FirstMile Internet Speedtest and troubleshooting
FirstMile internet Speed test
Click on the “Go” button below on the Ookla Speed Test to see the broadband speed of your FirstMile broadband connection.
Information on how to fix problems with your FirstMile internet connection can be found below the Ookla Speed checker widget.
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How to troubleshoot FirstMile broadband speed problems
Before you begin troubleshooting the performance of your FirstMile broadband connection, we recommend that you run a FirstMile Internet Speed Test to confirm your current broadband speed.
It is also a good idea find out the minimum download speed you are paying for from FirstMile.
You can get this information by checking a FirstMile broadband bill, your FirstMile contract or by contacting FirstMile.
Probable causes of FirstMile’s slow internet performance
Is it the FirstMile broadband that is slow or is it your device (PC/laptop/phone)?
You need to consider the number of apps are running on your device.
The speed issue could be due to over-utilization of your device’s resources e.g Memory/CPU and not an issue with FirstMile’s broadband connection.
If you’re on a computer then you may use the task manager to check your Processor and RAM utilization.
On any other device, you could try restarting the device which hopefully will kill all applications that may have been hogging your device resources.
Run the FirstMile Speedtest on your personal computer and your mobile to see how the speed test results differ between the two devices.
Hopefully this should provide you with some information to work with in terms of if the problem is with your PC/Smartphone or the FirstMile broadband connection.
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Is your Wifi the problem?
The cause of the performance problem could be your wireless network as opposed to the FirstMile broadband connection.
You can rule out the wireless by simply connecting your PC directly to the FirstMile broadband router using a network cable and then run the FirstMile Speed checker again.
If the speed checker result is better when you’re connected using a network cable, this indicates that the issue may be with the wireless.
A few other things to investigate:
- Are the Wireless channels that you’re using for your Wi-Fi network network (SSID) overlapping with the neighbours?
- Is your Wifi network signal from the wireless router obstructed?
- Does your performance improve when you’re standing directly in-front of the FirstMile internet router?
Who’s connected to my wireless network?
Have you checked that your Wi-Fi network password has not been compromised? Do you have an open Wifi network? How complex is your Wi-Fi network password? It may be time to change it.
Others could be on your Wi-Fi network and eating up all the FirstMile bandwidth by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or video on your FirstMile internet connection! Worse still, they may be conducting illegal activities on your FirstMile broadband connection.
Here are 3 apps that you can use to analyse your Wifi network to see who’s connected:
- Microsoft Windows users can use Wireless network watcher
- Apple users can use whoFi (who is on my Wifi)
- wifi network scanning application WiFi Analyzer
The above applications scan your Wifi network and show you a list of the connected devices.
Do I need a Wi-Fi network booster for my FirstMile broadband?
If you discover that there are wireless coverage gaps at your home, a Wi-Fi network extender also known as a Wifi Booster is the best fix to boost your wireless signal to cover any coverage holes.
The Wifi booster simply picks up your existing wireless signal as it is starting to become weaker and re-transmits the wireless signal to extend it’s coverage.
Position the wireless network booster where your Wifi network signal from your FirstMile broadband router is becoming weaker.
Place it approximately where your wireless network signal drops down to two bars. Walk around your property with a smartphone to find where this is.
When did you last upgrade the FirstMile broadband router?
The FirstMile and broadband infrastructure, in general, are constantly updated to provide new features and improve performance as technology evolves. Always ensure that your FirstMile internet router is running on the most up to date software.
The majority of FirstMile internet routers will allow you to carry out the software update by logging on the FirstMile broadband router and simply clicking a button to perform the update.
If you cannot do this, contact FirstMile and they will perform the upgrade for you or alternatively, talk you through the process.
In addition to upgrading the software, if you have had hardware for a long period, it’s probably worth talking to FirstMile to ask for a router upgrade.
Is the root cause of the issue outside your property (at the exchange)?
This is probably the most common reason for FirstMile broadband performance issues in your area and it’s more common with internet broadband connections that are delivered through phone lines.
If you are unsure if this is relevant in your case, contact FirstMile who will be able to conduct the appropriate connection tests to see if there is a fault on the FirstMile broadband line.
Is the issue due to FirstMile Internet congestion?
If you’re finding that the FirstMile internet connection speed in your area is slows down during certain periods i.e. over weekends or evenings, it may be because of congestion during peak times.
You should contact FirstMile to check your guaranteed speed.
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Re-testing your FirstMile internet connection
After the problem has been fixed either by yourself or FirstMile, re-test the broadband connection using at least 2 independent Speedtests to ensure the fault is fixed: