Page Contents
 IofM internet Speed test
Click on the “Go” button on the Ookla Speed test to test the speed of your IofM internet connection.
Information on how to fix problems with your IofM broadband can be below.
For a more accurate reading, run the Speedtest twice
Troubleshooting IofM broadband internet performance
Before you start troubleshooting the speed of your IofM broadband connection, you firstly need to run the IofM Internet Broadband Speed Test and also confirm what Upload and Download speed that you are paying for.
You can get this information by checking your IofM bill or contact IofM to confirm this info.
Common causes of IofM slow broadband speed
Is it your IofM broadband that is slow or is it your device (PC/laptop/phone)?
You need to check how many apps are concurrently running on your device that could be using your system resources (mainly RAM memory and CPU) and/or your IofM internet bandwidth.
If you are on a computer then you may use the task manager to check your processor and memory utilization.
On any other device you should try rebooting the device which should hopefully shut down all applications that may be running in the background.
Re-run the IofM speedtest on your PC and your phone to see how the speedtest results compare between the two devices.
This should hopefully provide you with some info to work with in terms of whether the issue lies with your device or the IofM internet connection.
- What exactly does the IofM download and upload speed mean?
- 5 Ways to Speed Up Your IofM Internet Speed in your area
- DNS hack to speed up internet browsing on IofM
Is your Wifi network connection the problem?
The cause of the problem could be your wireless connection and not the IofM broadband internet connection.
You could rule out the wireless network network being the cause of the problem by connecting your PC directly into the IofM broadband router using an ethernet cable and run the IofM speed checker again.
If speed improves when you are connected via an ethernet cable then this proves that the problem may be with your Wifi network connection setup.
Possible things to check are:
- Are the Wireless channels you’re using for your wireless network network (SSID) overlapping with the neighbors?
- Could your wireless signal from the router be obstructed?
- Does your performance improve when you’re standing directly infront of the IofM broadband or wireless router?
Who is connected to my wireless network?
Have you checked that your Wifi network password has not been compromised? Do you have an un-secured Guest Wi-Fi network?
Neighbors could be on your wirelessi network and using up all the IofM bandwidth downloading/uploading or even streaming netflix! Worse than that, they could be carrying out illegal activities which will all point to your connection.
There are 2 applications that you can use to scan your wireless network to see who is connected:
- Windows users can use Wireless network watcher
- MAC users can use whoFi (who is on my Wifi)
Both applications will scan your wireless network and show you a list of the connected devices.
Check out this tutorial on how to use both applications
Do I need a wireless network Booster for my IofM broadband?
If you find that you have wireless black holes in your house, then a Wifi extender also know as a Wi-Fi Booster is the solution to boost your signal. They are readily available online from around £15.
The wireless booster simply picks up your existing wireless signal as it is starting to become weak and then re-transmits the Wi-Fi network signal at a more stronger rate to extend it’s reach.
Place the wireless network booster/extender where your wireless network signal from the IofM broadband router is becoming weak. Approxiametly where your wireless signal drops down to 2 bars. Use your mobile phone to determine where this is.
When was the last time you upgraded your IofM broadband router?
The IofM and openreach infrastructure is constantly being updates to support new features (some customer facing and others internal). Ensure that your IofM broadband router has the most up to date software.
Most IofM broadband routers will allow you to perform the software update by logging on the IofM broadband router and simply clicking a button to do the upgrade.
If you can’t do this, contact IofM and they are able to either do this for you or talk you through how to do it depending on the IofM router model you have.
In addition to upgrading the software, if you have had the same hardware for a long period, it is worth talking to IofM to ask for a router upgrade.
Is the fault external (at the exchange)?
This is probably the most common reason for IofM broadband performance problem in your area and it’s more common for broadband connections that are delivered using phone lines.
If you are unsure if this is applicable to you, you should contact IofM who will be able to carry out the relevant line tests to see if there is a fault on the IofM internet connection.
Is it due to IofM Internet congestion?
If you’re finding that the IofM internet connection speed in your area is slow during certain periods e.g weekends and during the evening, then it may be because of congestion during peak times.
You should speak to your IofM to find out if the service you subscribed to has a guaranteed speed or is a contended ‘first come first serve’ service with no minimum speed guaranteed.
Finding a better Service Provider
Re-testing your IofM internet connection
After the issue has been fixed either by yourself or IofM, re-test the broadband connection using at least 2 independent speedtests such as the one here and Ookla internet speedtester to ensure the fault is resolved.
