In case of slow connection with TIM, WindTre, Fastweb and others

To establish if the internet speed is low really and not just a feeling of slow connection, it is important, first of all, to check your connection from your home PC. We have seen how to do this in two similar articles, one explaining how to do a speed test on ADSL and the other to understand how to do the verification of the real internet connection speed; after having carried out the various tests and checks, the measured values ​​can be compared with those promised in the contract signed with our internet provider: TIM, Fastweb, Infostrada, Vodafone or others.Whatever connection we have at home, be it TIM, Fastweb, WindTre or other operators, if there is a problem of slowness which does not depend on the line, we can try to adjust the following configurations and settings, so as to make the connection much faster and more responsive without having to call the call center and ask for technical assistance.

READ ALSO -> What to do if the internet browser is slow to load pages

1) Close programs that use the internet

If the internet seems slow, it could be the fault of the many open programs, which take up most of the bandwidth available for the internet connection. To free the Internet connection from high traffic programs, we can follow the instructions below:

• Do a malware scan with Malwarebytes
• Close all programs that download data from the internet such as Torrent or Emule clients. If in doubt, you can use some free tools to find what programs use the internet
• Check theautomatic start of programs

By following these indications we will have to be able to recover the bandwidth occupied by programs in the background or by programs with high connection consumption, making the Internet connection fast and snappy again.

2) Optimize Wi-Fi connection settings

The Wi-Fi connection can suffer from interference if it is not properly configured and if the router is not positioned in the right way. As for the first problem, it can be solved in two ways: using 5GHz networks or, if we have to use a normal 2.4 GHz network, connect to the best Wi-Fi channel without interference, by changing a simple setting on the router.

As for the second problem, instead it is advisable to move the router to a better position, possibly away from microwave ovens or other sources of radiation, away from walls and not closed inside a cabinet. To find out how to configure Wi-Fi correctly, refer to reading our guides what slows down the network speed (wifi or wired) and the internet connection and also to the more specific one on the why Wi-Fi is slow and how to fix.

If we don’t have a new 5GHz modem we can also consider the option of changing modems to a new model, as seen in our guise buy a new wifi router.

3) Modificare i server DNS

The DNS server is a very important web service for browsing the web or for opening web services: every time you surf the internet, our device will access a list of DNS addresses, which can be described as the world directory of Internet sites. This list converts web addresses into IP addresses and vice versa, in order to correctly open the site we are looking for. To have a fast internet connection it is therefore important that the connection to this server is as fast as possible.

DNS is therefore an important network parameter that you are not bound to. That is, you are not obliged to use TIM, Fastweb or WindTre DNS servers, which are often the slowest to react (in addition to blocking some web pages). Fortunately, we can always use the DNS of external companies such as i DNS Google, OpenDNS O Cloudflare DNS (one of the fastest ever).

To learn more we can also read our guides how to change DNS on PC, Mac and router quickly e How to change DNS on Smart TV.

4) Optimize the operating system

Although this type of setup usually does not improve internet speed if it is low, it is still possible to increase the maximum download speed and get an optimized network by making some internal changes in Windows. In particular, you can speed up your internet connection with 5 Windows tricks, to be applied to all active connections to perceive a speed increase (even if it comes at the end of small tricks, nothing miraculous).

If we don’t want to deal with registry keys and particular commands, it is also possible to use automatic programs to optimize the internet such as IOBit Advanced Systemcare or the internet optimization tool.

5) Modem values ​​to keep under control

If we want to investigate the speed of your internet network, it is necessary to obtain all the information on the connection that is described on the router’s main page. We then log into the router (usually just open the address 192.168.1.1 on the browser) and look for the network information or statistics tab. On the interface of some routers, this card is the first one you can read, in others like the Technicolor Fastweb you have to go in Broadband connection> DSL connection> details. The network is described according to some values including two whose meaning is important:

• Line Attenuation (dB), tells us how far is the telephone exchange that provides us with the internet connection from our home. 50 dB can be considered the minimum acceptable, above this value the low internet speed becomes normal.
• SN margin it is an important value that influences the stability of the network (difference between the current SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) and the SNR necessary to have a certain speed). If this margin is low, less than 12 dB, then the frequent disconnections are explained here.
• Line capacity O Bandwidth O Synchronization speed tells us the maximum achievable speed.

Based on these values, as seen in the guide on how to fix slow internet connection problems, it’s possible calculate the maximum speed obtained from the telephone line operator and then make the necessary interventions, calling technical assistance or changing operator.

These values ​​are valid for those using ADSL connections or VDSL connections, while for those who have direct optical fiber it is not necessary to keep them under control, since the speed will always be very high and the technology used is very different. To learn more we can also read our guides FTTH Fiber Optic Types: Which Is Best? and VDSL, FTTC and FTTH fiber: what differences and which is better?

Conclusions

With the advice above we will be able to find the cause of the slow Internet connection speed and fix it quickly without having to call customer support or without having to ask for the help of a technical friend. We follow all the steps and advice to the letter and, in case of further problems, do not hesitate to report the problem to the assistance of our telephone operator, as also seen in the guide Request TIM, WindTre, Vodafone, Fastweb operator assistance.

If the line problem is present only when we use an online streaming service (such as Netflix), we invite you to read our guides Increase video streaming speed to maximum and If Netflix Streaming is Slow or Low Quality, How to Fix.