Slow Wi-Fi has maybe six real causes, and most have five-minute fixes. Work down this list — it’s sorted by effort, so you’ll probably never reach the bottom.
The 5-minute tier
- Restart the router properly. Power off, wait 30 seconds, power on. Routers are small computers that run for months without a reboot; memory leaks and stuck connections build up. This alone fixes a shocking share of “slow internet”.
- Test wired vs wireless. Run a speed test next to the router, then far from it. Fast near, slow far = coverage problem (fixes 5-7). Slow everywhere = line or plan problem (fix 9).
- Kick the freeloaders. Open the router admin panel and check connected devices. Unknown devices? Change the Wi-Fi password. Known but hungry devices (a TV auto-playing 4K, a phone syncing photos) explain sudden slowdowns.
The placement tier
- Move the router up and out. On the floor, in a cabinet, or behind the TV — Wi-Fi hates all three. Chest height, open air, central location. This single change fixes most dead zones.
- Get it away from interference. Microwaves, baby monitors, and thick masonry walls are signal killers. Even a metre of separation helps.
- Split your bands. Use 5GHz near the router for speed, 2.4GHz for far rooms and smart-home devices. If your router merges them into one name, devices often pick wrong.
The upgrade tier
- Update router firmware. Speed and stability fixes ship in updates almost nobody installs — it’s in the admin panel under maintenance/system.
- Add a mesh node or extender for real dead zones. If a room is unfixable by placement, a mesh point beats a cheap repeater (which halves bandwidth).
- Check what you’re actually paying for. If wired speed right at the router is far below your plan, the problem is your line or provider — that’s a support call, not a settings hunt.
Speed test tip: test at the same time of day the slowdown happens. Evening-only slowness usually means network congestion — worth mentioning in that provider call.
Do “Wi-Fi booster” apps help?
No — a phone app cannot boost a router’s signal. Most are ad farms; some are worse. Our app safety checklist explains how to spot that category.
