5 Quick Tips To Speed Up Your Internet Connection

We have all felt the pain of having a slow internet connection. You see the mouse spin without any end in sight and you get that sinking feeling that you are going to have to either restart your internet connection, or worse, restart your entire computer.

If you are experiencing a slow internet connection, rest assured that there are a few things you can do. I have felt this frustration before and have figured out how to speed up my internet. In this article I am going to show you a few things you can do to speed up that internet connection and get back to work.

Disable unnecessary tools in your browser - Many people use the web for simple tasks like reading email, checking the weather and online shopping. If this sounds like you, you can disable graphics, videos, animations and other sound or multimedia functions on the websites you visit. More and more websites are requiring more computer resources to load with their fancy graphics and animations. Depending on your internet browser and operating system, you can get in and disable many of these features which would allow your internet to load pages faster.

Clean out your cache - I have written in the past about the importance of keeping your cache clean. If you are experiencing some slow down, it may be time to clean out the cache. How you do this varies based on your browser, but for Google Chrome, this is how you clean out your cache. Click on the wrench in the top right hand section of Google Chrome. This is the Customize and Control area of your browser. Then click on the Options tab, then Under The Hood. From there you can clear all browsing data and your cache. Depending on your modem, it may be time to upgrade. You may be using a standard modem that was issued through your service provider, but I would recommend going out and spending some money on a 56.6 kb/s modem which are the fastest telephone modems currently available.

Update your modem - In some cases, this is easier said then done. I realize that some people may not be able to go out and spend $80 or $90 on a new modem every year or two, but this may be just what you need to speed up your internet. Many times, if you have had your service in place for more than a year or two then you would be eligible for an upgrade on your current modem. Call up your ISP and ask. You may be surprised.

What if you keep your current modem - Before you go out and get a new modem - especially if you are not eligible for an upgrade - there are a couple things you can do to improve the speed of your current modem. One thing that works from time to time is changing up the channel on the modem to something that is a little less common. The easiest way to do this is to Google the name and model of your modem with the words "change channel". In many cases, the instructions will be right there. If you are still on a telephone modem, I would highly recommend that you replace the modem if at all possible with a faster ISDN. DSL, satellite or a cable modem. You can find the compatible models on your ISP's corporate website.

Another Quick Fix - Another test that I recommend from time to time is to use a free software program to scan your computer and delete any unnecessary data on your computer. One that I recommend is PC Speed Doctor. It will provide you with a quick scan and easy removal of potentially harmful and resource intensive files.

These are just a few ideas that I have used to speed up my internet. I would recommend testing them out for yourself and see if you can speed up your internet too.