How to troubleshoot Ask4 broadband performance issues

Before you start troubleshooting the performance of your Ask4 broadband connection, we recommend that you perform a Ask4 Internet Speedtest to measure your current internet speed.

It is also a good idea confirm the guaranteed minimum download speed that you have subscribed to from Ask4.

You can find this info by checking a Ask4 broadband bill, your Ask4 contract or by contacting Ask4.

Likely causes of Ask4’s slow broadband speed

Is it your Ask4 internet connection that is running slow or is it your device (PC/laptop/phone)?

You need to check how many applications are running on your device.

The performance problem may be due to the over-utilization of your system resources i.e RAM/CPU and not a problem with Ask4’s broadband connection.

If you’re on a computer then you can use the task manager to see your Processor and RAM utilization.

On other device, you should try restarting the device which should hopefully shutdown all programs that may be hogging your systems resources.

Run the Ask4 Speedtest on your PC and your mobile phone to see how the results compare between the two devices.

This should hopefully give you some info to work with in terms of whether the issue is with your device or the Ask4 internet connection.

• What exactly does the Ask4 download and upload speed mean?
• Who’s the best Broadband Service Provider in the UK?
• 5 ways to speed up your Ask4 Internet speed
• Simple DNS tip to speed up internet browsing speed on Ask4

Is your wireless network the reason for the issues?

The cause of the performance problem may be your Wi-Fi network and not the Ask4 internet connection.

You can rule out the Wifi by simply connecting your computer directly into the Ask4 broadband router with a network cable and run the Ask4 Speedtest again.

If the speed is better when you’re connected via an ethernet cable, this proves that the problem may be with the Wi-Fi network.

A few other things to look further into:

• Are the Wireless channels that you’re using for your Wi-Fi network network (SSID) overlapping with your neighbours?
• Is your Wifi signal from the broadband router obstructed?
• Does the speed get better when your are standing right in-front of the Ask4 internet router?

Who’s connected to my Wi-Fi network?

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

Others could be using your Wifi network and using up all the Ask4 speed by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or videos on your Ask4 internet connection! Worse still, they may be carrying out illegal activities using your Ask4 broadband connection.

Here are 3 applications that you can potentially utlise to analyse your Wi-Fi network to check who’s connected:

• Microsoft users can use Wireless network watcher
• IOS users can use whoFi (who is on my Wifi)
• wifi network troubleshooting tool WiFi Analyzer

The above software analyse your Wifi network and display a list of the devices connected.

• How to see who’s on your Ask4 Wi-Fi network

Should I get a wireless network booster for my Ask4 broadband?

If you find that you have Wi-Fi black spots at your home, a Wi-Fi network extender aka a Wifi Booster may be the best solution to strengthen your Wi-Fi signal to cover any black spots.

• Best Wi-Fi Signal Extenders

The Wifi network extender simply picks up your existing Wifi network signal just as it is becoming weaker and re-transmits the Wifi network signal to extend it’s reach.

Place the Wifi extender where your Wifi signal from the Ask4 internet router is starting to become weaker.

Place it approximately where your wireless signal drops down to less than 2 bars. Walk around your property with a tablet to determine where this is.

When was the last time you upgraded the Ask4 broadband router?

The Ask4 and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently updated to support new features and improve reliability as technology evolves.  Always ensure that your Ask4 broadband router is running on the latest software.

The majority of Ask4 broadband routers allow you to carry out the software update by simply logging into the Ask4 broadband router and simply clicking on a button to perform the update.

If you cannot do this, contact Ask4 and they will be able to perform the upgrade for you or alternatively, guide you through the process.

In addition to updating the software, if you have had router for a long time, it is worth talking to Ask4 to ask for a hardware upgrade.

Is the fault external to your home (at the exchange)?

This is probably the most common reason for Ask4 broadband performance problems in your property and is more common for internet broadband connections that are delivered through phone lines.

If you’re unsure if this is relevant in your case, you should contact Ask4 who will be able to conduct the relevant line tests to see if there is a issue on the Ask4 broadband connection.

Is the issue due to Ask4 broadband congestion?

If you are finding that the Ask4 internet connection speed in your area is slows down during certain periods e.g weekends and during the evening, it may be because of congestion during peak hours.

• What’s Broadband Contention Ratio and does Ask4 have contention?

You should contact Ask4 to find out your minimum speed.

Find Best Alternatives to Ask4 Broadband

 

Re-testing your Ask4 broadband connection

After the issue has been fixed either by yourself or Ask4, re-test your broadband connection using  at least two independent Speedtests to ensure the problem is fixed:

• • Use the ookla internet broadband speed checker to test your Ask4 connection
  • Check your Ask4 connection speed using Ookla Offical Speed Test
  • Test your Ask4 broadbandspeed using fast.com speed test
  • Check My Broadband Speed Checker Ask4 broadband speed checker
  • • 0845UK Broadband Speedtest and troubleshooting