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Slow Internet Speeds

When slow internet speeds are reported to us, usually the problem is one of the following:

The page below discusses each of these problems and offers suggestions for resolving them. If these suggestions don't work please call us at 801-798-2877 so we can assist you further.

What can cause slow Internet speeds?

Although it certainly could be an issue with the service we deliver to your house our experience tells us slow speeds are most frequently caused by issues with customers computers or routers.

Computer viruses and malware are the most common causes of a wired computers poor Internet performance while wireless device issues are most commonly caused by wireless congestion and older wifi routers that dont support the new enhanced wireless standards.

If you are experiencing poor Internet performance on a wired computer we recommend running a virus and malware check with current virus/malware database files. If no viruses or malware are found try bypassing your home router by plugging your computer directly into the SFCN provided cable modem and run a speed test at speedtest.net.

If your performance increases when plugged directly into the cable modem then your performance problems are caused by your router. If your router is over 5 years old you may want to consider replacing it. Whether you use a wireless or wired router they dont last forever and older routers have a hard time keeping up with SFCN's Internet speeds. The router that was sufficient for the Starter tier may not be able to handle the greatly increased speeds of the PLUS or Premium tiers.

One thing you can try even with an older router is disabling its QOS feature. Routers often have QOS enable as default but the microprocessor in many home routers cant handle the bandwidth the SFCN network is capable of providing. QOS is used to give higher priority to certain types of data traffic on the network and isnt beneficial in most cases.

Disabling the QOS can help with both wired and wireless networks. The method to disable QOS varies with each router but instructions can almost always be found on the Internet.

Another option to try with any router is a firmware update. Even routers that are purchased brand new can have an outdated version of firmware from when they were built at the factory. Firmware updates are provided by the wireless router manufacturer and can often solve wireless performance issues. As with QOS settings, the method to find and update the firmware version of your router varies by manufacturer but can found on the internet.

If you have run a virus/malware check and bypassed your router and still have slow speeds please give SFCN a call at 801-798-2877 so we can check your connection to our network. The call is always free and we have several tools that we can apply to get to the bottom of the performance issue.

Make sure you arent overrunning the Internet tier that you selected. The starter tier of Internet service cant sustain a video stream well and should only be used for occasional streaming needs. If you are using any of the video streaming services please consider upgrading to the PLUS level of service. The PLUS and Premium tiers use advanced congestion mitigation features and are able to deliver quality video streaming.

Wireless networks add to the above list of possible causes of slow Internet performance. We have found that wireless bandwidth congestion is the most common cause of slowdowns. The easiest way to tell if you likely have wireless congestion is note how many other wireless routers you can see from your house. Even though you dont connect to the other wireless routers you are sharing the same airwave bandwidth with them.

You should be aware of how many wireless devices you have in your home and if they are streaming video (Youtube, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, TVEverywhere, etc). Video streaming is a bandwidth hog and may require a faster wireless standard to effectively stream video.

There have been many advances in wireless technology over the last few years and the following list provides the MINIMUM standard required for your Internet tier:

Wireless router required standards
  Minimum of at least 802.11g for Starter tier
  Minimum of at least 802.11n for PLUS tier
  Minimum of at least 802.11ac for Premium tier

*NOTE If you have wireless congestion in your area you may need to step up to the next level of wireless router standard.