture, but will spend all its energy launching the operating system.
Disable unused hardware
When you first start any computer, it loads a lot of drivers, even though some of them are not used.
You need to go to Device Manager from the Start menu search bar.
There you need to find everything that is not used on the computer, for example, Bluetooth and third-party controllers, modems, virtual Wi-Fi adapters and other hardware that is not in the system. Right-click on the entry you want to disable and click “disable.”
Don't forget to double-check that all other peripheral devices are still working. If the computer is part of a wireless network, virtual Wi-Fi adapters should remain enabled.
Antivirus software
This is considered to be an obvious fact, but it is still worth noting separately.
To keep your computer running fast, you need to install a good antivirus program, keep it up to date, and run regular scans.
This is bigger preventative measure, how real solution Long loading problems. But very often it is viruses that cause the computer to take a long time to boot.
Plus, any antivirus program will ensure that your files remain intact.
Unused fonts
Since time immemorial, loading additional fonts at startup has slowed down system boot times.
This is less of a problem now than it used to be, but it can still be frustrating.
Windows 7 loads more than 200 fonts at startup; even more if you have Microsoft Office installed.
Chances are you use very few of these fonts, so you may want to hide them to speed up the process.
In Windows 7, you need to open the Fonts folder from the Start menu search bar and check for all the fonts that you don't need. Next, click the “hide” button on the toolbar.
This way, if you want them, you can get them back, but Windows doesn't load them at startup.
Please note that by simply removing a few fonts you will not see a noticeable difference.
For the results to be noticeable, you need to get rid of several hundred unused fonts.
There is more of a patience factor here; when you can mark more than a hundred fonts, everything will not seem so funny. And you will understand why they slow down the loading of your operating system so much.
Replacing the motherboard
Changing the motherboard
This is one of the very drastic decisions, since it most often entails replacing the processor and RAM. But this will seriously reduce the computer boot time.
Sometimes motherboard It still works, but the hubs on it are already swollen. Which significantly reduces the speed of its operation. And only a specialized specialist can determine whether it can be repaired.
Again, these are not the only things you can do to reduce your computer's boot time, but they are some of the most well-known, reliable methods.
It is important to understand that by speeding up your computer's boot time, you want to achieve benefit, not harm.
Today we will try to deal with one of the most mysterious and incomprehensible problems, when pages load in a browser on a computer or laptop for a very long time and slowly. And if you think about it, the reason is immediately clear - slow Internet. When the Internet connection speed is very low, it is clear that sites will load slowly. Especially heavy sites with a lot of images and other elements. But no, the problem with slow page loading occurs for users when the connection speed is good. When checking the speed, the result is good, files and torrents load quickly, and pages in the browser are not in a hurry to open.
According to my observations, the problem with website loading speed is observed in all browsers: Yandex.Browser, Google Chrome, Opera, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and of course in Internet Explorer.
The problem is ambiguous, since it is not clear how slowly the sites open, through which browser, which specific sites, what kind of Internet the user has and what speed, how it works on another device, when the problem appeared, etc. There are very, very many nuances. Which, if desired and necessary, you can describe in the comments to this article. And I will try to give you a more specific answer. Well, below in this article I will talk about the obvious and not so obvious reasons and solutions to this problem.
What to try and check first:
- If the problem has just appeared, then restart your computer and router (if you have one).
- Also, first of all, I advise. See download speed. If, for example, there is less than 1 Mbit/s, then it is clear why sites load slowly. Although, everything here is very, very individual and ambiguous. The concept of “slow” is different for everyone.
- Try opening sites through a different browser. For example, through standard Microsoft Edge, or Internet Explorer (they are usually not littered, since no one uses them).
- Try to find out what the problem is: in the browser, computer, router, or Internet connection. There are many options for how to quickly find out all this. For example, let's try a different browser. We check how websites open on another device through a router. You can connect the Internet directly to your computer.
Another point: if you have an old and slow computer or laptop, then this may be the problem. He just can't cope.
Slow loading of sites in the browser due to low Internet speed
I still decided to consider this option first. Since the connection speed directly affects the speed at which pages on the Internet will open. It is possible that for some reason the speed of your Internet connection has dropped significantly. For example, some problems with the provider, in your router, interference (if we are talking about Wi-Fi networks) etc.
