Is your internet speed becoming too slow? If yes, then your ISP (internet service provider) might be throttling your WiFi.
Here are some tips you can follow to determine if your internet suffers from throttling and how you can prevent your ISP from doing so.
Internet Too Slow? Your ISP Could Be Limiting Your WiFi's Speed
When internet speeds are slow, many users tend to forget that their ISPs could be one of the main reasons behind poor WiFi performance.
Instead, they blame outdated routers, not-so-ideal router placements, bad weather, and other reasons. But, CNET reported that slow internet speeds could also be your ISP's fault.
In fact, some WiFi service companies intentionally decrease their customers' internet speed limits. This is called internet throttling.
Avast explained that internet throttling is used by ISPs to regulate network traffic, as well as clear up network congestion. They commonly throttle internet speeds when their users already reach a data usage limit within a fixed period.
However, there are some instances when ISPs do this just to influence their consumers' browsing behavior or gain more profit. Another questionable reason for throttling is prioritizing streaming services affiliated with ISPs.
This means that some ISPs tend to throttle internet speed limits when users access websites that don't benefit from just forcing them to use their partnered streaming services.
How To Identify Internet Throttling
There are many methods you can try to check if your internet speed is being throttled. These include the following:
Basic WiFi Troubleshooting
The very first thing you need to do is conduct a basic WiFi troubleshooting. These include checking if the router is centrally located in your house, double-checking internet security, etc.
Using Online Internet Speed Checkers
If you know the internet speed that your ISP promises, you can check if it is accurate with what you are getting by using online WiFi speed checkers, such as Ookla and M-Lab.
Activate and Deactivate Your VPN
If you already know that your internet issue is not a normal one, you can use a VPN to confirm if your ISP is throttling your service. This is because ISPs need to know your location if they are going to reduce your internet speed limit.
With a VPN, you can confirm this since if your VPN is activated, they will not be able to throttle your WiFi. You can turn off your VPN again to double-check. If your internet becomes slower, then it's definitely because of throttling.
How to Prevent Internet Throttling
You can't really stop ISPs from doing throttling because they also need it in many situations to ensure their services will not get interrupted by too much traffic.
Although this is the case, there are still some things you can do to prevent your internet from getting throttled. These include the following:
- Switching to a new ISP that promises no throttling is your best option.
- Monitoring your monthly data usage will also help so you can make plans to avoid exceeding your internet speed limits per month.
- VPNs can also help you avoid content-based throttling.
