10 Reasons For a Slower Internet Connection in 2025

Yesterday evening, after office time, I was in a friendly discussion with Ashish Mudgal and Joyal Martin about some of the comments we received.

Ashish Mudgal is a senior Network Engineer, and Joyal Martin is a System Administrator.

Most comments were related to a slower broadband connection. Our discussion pinpointed ten factors that affect Internet connection speed.

I believe writing an article based on our discussion will help many readers of CoreNetworkZ Tech Solutions.

Are you experiencing a slower Internet connection at your home or office? If your answer is yes, you are not alone.

It is not shocking news that most Internet users get a slower connection speed than the actual speed promised by their Service Providers. In this article, I explore the reasons for it.

Now, let us continue our discussion. While looking for the reasons for a slower Internet connection, we cannot always blame our Internet Service Providers. ISPs may be serving us with the speed they promised. But the wrong settings from our side might slow down the connection.

Let us check the common reasons for a slower Internet connection. This section covers the ten reasons we found in the discussion for a slower DSL connection and remedies.

1. Number of Devices Sharing the Bandwidth

   Joyal Martin pointed out the first point. We should check the number of active devices that share the Internet on a LAN. They all must consume the available bandwidth and slow down the broadband speed.

   Remedy: Disconnect unnecessary devices from your network.

2. Distance between Your Device and the WiFi Router

   Ashish Mudgal said that distance is a critical factor in a Wireless LAN. The distance between a device and the wireless hotspot can influence Internet speed.

   The user will experience poor connectivity if his device (Mobile Phone, Laptop, Computer, etc.) is away from the wireless router.

   Remedy: Reduce the distance between the WiFi hotspot and the device.

3. Possible Wireless Interference

   Twenty years ago, when I was an apprentice with an ISP, the first thing I noticed was the influence of wireless interference on the Internet connection speed.

   With that experience, I can say that if you are experiencing slower Internet on a wireless device, check for possible interferences. Any wireless device using the same wavelength of the IEEE 802.11 standard can interfere with a WiFi connection.

   Let me share an example. A Microwave Oven in the kitchen can interfere with the WiFi signals from a wireless router.

   Remedy: Turn off microwave devices near the WiFi hotspot.

4. Physical Obstacles

   Physical obstacles can slow down wireless and mobile Internet speed. I will share a real-life experience. Consider a wall between your wireless Access Point and Laptop.

   Anupama Thomas dropped a similar question in the comment section. This point answers her question.

   The same reason explains why you are getting a slower connection on your Mobile device while sitting away from the window.

   Remedy: Sit near the window for a faster mobile Internet connection.

5. Loose Network Connections

   The fifth point I present is a loose connection in a wired network. Joyal mentioned many users do not consider the possibility of a loose connection. I fully agree with Joyal's view.

   The good news is users can fix it themselves. Let me explain how.

   First, disconnect the Ethernet and power cables from the modem, router, and computer. Clean the cables and reconnect.

   Remedy: Perform a Power Cycle.

6. Background Applications Consuming the Bandwidth

   The 6^th point I am presenting is more valid on mobile devices. One of the reasons for slower Internet speed on Android smartphones is the bandwidth consumption of background apps.

   Many Android Apps send and receive data in the background even if you are not using them.

   Remedy: Terminate unnecessary background apps.

7. Wrong Network Adapter Settings

   The 7^th point is from my work experience with a client of CoreNetworkZ Tech Solutions. John Locklear, a small factory owner, once asked for my assistance solving a slower DSL connection on his Windows laptop.

   Do you know why his laptop had a slower connection? Yes, you guessed correctly, NIC complaint.

   Wrong network adapter (NIC) settings or a corrupted driver can affect the connection speed. You can fix this problem by resetting the Network Adapter. Follow the steps below.

   • Right-click the Network Connection icon on the right side bottom of the window.

   • Click on "Open Network & Internet Settings"

   • Click on Network Troubleshooter

   Windows will automatically check for the issue and fix it.

   Remedy: Reset the Network Adapter

8. Slower ISP DNS Server

   The 8^th reason for a slower connection is with your Internet Service Provider's DNS server.

   After troubleshooting multiple complaints, one common reason I learned for a slower upload and download speed is the slower DNS server from the ISP.

   We can fix this by changing the default DNS server to either Google DNS or Open DNS servers. I have an article that explains the whole process. You can read that article by visiting the link below.

   How to Assign Google DNS server?

   Remedy: Assign Open DNS or Google DNS.

9. Possible Malware Infection

   Joyal pointed out the role of Network Worms in a sudden reduction of Internet speed.

   Network worms are malware programs that consume the Internet bandwidth.

   It can spread from an infected device to other devices connected to your network. CoreNetworkz Tech Solutions recommends you scan the devices in your network with a reputable malware remover.

   Remedy: Scan your Device with a malware remover.

10. Active Torrent Applications

    My friend, Thomas Skaria, called me for technical assistance last night. He told me his Internet suddenly went slow.

    I asked about the applications installed on his laptop and found the culprit. Do you know what was the reason? uTorrent was the reason. Torrent applications consume a lot of network bandwidth for uploading and downloading files.

    Remedy: Terminate the Torrent Applications

    
    

So, what do you think of today's article? I developed this tutorial with the help of a senior Network Engineer, Ashish Mudgal, and a System Admin, Joyal. If you have any doubts, you can ask them in the comment section.