You can check your connection speed on the website http://www.speedtest.net/ru/. Link to more detailed instructions I gave higher. You can take measurements from different devices and by connecting the Internet directly to your computer or laptop. Without a router, if you have one.
For example, now I’m writing this article via a 3G modem (which is connected to a router, which in turn distributes the Internet to other devices) and this is my speed:
And what can I say, my sites open really slowly. True, it could be even worse. But I think that even at 10 Mbps, pages in the browser should load instantly.
This problem is mainly encountered by users who connect to the Internet via 3G/4G modems. Speed in 3G/4G networks can be very good, but it very much depends on the load on the base station and the signal level. If the modem or phone has poor reception, the speed will be low. I'm not even talking about 2G networks (GPRS, EDGE), everything is very slow there.
Conclusions: If the connection speed is good, but there is a problem with the loading speed of sites, then see this article further. If the speed is low, then this problem needs to be solved. Again, if you have Internet via a 3G/4G modem, then you can configure it for better reception, raise it higher, buy an antenna. If you have a standard connection: cable to router, and the speed is low only via Wi-Fi, then see the article. If, even when connecting the cable directly to the computer, the speed when tested does not correspond to that promised by the provider, then you can safely call the support of your Internet provider and find out this issue.
What to do if pages take a long time to open with good Internet speed
Next, we will consider solutions that can only help if you have a normal Internet connection speed. Well, let's say, 3 Mbit/s (for downloading) and higher. If, when checking, it shows, for example, 50 Mbit/s, and sites can barely open, then the solutions described below should help solve this problem.
Some options:
- Slow loading of sites due to a full cache and browser cookies. Unnecessary additions. Full C drive.
- Viruses, malware.
- Problems with network settings.
- Slow DNS servers.
- Unnecessary programs that load the network and computer. Antiviruses.
- Slow VPN server (if you are using a VPN)?
And now more details :)
We clear the cache, browser cookies, check add-ons and free space on drive C
1 First, go to “My Computer”, or just “Computer” in Windows 10 and see if the local drive C is full. When it is full, the bar turns red. And if it is full, then it needs to be cleaned: deleted, or moved unnecessary files from the desktop and the Documents folder. Remove unnecessary programs, or clean it with CCleaner, which I will talk about below. 2 Next, you need to clear the cache and preferably also the cookies of the browser you use, and in which sites open slowly. If you have Opera, then you are in luck :), since I wrote detailed instructions: .Important! If you clear only the cache, then nothing bad will happen. But, if you clear cookies, passwords, and form autofill data, then most likely you will have to log in to the sites again (enter passwords).
Everything is pretty much the same in all browsers. For example, in Google Chrome. You need to open the menu, “Additional tools” – “Delete data about viewed pages”. Next, select “Images and files in the cache” and “ Cookies" and clear them. Don't forget to select the "all time" item. You can first try clearing only the cache.
In almost any browser, you can open a window with clearing history using the key combination “Ctrl + Shift + Del”. And then we just select the items that need to be cleared.
3 Now in almost every browser (Opera, Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Yandex Browser) You can install extensions (add-ons). And often these extensions greatly slow down the browser. Especially, such as VPN, various Internet “boosters”, blockers, etc.You need to check the list of installed extensions (add-ons) in your browser. In Opera this is done like this:
Disable unnecessary extensions. Or turn everything off to check.
Also check if you have accidentally turned on Turbo mode in your browser. (which often slows down rather than speeds up loading), or .
4 To clear all browsers, the most Windows systems and the registry, or startup management, you can use separate programs. I recommend CCleaner. Free (can be easily downloaded on the Internet), in Russian and simple.
First, we select the items that need to be cleaned, launch “Analysis”, and then clean the found garbage. I use this program myself. Just look carefully. If you are not sure, do not check the box. You can safely clear the Internet cache.
Slow loading sites due to viruses
It’s definitely a good idea to check your computer for viruses and other malware. If you have an antivirus installed and it is updated, then run a system scan. You can also check your computer with antivirus utilities. For example: AVZ, Dr.Web CureIt!, Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool, Malwarebytes.
These are free utilities. They are not installed, but simply run and check your computer. Found threats can be removed.
Resetting network settings
It is quite possible that the same viruses introduced some of their own parameters into the Windows network settings. And because of this, problems arose with slow loading of pages on the Internet. In order not to search for these parameters manually, I advise you to do it much simpler. Reset network settings to factory settings.
