How to troubleshoot W3Z broadband speed problems

Before you start troubleshooting the performance of your W3Z broadband connection, we suggest that you run a W3Z Internet Speed Test to measure your current internet speed.

It is a good idea to also find out the guaranteed minimum download speed that you are paying for from W3Z.

You can get this info by checking a W3Z broadband bill, your W3Z contract or by contacting W3Z.

Likely causes of W3Z’s slow internet speed

Is it the W3Z internet connection that is running slow or could it be your device (laptop/smartphone/PC)?

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

The speed problem may be due to over-utilisation of your device’s resources e.g RAM/CPU Processor and not a problem with W3Z’s broadband connection.

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

On other device, you could try rebooting the device which should hopefully kill all applications that may be using up system resources.

Run the W3Z Speed checker on your personal computer and your mobile to see how the speedtest results differ between the two devices.

This should hopefully give you some info to help determine whether the problem is with your PC/Smartphone or the W3Z internet connection.

• What does the W3Z download and upload speed mean?
• Who is the best Internet Service Provider in the UK?
• 5 tips to improve your W3Z Internet performance
• Simple DNS hack to improve internet browsing speed on W3Z

Is the Wi-Fi network the cause of the issue?

The root cause of the performance issue may be your Wi-Fi network and not the W3Z broadband internet connection.

You can rule out the Wi-Fi network by connecting your computer directly into the W3Z broadband router with an ethernet cable and then run the W3Z Speed checker again.

If the speed test result is better when you are connected by a network cable, this indicates that the issue may be with the internal wireless network.

A few other things to check:

• Are the WiFi channels that you are using for your wireless network (SSID) overlapping with your neighbors?
• Is your wireless signal from the broadband router obstructed?
• Does your speed get better when you’re stood directly in-front of the W3Z wireless router?

Who is connected to my Wifi network?

Have you checked that your Wifi network password has not been compromised? Do you have an open Wifi network? How complex is your Wifi network password? It may be time to change it.

Others could be on your Wifi network and eating up all your W3Z speed by downloading, uploading or even streaming music or video on your W3Z internet connection! Worse than that, they could be conducting illegal activities over your W3Z broadband connection.

Here are three applications to use to scan your Wi-Fi network to check who is connected:

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

The above applications scan your Wifi network and display a list of the connected devices.

• How to check who is on your W3Z Wifi network

Should I get a Wifi network booster for my W3Z broadband?

If you find that you have Wi-Fi coverage holes in your property, a Wifi network extender also known as a Wifi Booster is the best solution to increase your wireless signal to cover any black holes.

• Best Wireless Signal Boosters

The wireless extender picks up the existing wireless network signal just as it is starting to become weaker and re-transmits the Wi-Fi network signal to increase it’s reach.

Position the Wifi booster near the position where your Wifi network signal from the W3Z internet router is becoming weaker.

Place it approximately where your Wi-Fi network signal is dropping down to less than 2 bars. Walk around your home with a smartphone to determine where this location is.

When did you last upgrade the W3Z internet router?

The W3Z and broadband infrastructure, in general, are frequently upgraded to provide new features and improve performance as technology evolves.  Always ensure that your W3Z broadband router is running the most up to date software.

The majority of W3Z internet routers allow you to carry out the software upgrade by logging on the W3Z broadband router and simply clicking a button to do the update.

If you cannot do this, contact W3Z 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 hardware for a long time, it’s probably worth talking to W3Z to request for a hardware upgrade.

Is the root cause of the issue outside your property (at the exchange)?

This is probably the most common cause for W3Z broadband performance issues in your home and is more common with internet broadband connections that are delivered via phone lines.

If you are not sure if this is relevant in your case, you should contact W3Z who should be able to conduct the appropriate line checks to check if there is a fault on the W3Z internet line.

Is the performance issue due to W3Z Internet congestion?

If you are finding that the W3Z internet connection speed in your area is slows down during certain times i.e. weekends and during the evening, then it may be because of congestion during peak times.

• What’s Broadband Contention Ratio and does W3Z have contention?

You should contact W3Z to find out your minimum speed.

Re-testing your W3Z internet connection

After the problem has been fixed either by yourself or W3Z, retest the broadband connection using  at least two separate Speedtests to ensure the fault is resolved:

• • How to the ookla internet broadband speed test to test your W3Z broadband
  • Check your W3Z connection speed using Ookla Offical Speed Test
  • Test your W3Z broadbandspeed using fast.com speed test
  • Check My Broadband Speed Checker W3Z broadband speed checker
  • • 0845UK Internet Speed Checker and troubleshooting