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How to improve broadband speed

Internet speed depends upon many factors. One of the main aspect to be considered is your own PC. Download speed may vary based on the settings of the computer. If it is an old PC, the upgrade of hardware may be necessary to improve the speed. There is no point in going for a fast Internet connection unless your PC is ready to match with the provider’s options. A few suggestions given in this article will be of use to those who are frustrated with slow connection speed. It is worth trying these tricks to see if you can speed up your existing connection before making attempts to switch to a faster, more expensive broadband package.

Browser settings:
Microsoft’s latest browser is ‘Internet Explorer 7′. Even now people use the Version 6 of the Internet Explorer. Downloading pages using older versions of Internet Explorer will cause sufficient delay in loading pages with more pictures. Therefore by upgrading to the latest version one could reduce the time it takes to download a page. There are also other browsers like Mozilla Firefox or Opera which provide faster downloads. It is essential to adjust your browser settings. But one should be extremely careful while going for changing the browser settings. It is always better to visit sites like TweakXp.com and get more information on such aspects.that is to say upgrading your browser settings can do help to improve broadband speed.

Speed up by talking to the ISP
It is not correct to say that by choosing a 8Mb package one can increase the speed of the connection. Going for a higher speed service will help to a certain extent . However, the distance from the exchange to your location counts much on the speed aspects. If the speed is exceptionally slow, better to contact your ISP for more clarifications and explore the possibility of improving the speed by boosting the connection.

Wireless internet and neighbours
One has to be aware of the fact that people around can easily catch and use the wireless Internet service with out the knowledge of the owner. This may not cost any money but the usage can slow down the connection speed. It is just possible that some people may simply miss or forget to set up security measures to keep their connection safe. It is always better to set up a WEP key while installing the wireless router. It has also to be noted that an unprotected connection may lead to hacking and other users can find out your personal information, such as bank details.

How to verify if the connection is secured?

Scan your wireless network by visiting ‘My Network Places’. There should be a picture of a padlock next to the name of your network. If this is absent then you need security. A wireless encryption key is normally used to make the hacking more difficult. The key is a series of numbers and letters, There are WEP with 64bit or 128bit encryption that offers limited security.WPA-TKIP offers better security and is compatible with older routers and USB keys. WPA2-AES offers the best security and performance but has less compatibility.

Programs that run in the background are to be monitored.
There are many programs that start running in the background as soon as you log in on the PC. There are many applications that will discretely use your internet connection. You might think that you have switched the program off but they continue to run in the background. These programs may continually upload and download data using a peer-to-peer system and they not only slow you down the Pc but also use up your download allowance. Some applications like Windows updates, security suite updates, MSN and Skype could also all be running at the same time. Almost all such programs can be set so that they don’t start up automatically. Go to your task manager, by right clicking on the Task bar, and find out which applications are running. We can check the programs that are running in the Applications tab. Ensure your internet safe connection also plays a important roles in broad band speed.

Router
Router or modem that you use also plays an important role in the performance. A better modem or router may give better features such as selection of ports for gaming etc., and may also give a better firewall. The modem that you may be getting from your ISP should be able to give stronger signals when you’re connecting wirelessly. Ensure that the there is less blocks between your router and the PC receiver, such as doors and walls. If you encounter a serious speed problem and are using a wireless router, try to connect directly via a cable to see if it helps. For those who have fast connections, this shouldn’t be a big issue. The type of cable that you use to connect can also make a speed difference. Ethernet cable will be more efficient than using a USB cable.

Speedup wireless connection by selecting better aerial.

If you are using Wi-fi at home and experiencing speed problems then you may consider getting a better aerial. The standard aerials are usually 2dBi, ( indicates the length). Longer the aerial, the better the signal and the further its reach. Buy an aerial of 9dBi that can increase signal strength by 30-50 per cent. You can also think of using a wireless access point, which acts as a router. By connecting the access point to your router using a Wireless Distribution System (WDS), the reach of your wireless signal, without reducing its strength, can be extended. More about improving wireless internet speeds

ONSPEED
ONSPEED is software that can boost your speed without switching to a different ISP. ONSPEED allows you to view web pages and emails much faster. However QuickTime files like MP3, AVI, MPEG, exes or streaming media content can not be speeded up by the service. The software has to be downloaded and installed. The software works by individually compressing each element of a web page thus increasing the speed of upload and download. ONSPEED works the best on connections lower than 2Mbps. More information on this service is here

Switching to a better broadband service
If nothing helps. You can always switch to a different broadband provider. More useful tips on speeding up broadband connection here.

 

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