Depending on your Internet connection, after resetting the settings, you may need to reconfigure your connection to your ISP or connect to a Wi-Fi network.
Resetting is very easy. I wrote separate articles on these topics:
- Instructions for Windows 10:
- Instructions for Windows 7, 8, 10:
In the command line as an administrator, just run a few commands and restart the computer.
After this procedure, do not forget to restart your computer.
DNS servers can slow down loading sites in the browser
DNS is responsible for converting familiar website addresses (from letters) into IP addresses (from numbers). And if the server that is responsible for this transformation is slow and glitchy, then sites may take a long time to load. As a rule, everyone uses the ISP's DNS server. But, you can change them to others.
Programs and antivirus
If you have some kind of antivirus installed, try disabling it for a while. Or disable its built-in firewall. Most likely it checks every page you open in the browser, and it checks very slowly.
Next, as for programs. I will introduce programs such as torrent clients, various programs for downloading from the Internet, downloading various movies, etc. There are also various programs for speeding up the Internet, optimizing Windows, etc. They usually always run along with Windows and hide on the notification panel. Close all unnecessary ones, remove them from startup (you can use the same CCleaner program). There are many instructions on the Internet for managing startup in Windows. Our article is on a slightly different topic.
We close, turn off, delete everything unnecessary. Not only can all these programs slow down page loading, but they also take up resources in the operating system and the computer runs slower.
Or maybe the problem is with the VPN (if it is installed)?
And the connection through the VPN server can be very slow. Especially if it's a free VPN. But even a paid service can slow down very often. Even if you used the Internet through a VPN, and everything worked well, the server through which you are connecting may fail at any moment, or many users connect through it, and it simply cannot cope with the load. The loading speed of sites through such a server will be very slow.
Solution: most often, in the settings of the program or browser extension you can change the server (to another country). If this does not help, then disable the VPN completely. Disconnect and close the program. Disable the extension in your browser. After this everything should open normally.
Afterword
I tried to consider all the reasons currently known to me that cause problems with the loading speed of sites. I'm sure there are other solutions to this problem. If you know what else could be wrong, or solved this problem in another way, then tell us about it in the comments. I'll be happy to add useful information into the article, and everyone will say Thank you!
Of course you can ask questions on the topic. I just have one request: in the description of your problem, write the results of checking the speed of your Internet connection. Or attach a screenshot to the comment (we have such an opportunity).
One of the advantages of Windows 7 for which users value the system is its high loading speed. Nobody likes to wait, looking at a static screensaver, instead of working normally. However, over time, even a layman begins to notice the increasing delay of the system after switching on. The computer takes an indecently long time to boot. Read our article about why this happens, how and why you need to remove unnecessary programs from startup.
Computer or laptop takes a long time to boot: possible reasons
A computer is a complex device, the performance of which depends on the correct operation of many components, both software and hardware. Slowdown, breakdown or incorrect setting a single device, driver or program can slow down the entire system, including when it starts up.
Autostart
The more applications that need to be running when the system boots, the longer the process takes. Many programs must start working with the system, for example, antiviruses. Others end up in autoloading because of the desire of manufacturers to force users to use their product more often. You should remove everything unnecessary from the list without affecting important applications.
Viruses
Malicious programs always try to download into RAM as early as possible with all the ensuing consequences. They waste your computer's resources, slowing it down, and sometimes cause intentional harm. To combat them we use antiviruses.
Low disk space
Windows 7 uses free space on your hard drive to work, saving RAM. If there is little disk space, the system has to access the same areas repeatedly, which significantly slows down operation. The disk must be cleaned of everything unnecessary.
Dustiness
The computer draws in air from the surrounding room to cool itself, at the same time accumulating dust on its components. This leads to overheating increased load on the hardware, slowing down the work. The solution to the problem is obvious: you should regularly clean your computer from dust.
Hardware problems
Sometimes it's just a simple breakdown. For example, a bad sector on a hard disk, not identified and localized in time, delays all applications accessing it. Special programs can analyze the disk and fix the problem.
Cleaning “Startup” with built-in tools
When choosing whether to remove an application from automatic download or leave it, you need to know for sure what it is intended for. Do not touch antiviruses, device drivers, system applications, update modules, as well as constantly used programs, such as email or communications. You can safely remove applications that were previously added by the user, as well as application programs, for example, file managers. There are several ways to find the list of automatically downloaded applications.
Via the Start menu
Press the “Start” on-screen button, select the “All programs” option located above it, and then find the “Startup” item in the drop-down list. By right-clicking on it, select “Open a common menu for all” in the list that appears.
In the Startup folder, select “Open a common menu for all” The window that opens contains shortcuts to automatically downloaded applications. We remove the unnecessary ones, do not touch the necessary ones and do not touch the unknown ones.
Removing unnecessary shortcuts By removing shortcuts from the Startup list, we do not touch the applications themselves. They remain on the computer, but will now be launched at the user’s command.
After a reboot, the changes will take effect.
Using "System Configuration" (msconfig command)
You can access System Configuration using the command line. First, call the “Run” window by simultaneously pressing the Win keys (with the Windows flag) and R. In the input line (to the right of “Open”), type the msconfig command and press the “OK” on-screen button.
Enter the command and click OK If everything is done correctly, the “System Configuration” window will appear, in which we open the “Startup” tab.
We remove tags from unnecessary applications To ensure that an unnecessary application no longer takes up memory when the system starts, you need to remove the checkbox next to its name. After making all the changes, just click “Apply” and “OK”. After rebooting, there will be no deleted applications in memory.
Through the registry editor (regedit command)
You can also remove unnecessary programs using the registry editor, which is called by the regedit command in the Run window.
Calling the registry editor Sequentially moving through the directory tree on the left side of the window, we open the sections:
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Run
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ RunOnce
Removing unnecessary programs - HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ Run
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ RunOnce
Now we act according to the already known algorithm: we delete familiar unnecessary shortcuts, we do not touch useful and unknown ones.
Video: 5 ways to speed up your computer boot time
We use specialized applications: Autoruns
There are specialized programs for setting up Startup, of which Autoruns is considered one of the best. The application generates a list of downloaded files by scanning your computer, and then presents it in an easy-to-edit form.
Launched programs are organized into folders Applications are organized into tabs with intuitive names, and everything can be seen at once in the Everything tab. Most of programs contained in startup programs is located in Logon. It will also be useful to inspect the Services tab to remove unnecessary services of the system itself from autostart.
Profiling with Windows Performance Toolkit
To optimize the system, including getting it started, you can use professional programs provided by Microsoft. The Windows Performance Toolkit, included in the Windows SDK, is designed to fine-tune (profil) system components, including Startup.
You can download the profiler on the company’s official website (https://www.microsoft.com/ru-RU/download/details.aspx?id=39982) by selecting the appropriate option.
We select only the package we need The application generates detailed reports on the operation of loadable modules, software and hardware components of the system, and presents them in a convenient form. It is assumed that the program is used by an experienced user who understands the meaning of the detected parameters, the essence of the identified problems and ways to solve them.
By default, the package is unpacked into the created directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit. Used for work command line, in which we type the file name (including the full path) of the executable module and the options for launching it. For example, to display help in the Run window, enter the command C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit\xbootmgr –help
Each time you have to specify the full path The command C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit\xbootmgr -trace boot will immediately reboot the system (don't forget to save before starting!) and generate a report in the file boot_BASE+CSWITCH_1.etl, stored in the same directory.
In order to fully test the behavior of the operating system at startup, enter the same command with an additional parameter: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Performance Toolkit\xbootmgr -trace boot–prepsystem. Now all that remains is to watch how the computer consistently reboots six times in a row.
After the team’s work is completed, our catalog will contain six reports with information on each reboot.
Non-system problems
Your computer may also boot slowly due to problems not related to Windows. Lost BIOS settings, bad fragmentation or hard to read sectors hard drive, hardware wear and tear can significantly slow down operation. In these cases, it is useful to conduct a professional diagnosis, after which you can decide on how to fix the problem.
You can also speed up loading by increasing the speed of the computer itself: replacing the usual HDD to solid state, expand operating memory. You should also maintain order both physically (get rid of dust) and programmatically: delete unnecessary files, update drivers and antiviruses, run disk defragmentation and clean the registry.
Modern data transmission technologies are so developed that everyone has long been accustomed to transmitting various digital information. We communicate with friends using video and audio calls, send and download huge files, watch videos directly from website pages, play various online games, or even work online. To perform such operations, a wide communication channel is often required, i.e. high Internet speed.
