Troubleshooting KCOM internet speed problems

Before you begin troubleshooting the performance of your KCOM internet connection, we suggest that you run a KCOM Internet Speedtest to benchmark your current internet speed.

It is a good idea to also find out the minimum download speed you are paying for from KCOM.

You can find this information by checking your KCOM broadband bill, your KCOM contract or by contacting KCOM.

Potential causes of KCOM’s slow internet speed

Is it the KCOM internet connection that is running slow or is it your device (PC/laptop/phone)?

You may need to check the number of applications are currently running on your device.

The speed issue may be due to the over-utilization of your device’s resources i.e RAM/memory/CPU and not a problem with KCOM’s internet connection.

If you are on a computer then you can use the task manager to see your Processor and Memory usage.

On other device, you should try rebooting the device which hopefully will kill all apps that may have been using up system resources.

Re-run the KCOM Speed checker on your PC and your mobile phone to check how the speedtest results compare between the two devices.

Hopefully this should provide you with more information to work with in terms of if the issue is with your PC/Smartphone or the KCOM internet connection.

• What exactly does the KCOM download and upload speed mean?
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• 5 ways to improve your KCOM broadband speed
• DNS tip to improve internet browsing speed on KCOM

Is the wireless network the problem?

The root cause of the performance problem may be your Wifi network as opposed to the KCOM broadband internet connection.

You could rule out the Wifi network by simply connecting your computer directly into the KCOM broadband router using a network cable and then run the KCOM Speed test again.

If the speed is better when you are connected using a network cable, this indicates that the problem may be with the wireless.

A few other things to look further into:

• Are the WiFi channels that you’re using for your wireless network (SSID) overlapping with the neighbours?
• Is your wireless network signal from the broadband router obstructed?
• Does the performance improve when you’re stood directly in-front of the KCOM wireless router?

Who is connected to my wireless network?

Have you checked that your Wi-Fi network password has not been shared? Do you have an un-secured wireless network? How complex is your wireless network password? It may be time to change it.

Neighbours could be using your Wifi network and eating up all your KCOM speed by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or videos over your KCOM broadband connection! Worse than that, they may be conducting illegal activities using your KCOM internet connection.

There are 3 applications that you can use to scan your Wi-Fi network to see who’s connected:

• Microsoft Windows users can use Wireless network watcher
• MAC users can use whoFi (who is on my Wifi)
• Wireless troubleshooting application WiFi Analyzer

The above software analyse your Wi-Fi network and produce a list of the connected devices.

• How to see who’s on your KCOM Wifi network

Should I get a wireless booster for my KCOM broadband?

You may find that you have Wi-Fi coverage holes in your house, a Wifi network extender also known as a wireless Booster may be the best fix to boost your Wi-Fi signal to cover any black spots.

• Best Wifi Signal Extenders

The Wifi booster picks up the existing wireless signal just as it is starting to become weaker and re-transmits the wireless network signal to extend it’s reach.

Place the Wifi network extender near the position where your wireless signal from your KCOM broadband router is starting to become weaker.

Place it approximately where your Wifi signal drops down to less than two bars. Walk around your home with a mobile phone to try and establish where this is.

When was the last time you upgraded the KCOM broadband router?

The KCOM and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently upgraded to support new features and improve performance as technology evolves.  Ensure that your KCOM broadband internet router is running on the most up to date software.

Most KCOM broadband routers will allow you to perform the software update by logging into the KCOM broadband router and simply clicking on a button to start the upgrade.

If you can’t do this, contact KCOM and they will do this for you or talk you through the process.

As well as upgrading the software, if you have had hardware for a long time, it’s worth talking to KCOM to ask for a hardware upgrade.

Is the root cause of the issue external to your home (at the exchange)?

This is probably the most common cause for KCOM broadband performance problems in your home and it’s more common for internet broadband connections that are delivered using phone lines.

If you are unsure if this is applicable to you, contact KCOM who should be able to run the relevant connection tests to check if there is a fault on the KCOM internet connection.

Is it due to KCOM Internet congestion?

If you’re finding that the KCOM broadband connection speed in your area is slows down during certain times i.e. weekends or during the evening, then it may be due to congestion during peak hours.

• What’s Broadband Contention Ratio and does KCOM have contention?

You should contact KCOM to check your guaranteed speed.

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Re-testing your KCOM internet connection

After the issue has been resolved either by yourself or KCOM, retest the internet connection using  at least 2 independent Speedtests to ensure the fault is resolved:

• • Use the ookla internet broadband speed test to test your KCOM broadband
  • Check your KCOM broadband speed using Ookla Offical Speed Test
  • Test your KCOM broadbandspeed using fast.com speed test
  • Check My Broadband Speed Checker KCOM broadband speed checker
  • • 0845UK Broadband Speedtest and troubleshooting