 Connect Free broadband Speed Checker
Click on the “Go” button on the Ookla Speed Checker to confirm the broadband speed of your Connect Free internet connection.
Details on how to troubleshoot issues with your Connect Free broadband are in the sections below the Ookla Speed test widget.
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Troubleshooting Connect Free broadband performance problems
Before you begin troubleshooting the performance of your Connect Free internet connection, we recommend that you perform a Connect Free Internet Speed Test to confirm your current connection speed.
It is a good idea to also confirm the guaranteed minimum download speed you on your broadband package from Connect Free.
You can find this info by checking your Connect Free broadband bill, your Connect Free contract or by contacting Connect Free.
Common causes of Connect Free’s slow internet performance
Is it the Connect Free broadband that is slow or is it your device (laptop/smartphone/PC)?
You need to check the number of apps are running on your device.
The performance issue may be due to over-utilisation of your device’s resources i.e RAM/CPU and not an issue with Connect Free’s internet connection.
If you are on a computer then you can use the task manager to check your Processor and RAM usage.
On any other device, you should try restarting the device which hopefully should kill all programs that may be hogging your device resources.
Re-run the Connect Free Speedtest on your personal computer and your phone to check how the speedtest results compare between the 2 devices.
This should hopefully provide you with some info to help determine whether the problem lies with your PC/Smartphone or the Connect Free broadband connection.
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Is your wireless the cause of the slowness?
The root cause of the performance issue could be your Wi-Fi network as opposed to the Connect Free broadband connection.
You can rule out the Wifi by simply connecting your computer directly into the Connect Free broadband router using an ethernet cable and then run the Connect Free Speed checker again.
If the speed test result improves when you are connected via a network cable, this proves that the issue may be with your Wifi network.
Possible things to check:
- Are the Wireless channels that you are using for your wireless network (SSID) overlapping with your neighbours?
- Is your Wifi signal from the internet router obstructed?
- Does the performance get better when your are stood right infront of the Connect Free broadband router?
Exactly who’s connected to my Wifi network?
Have you checked that your Wifi network password has not been shared? Do you have an un-secured wireless network? How complex is your Wi-Fi network password? It could be time to change it.
Neighbours could be using your Wi-Fi network and eating up all your Connect Free bandwidth by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or videos over your Connect Free broadband connection! Worse still, they may be carrying out illegal activities using your Connect Free internet connection.
There are three apps that you can utlise to analyze 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)
- Wireless scanning application WiFi Analyzer
The above software analyse your Wifi network and produce a list of the connected devices.
Do I need a Wi-Fi network booster for my Connect Free broadband?
If you find that you have Wifi black holes in your house, a wireless network extender aka a wireless Booster is the best fix to increase your Wi-Fi signal to cover any black holes.
The wireless booster simply picks up the existing Wifi signal as it is becoming weaker and re-transmits the wireless network signal to extend it’s coverage.
Position the Wifi network booster/extender where your wireless network signal from the Connect Free internet router is starting to become weaker.
Position it near where your Wi-Fi network signal drops down to less than two signal bars. Walk around your home with a smartphone to try and establish where this location is.
When was the last time you upgraded the Connect Free broadband router?
The Connect Free and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently updated to provide new features and improve reliability as technology evolves. Ensure that your Connect Free broadband router is running the most up to date software.
The majority of Connect Free broadband routers will allow you to perform the software upgrade by logging into the Connect Free broadband router and simply clicking a button to start the update.
If you cannot do this, contact Connect Free and they will do this for you or talk you through performing the upgrade yourself.
As well as upgrading the software, if you have had the same router for a long period, it’s worth speaking to Connect Free to ask for a hardware upgrade.
Is the fault outside your property (at the exchange)?
This is probably the most common reason for Connect Free broadband performance issues in your home and is more common with broadband connections that are delivered via copper phone lines.
If you’re not sure if this is applicable to you, you should contact Connect Free who will be able to conduct the relevant connection tests to check if there is a problem on the Connect Free internet line.
Is it due to Connect Free broadband congestion?
If you are finding that the Connect Free broadband connection speed in your area is slow during certain times i.e. weekends or during the evening, it may be because of congestion during peak times.
You should speak to Connect Free to find out your minimum speed.
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Re-testing your Connect Free internet connection
After the issue has been fixed either by yourself or Connect Free, retest the broadband connection using at least two separate Speedtests to ensure the problem is resolved: