Why is my broadband so slow?

Slow internet usually comes down to a handful of common causes — and most are fixable without calling your provider. Here's what to check, roughly in order.

First, a quick reality check: run a speed test on a wired connection if you can. If the wired result matches what you pay for but Wi-Fi is slow, the problem is inside your home, not your line — which is good news, because that's the easiest kind to fix.

1. Wi-Fi, not the line

Wi-Fi loses speed with distance, walls and interference. A test over Wi-Fi in another room can read a fraction of your true line speed. Test next to the router, and ideally with an Ethernet cable, to see what your connection can really do.

2. Router placement

Tuck a router in a cupboard, behind the TV or on the floor and you throttle your own Wi-Fi. Put it out in the open, up high, and away from other electronics, cordless phones and microwaves.

3. Too many devices at once

Phones, laptops, TVs, consoles, smart speakers and doorbells all share the same connection. A big game download or cloud backup in the background can swallow most of your bandwidth.

4. Peak-time congestion

Evenings (roughly 7–11pm) are when everyone streams at once. Speeds can dip at peak times, especially on older shared connections. Compare a test at 9pm with one at 9am.

5. An old or overloaded router

Routers that are several years old may not support the latest Wi-Fi standards. A simple restart clears many temporary glitches; if yours is ancient, a newer one (or a mesh system for larger homes) can transform coverage.

6. Background updates and other apps

Operating-system updates, cloud sync (photos, drives), and auto-updating apps quietly use bandwidth. Close them and re-test to see the difference.

7. Your connection type

If you're on older copper-based "part-fibre" (FTTC), speed drops the further you are from the street cabinet. Full fibre (FTTP) doesn't suffer this. Check whether full fibre is available at your address.

8. Faulty wiring, filters or a VPN

Damaged cables, a failing microfilter on older lines, or an always-on VPN can all drag speeds down. Try the master socket, swap suspect cables, and disable any VPN when testing.

9. You've hit a data or throttling limit

A few packages still shape traffic at busy times. If speeds crater at the same time each day, ask your provider whether traffic management applies.

10. It really is the line

If a wired test well below your advertised speed persists across different times, it's worth reporting to your provider — under Ofcom rules you may be entitled to a fix or to leave without penalty if they can't deliver a minimum guaranteed speed.

Start with a test

Knowing your real download, upload and ping tells you whether to fix your Wi-Fi or call your provider. Ours runs in the browser and takes under a minute.

→ Run the free Broadband Speed Test