How to troubleshoot Ethnet broadband performance problems

Before you begin troubleshooting the speed of your Ethnet internet connection, we suggest that you perform a Ethnet Internet Speed Test to confirm your current broadband speed.

It is also a good idea confirm the minimum download speed that you are paying for from Ethnet.

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

Common causes of Ethnet’s slow broadband performance

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

You may need to check how many apps are currently running on your device.

The performance issue could be due to over-utilisation of your device’s resources e.g Memory/CPU Processor and not a problem with Ethnet’s broadband connection.

If you are on a laptop then you can use the task manager to check your Processor and RAM utilization.

On other device, you should try restarting the device which hopefully will terminate all apps that may have been hogging your systems resources.

Run the Ethnet Speed checker on your PC and your mobile phone to check how the speed test results compare between the two devices.

This should hopefully give you some information to work with in terms of if the issue is with your device or the Ethnet internet connection.

• What exactly does the Ethnet download and upload speed mean?
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• DNS tip to improve internet browsing speed on Ethnet

Is your wireless the issue?

The root cause of the performance problem could be your Wi-Fi network and not the Ethnet internet connection.

You can rule out the wireless by connecting your computer directly into the Ethnet broadband router using an ethernet cable and then run the Ethnet Speed test again.

If the speed improves when you’re connected via an ethernet cable, this indicates that the issue may be with the Wi-Fi network.

Possible things to look further into:

• Are the WiFi channels that you’re using for your Wifi network (SSID) overlapping with the neighbors?
• Is the Wifi signal from the internet router obstructed?
• Does the performance improve when you’re standing right infront of the Ethnet internet router?

Who is connected to my Wi-Fi network?

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

Neighbours could be on your Wi-Fi network and eating up all the Ethnet bandwidth by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or videos on your Ethnet broadband connection! Worse still, they may be conducting illegal activities over your Ethnet internet connection.

Here are three applications that you can use to analyse your Wifi network to check who’s connected:

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

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

• How to check who’s on your Ethnet wireless network

Do I need a Wifi network booster for my Ethnet broadband?

If you discover that you have Wi-Fi black holes at your house, a Wifi extender aka a wireless Booster may be the best solution to increase your Wi-Fi signal to cover any black holes.

• Best Wi-Fi Signal Boosters

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

Position the wireless booster/extender where your wireless signal from your Ethnet internet router is starting to become weaker.

Position it near where your wireless network signal is dropping down to less than two signal bars. Walk around your property with a tablet to find where this is.

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

The Ethnet and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently updated to provide new features and improve performance as technology evolves.  Always ensure that the Ethnet broadband internet router is running on the latest software.

Most Ethnet broadband routers allow you to carry out the software update by logging on the Ethnet broadband router and simply clicking a button to start the upgrade.

If you cannot do this, get in touch with Ethnet and they will be able to do this for you or alternatively, guide you through the process.

In addition to upgrading the software, if you have had router for a long period, it’s probably worth speaking to Ethnet to ask for a router upgrade.

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

This is probably the most common reason for Ethnet broadband performance issues in your property 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 Ethnet who should be able to run the appropriate line checks to check if there is a issue on the Ethnet internet connection.

Is the performance issue due to Ethnet Internet congestion?

If you are finding that the Ethnet internet connection speed in your area is slows down during certain times i.e. weekends or evenings, it may be due to congestion during peak hours.

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

You should speak to Ethnet to find out your guaranteed speed.

Test your Ethnet broadband connection

After the fault has been resolved either by yourself or Ethnet, retest the internet connection using  at least two independent Speedtests to ensure the problem is resolved:

• • How to the ookla internet broadband speed checker to test your Ethnet connection
  • Check your Ethnet connection speed using Ookla Offical Speed Test
  • Test your Ethnet internet connectionspeed using fast.com speed test
  • Check My Broadband Speed Checker Ethnet internet speed checker
  • • 0845UK Broadband Speed Checker and troubleshooting