No matter how fast your Internet connection is there are times when things will slow down to crawl or you may experience slow internet connection speed on Windows 11. Users report, Getting a very slow internet speed after updating to Windows 11 version 22H2. “Getting the proper speed on my mobile phone that is connected to the same wifi network but on my laptop the Internet speed is very slow.”
A slow internet connection can be frustrating, especially when you rely on your laptop for various online activities. But there are several steps you can take to improve your internet speed on Windows 11. This article explores the reason behind slow internet speed and a range of solutions help you troubleshoot the issue on your laptop.
How To Fix Slow Internet Speed on Windows 11
Well, Slow Internet speed on Laptops is very common and can be caused by many different reasons. Issues with the router, your Laptop, or even your service provider can affect deliver of high internet speed. Weak Wi-Fi signals, Outdated network /Wifi drivers or Misconfigured network settings are other common reasons behind slow internet speed on Windows 11. Again if you are connected VPN to protect online activity, it might slow the internet speed because the connection is rerouted.
And to fix things and increase internet speed you can disable certain features, update the driver for network or wifi adapter, Reset Network settings or run the Network troubleshooter.
Check WiFi Signal strength
If you are connected to WiFi network, Your internet speed is independent of your Wifi strength. It might be due to Weak Wi-Fi signals causing frequent disconnects or slower Internet speed. To maximize your Wi-Fi signal strength and minimize interference:
- Place your router in a central location, or take your Laptop closer to Router.
- Access your router’s settings through its IP address (typically found on the device) and Check for any available firmware updates and install them if necessary.
- Also, you can consider using Use Wi-Fi extenders or a mesh network system to boost coverage. In addition, Set up strong encryption and a unique password to secure your Wi-Fi network from unauthorized access.
Restart Your Laptop and Network Equipment
Sometimes, a quick reboot is all what your PC needs to fix the problem. Restarting your laptop, modem, and router can resolve temporary glitches that maybe slow down the internet speed and refresh the network connection.
Restart Laptop:
- Save any unsaved work and close all applications.
- Click on the “Start” menu or press the Windows key.
- Select the power icon and choose “Restart” from the options.
- Wait for your laptop to shut down and reboot.
There may be several background processes consuming a major share of the bandwidth that slow internet speed. And restart windows wipe up everything from RAM, giving your PC a fresh restart.
Restart Modem and Router:
- Locate your modem and router, Unplug the power cables from both devices and Wait for about 30 seconds to 1 minute to allow the devices to fully power down.
- Plug the power cable back into the modem first and wait for all the lights to stabilize. Repeat the same process for the router by plugging the power cable back in and waiting for the lights to stabilize.
- Once the devices have restarted, they will establish a fresh connection with your internet service provider (ISP), potentially resolving any temporary issues that were affecting your internet speed.
In addition Disable any VPN you have set up, as VPNs reroute the connection and, in the process, reduce the Wi-Fi speed. Also, Turn off Windows Defender Firewall and check your internet speed.
Clear Browser Cache and Cookies
Web browsers cache web pages and resources you frequently visit to speed up the page loading process. Over time, your browser cache and cookies can accumulate and slow down internet speeds. Clearing these can help improve browsing performance.
Clearing the cache and cookies from a web browser is an important first-step for almost any troubleshooting for internet browsing.
In most browsers, you can access the clear cache and cookies option through the settings or preferences menu.
In addition, Browser extensions can sometimes impact internet speed, particularly if they are outdated or poorly optimized. Disable or remove any unnecessary or problematic extensions and restart your browser to see if the Internet speed improves.
Update Network Drivers
The network driver enables a network device to communicate with a computer’s operating system and which allows you to connect or access the Internet. If something goes wrong with the network driver, things are bound to go off your internet as well. To check if the network driver causing Windows 11 internet to slow down open Device Manager and update the network driver.
Outdated or corrupted network drivers can cause connectivity issues and slow down your internet speed.
- Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager,
- This will display all devices and peripherals connected to your computer.
- Locate and expand the Network adapter, right-click on the internet adapter select the update driver option from the context menu.
- Select the Search automatically option t search your computer for the best available driver and install or you can select the second option to manually locate the updated driver.
Also, you can visit your laptop manufacturer’s website or the network adapter manufacturer’s website to download and install the latest drivers for your network adapter.
Run the Automatic troubleshooter
Microsoft offers a bunch of troubleshooters that can automatically identify and eliminate some of the common issues on Windows 11. Let’s run the network troubleshooter and internet troubleshooter to identify and fix common internet speed issues automatically.
- Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app,
- Go to the system tab then Troubleshoot and click on Other troubleshooters.
- Now click on Run next to the network adapter, select your network adapter to diagnose and follow on-screen instructions.
- Once done, Click on Run next to Internet connections to launch the troubleshooter, Choose the appropriate response and follow on-screen instructions.
Disable Bandwidth consuming features
For some users changing the bandwidth settings for Windows update and Terminate processes consuming data helps fix the slow internet problem on Windows 11.
Lower the bandwidth for downloading updates
- Press Windows key + X and select settings then navigate to Windows Update,
- Click on Advanced options, then Delivery Optimization, and Disable the toggle for Allow downloads from other PCs.
Terminate processes consuming data
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc key to open Task Manager,
- Move to the performance tab, Under the Network tab, identify the process using a large amount of data.
- Right-click on it and select End Process from the list.
Disable apps from running in the background
- Right-click on the Windows 11 start menu select installed apps,
- Locate the app that you don’t want running in the background, click on the ellipsis next to it and then select Advanced options
- Click on the Let this app run in the background dropdown menu and Select Never from the list of options.
In addition, if you have enabled a metered connection on your laptop, it may affect your internet speed. This feature usually limits data usage on certain networks and results in slower internet speeds.
Go to “Settings” > “Network & Internet” > “Wi-Fi” or “Ethernet.” Click on your network connection, then scroll down and toggle the “Metered connection” option to Off.
Change the DNS server
The DNS server is responsible for translating a domain name to IP (and vice versa) that the computer can understand. And you can switch to an open-source DNS for better Internet speed.
- Press the Windows key + R, type ncpa.cpl and click ok
- Right-click on the active network adapter select properties,
- Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) to open properties,
- Select Use the following DNS server addresses, and set Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8, Alternative DNS server: 8.8.4.4
- After making the changes, restart the computer.
Reset Network settings
If the above solutions didn’t help, you should try Reset Network settings default.
- Press the Windows key + I to open settings and navigate the Network and Internet.
- Now click on Advanced network settings, then Under More settings, click on Network reset.
- Finally, click on the Reset Now button next to Network reset and click Yes to confirm the action.
If none of the steps mentioned above seem to be the problem, we suggest you call your ISP’s support team. Sometimes the problem may be occurring on their end and so it is better if you call them for help.
Also read:
How to Increase Internet Connection Speed on Windows 11
Speed Up Windows 11 and Improve Performance (7 effective tips)<
How to Speed Up Microsoft Edge Browser on Windows 10 / 11
Laptop slow after Windows 11 update? 8 solutions to apply
7 Ways to Fix Google Chrome Not Installing on Windows 11
Laptop Battery Draining Faster Than Usual? Here’s Battery saving tips
