Nothing is more frustrating when you are happily watching an HD movie with your friends, or having a cozy date night at home, only to find that you are spending more time watching the movie load on screen than watching the scenes. If you are a subscriber to Comcast, and you find that your internet has become frustratingly slow, there could be certain factors that may be causing your internet to slow down.
But you should know the reasons why your internet could be slow before thinking of solutions.
Why Is My Comcast Internet So Slow
Peak Hours or Promotional Upgrades
Peak hours place a lot of load in the network, and these timings typically are between 7pm and 2am. As cable networks are not directly to home, and you get your connection and share it with your neighbourhood, you may find that your internet is slower during certain times of the day. In a move to attract more clients, your ISP may offer a promotional upgrade so you may find during that promotion, your bandwidth is slower.
Piggyback Thieves
Quite simply put, there are people who simply want to be connected online without paying for it. If your password is not secure, you could have unauthorized users connected to your network. You should check to see if there are unauthorized users or devices connected and change the password ever so often, so that unknown users don’t add extra load on your network.
Cyber Threats
This is a world which is increasingly leaning towards being online, and this means that cyber threats may harm your network. Ensure you have an up to date antivirus software that will detect spyware and malware which could slow down your network considerably.
Damaged Cables
Even though coaxial cables which are used for your cable connection are protected to prevent signal loss and interference, there could be areas that are in dire need of repair. If your connection goes through unprotected sections of cable or the cable is damaged in any way, then this could be a reason for your data loss.
Overload
If you have to constantly upload or download heavy files, you may find that your streaming HD video is severely impacted. This is because data packets need to be constantly transferred, and if there is a hold up in your download or upload, both will be affected, causing your internet to slow down.
Incompatibility between browser and OS
The type of browser you use does impact your online experience, as does your devices processor and RAM. A more powerful gadget, combined with a particular browser can bump up your site loading speeds a bit, giving you the impression that your internet is not slow after all.
Wireless connection
Wireless networks face a lot more noise on the spectrum and a slow internet is quite common. You can try hardwiring your device directly to your router or modem to get faster speeds.
How Can I Fix My Slow Comcast Internet
Here are a few fixes which you can attempt yourself before losing your mind and start tearing your hair out.
- Upgrade your Subscription plan – This is probably the most obvious answer, but if you have signed up for a basic internet plan, you cannot expect to game online and have a lot of HD graphics surround you. Your devices cannot make miracles happen form something that is meagre. Upgrade your plan to one where you have access to faster speeds.
- Restart your router: Many times a simple reboot could sort out any temporary fluctuations in your network.
- Restart your device – A simple restart could wipe the slate clean so to speak, so you don’t face a slow internet problem.
- Run anti-virus software – Many times it could simply be malware that is clogging up your bandwidth. Run a scan to check for viruses and remove them.
- Run a Speedtest – To determine what is the actual speed you are receiving, vs what you are supposed to get, you can check out your speed here.
- Hardwire your device – If you feel your connection is not solid, it could be your wireless connection is not too strong. In this case, you should try hardwiring your device to your modem or router via an Ethernet cable. This will give you much better speeds and performance.
- Reset your Modem – even your modem may need a reboot, and if you have tried the above steps and still feel that your internet is slow, power your modem down and let it rest for a few minutes before powering it back on.
- Check your own cables – If you are hardwiring your device and feel like your internet is still slow, the fault could lie with loose cables or fittings. Give a quick check if there are any corroded connections, loose fittings, or center connectors with the wrong length.
- Call Customer Service – This is a great stress buster. They should have all the answers t your problem, and if not, they are a good place to vent a wee bit.
- Replace your Router – A main reason is that your router is an older model that cannot handle the load nor the speeds your ISP gives. If that is the case, it’s time to bury your old router in the sand and buy a new wireless router for Xfinity Internet. We have a range of guides to help you decide which one would be a good choice for you – You can check them out.
- Replace your ISP – If your ISP is not the best option in your area, you should do your research and find another ISP that will give you what you need.
Final Words
If you have been thinking, ‘Why is my Comcast internet so slow’ for a while and have reached your wits end – perhaps this article will help. The fixes are simple, and easy for any user to try out. Many subscribers to Comcast have experienced their fair share of problems, and many times it’s a simply DIY fix that solves the problem instead of calling Customer service and being put on hold for an hour or two while you get serenaded by music that could put you to sleep.
Self reliance is the next step, and this simple fix it guide will help you through your slow internet problem.