Unfortunately, even the most advanced technologies fail from time to time. One of the most unpleasant problems that users of the global network have to face is a slow Internet connection. Why might this happen? In fact, there are quite a lot of reasons why communication starts to work poorly. Let's look at the most common of them.
Before you begin any software actions, you need to make sure that the poorly functioning Internet is not caused by a hardware failure. If this is exactly the situation in your case, the first thing you need to do is follow simple steps:
If none of the options listed apply to your case, then the problem most likely lies in the software.
Checking system Internet connection settings
The reason why the Internet began to work poorly may be incorrect system settings. This is often caused by a slow-working proxy server through which the computer tries to access the network. To check this, you need to do the following (using Windows 7, 8 as an example):
If after this the Internet began to work faster, then it is clear why the slowdowns occurred. A proxy server is a server through which a computer tries to access the network, i.e. traffic does not pass directly from the site to the user, but through intermediary connections. If the proxy is currently working poorly, then the connection speed, as a result, will also be low.
What to do if this doesn't help? Fortunately, we have a few more options in stock for why the Internet has become slow. Let's look at them.
Traffic leak
The solutions to problems listed above are the simplest and most obvious. The bulk of the reasons why a network connection starts to work very slowly lies in traffic leakage. What we mean here is that your communication channel is being used by third-party programs or even other users. Let's figure out what to do in such situations.
The communication channel is clogged due to the fault of programs
There are a huge number of malicious (and non-malware) programs that can download something in the background, that is, without the user’s knowledge. And this can be verified. Applications that can monitor the actions of other programs on the network will come to the rescue. One of these is Networx.
Using this convenient and very simple program, you can not only measure the current Internet speed, but also view information about the current state of the communication channel. Networx shows in detail what programs are currently running on the network and how much speed they are consuming. To obtain this information, you must do the following:
If you see a program using Networx that is consuming a lot of traffic, simply terminate it. It's easy to do. Highlight the right application, right-click on its name and select “End application”: 
It also happens that it is simply impossible to complete the application. This usually happens in the case of virus programs that block themselves. In such situations, there is nothing left to do except install an antivirus and completely scan the system.
Another reason why the Internet suddenly began to work very slowly is updating the antivirus or operating system. As you know, an antivirus program or system can be updated without any warning. In the first case, a slow connection speed passes quickly, since the antivirus usually downloads files of small size. With updating the operating system, things are different - it can download quite bulky data, which is why the Internet will work very slowly for a long time.
To check this, do the following:
- Go to the “Control Panel” again.
- Find the "System and Security" section and go to it.
- Next, go to the “Windows Update” section.
- Here you will see whether the system is currently being updated.
- If you see a picture similar to what is shown in the figure above, you just have to wait until the system downloads the updates completely or interrupt the process (if you really need high-quality Internet at the moment).
Slow Internet access speeds can often be due to the fact that traffic goes to the communication devices of other users on the local network. Let's consider a similar situation.
Low speed due to user actions on the local network
If you are currently, for example, in an office in which all computers are combined into local network, then the slow Internet is most likely due to the actions of your employees. They may currently be downloading some files, which will affect the Internet speed on all computers on the network.
If you are using Wi-Fi, then traffic may be diverted due to the fact that someone knows the password for your wireless network and is simply using it at the moment. This can be checked, but this will require certain skills in working with Wi-Fi routers.
Let's consider the situation with the TP-Link Wi-Fi router. First you need to go to the device’s web interface. To do this, open the address in any browser – “192.168.0.1” or “192.168.1.1”. If the router settings have not been changed by the user, then you will see a small form for entering your login and password. Each router has different settings. In our case, this is the login admin and the password is also admin.
By entering the data in the form and clicking OK, we will be taken to the device’s web interface: 
Here we need to get information about the users currently connected to the Wi-Fi network. In our case, you need to open the “Wireless Mode” item in the right menu, and then select “Wireless Mode Statistics”. 
The information we need is displayed here. We see that there are currently 4 devices connected to the router, 3 of which are some other users.
Thus, we can conclude that your Internet is now being used on other computers. Perhaps they are the reason for the low speed of network access from your PC. In this case, you need to change the password for the Wi-Fi network.
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