Slow Internet Connection

Factual Questions
1

Background:

There are five devices with the capability of connecting to the internet in my home: two PCs (one desktop, one laptop), one MacBook Air, and two cell phones (one Android, one iPhone).

One computer, the laptop, is really, really slow when connecting to the internet. I don’t mean everything is slow, just anything from the internet. Video, connecting to a website, anything like that.

It’s a new Dell Inspiron. Nothing special. There’s no software on it that isn’t on the other computers. Windows 10, MS Office, Acrobat DC. That’s all.

So it’s not our internet setup (Verizon Fios, with their standard modem/router). The Dell is the only device with this problem. It can’t be a software problem.

Before I return this computer to Dell, I seek the wisdom of Dopers. Any thoughts?

2

Have you tried running the Network troubleshooter? If not, go Start Button --> Settings icon --> Network & Internet --> Network troubleshooter (under Change your network settings).

3

Is it possible the new notebook computer isn’t on your WiFi network but another one that’s further away and slower?

And another thing to check is to bring the notebook computer someplace else (the library, Starbucks, your office) to see if the wireless connection is also slow there. That would narrow the problem down to your computer and not the WiFi configuration.

4

Did you try it with both a wireless and ethernet cable connection?

5

Since it’s a new computer, maybe it’s still downloading Windows updates in the background? Or downloading contents of OneDrive? Go to Task Manager -> More Details and see if anything is using the network a lot. And/or leave it on and connected for a while, reboot, and repeat that until everything has updated.

6

No. Good idea. Maybe when I get home tonight.

No, it’s not on another wi-fi connection, I checked. And it’s fast enough in other locations (my office, mainly).

Good idea. I will.

It’s not that new. It’s a few weeks now. I did check Task Manager, and I didn’t see anything unexpected. But I’ll check again.

Thanks, everyone, I’ll try your suggestions and see if I can figure anything out.

7

Have you tried to see if all your drivers/firmware is up to date on your computer as well as the network stuff itself (modem, router, etc)

8

What’s on the computer shouldn’t be an issue, since I only bought it a few weeks ago.

The cable modem/router has been around for a while. It may or may not be up to date, but the issue is that connecting to the internet via wi-fi is much slower on the new laptop than on any of the other devices (all of which are older) in my home. So it seems to me unlikely that the modem/router is the problem.

Anyway, I’ll be at home for a while tomorrow morning. I’ll try everyone’s suggestions then.

9

Is IT your new laptop? Has does the laptop WiFi perform if next to your modem/router?

Instead of using subjective terms like “slow”, “fast”, run www.speedtest.net on each device (inc’l laptop) at each tested location.

Before you do this, completely reset the modem/router. Unplug it for 30 sec, then let it boot up, then run the above tests.

If the modem/router supports both 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz networks, do these have separate network names? One possibility is the laptop is connecting on 5 Ghz but this is negatively affected by location. 5 Ghz is faster but more affected by interior walls.

It’s often best to get your own WiFI access point/router and only use the cable modem as a modem. Many of the ISP-provided modem/router units don’t have the best WiFi performance. You could probably get a used Asus RT-AC68U on eBay for $35, and it would likely be better the WiFi part of the cable modem.

The new thing is mesh router systems. They can provide more consistent coverage in difficult situations. Some of them have automatic 2.4 Ghz / 5 Ghz steering, seamless lag-free handoff, etc.