What can cut the Internet speed on a computer. Why Internet speed is cut over WiFi: Free tips on how to speed up data transfer

An urgent problem for owners of tariffs with a limit on the speed or amount of information (as well as USB modems) or "low-speed Internet". It seems that the Internet is there, but the speed is not enough even to open pages on the Internet. If you are used to it and put up with it, then you can continue to ignore it. But still, I think everyone will be interested in what programs or applications use Internet traffic.
By the way, sometimes in this way you can find out and see some unfamiliar process or application that you do not know, and this may be a virus or spyware that sends your data (or monitors your actions) and sends them to someone through Internet.

You can find out what is eating your Internet traffic in several ways.

1) Through the standard . But there is one big drawback here - only in Windows 8 it shows on the tab Processes in a collumn Net.

In other editions (versions) of "Windows" this is not. More precisely, there is, but there is not what you need.

2) Through and various firewalls that provide .
But here, too, there is a snag - not everyone gives such an opportunity, and there are also paid options. Although I use it and it suits me. Shows, by the way, that he uses the Internet too. Like all firewalls in principle.

3) Through third-party special programs.
I consider this option to be the best and most effective, because it is suitable for all versions of the OS and you do not need to pay, because all programs are free.

The first program to gain universal recognition is TCPView from .

On the positive side, it does not require installation (portable) and takes up little space (284 kb). Of the negative in it, only that it does not have a Russian-language interface. But to understand it will not be difficult.

After running the file, the main window looks like this:

It immediately displays all the programs that use the Internet, with characteristics such as the port used, and others.
In addition, you can save this list to a text file, as well as customize the display.
When you right-click on a process, you can find out the process properties (Process Properties), end it (End Process), close the connection (Close Connection), copy (Copy) and find out what the system thinks about it (Whois ...) (it didn’t work for me )

The second program is NetWorx

It does everything the same as the previous program, namely, it monitors and shows which programs climb into the Internet. The most important and pleasant difference is that it is Russified and has many functions.

After installation and / or launch, the program is minimized to and when you right-click on the icon, the following menu appears:

In fact, the main thing we need is to find out which programs are eating the Internet. It's on the menu Tools - Connections

In it, you can also find out which applications are using and you can end the process by right-clicking on it.

I think the disadvantage is that you cannot find out the properties of the file, and therefore you can only guess what kind of file and where it is located.
Perhaps that is why it includes many functions, such as:
- General statistics, in which you can find out how much is received / sent per day / week / month or from other users (if there are several accounts).
- Graph of the current speed.
- Measure internet connection speed.
- Set up a limit (quota) for the use of Internet traffic. You determine how much you can spend per hour/day/week/month, and then the program will notify you of the limit.
- You can make traces or ping the route. In simple words - write the ip address or url of the site, and the program determines how long it takes to send / receive a response and a request. In general, this is for more advanced users.

Well, that's all there is to it. With the main task, namely how to find out which programs and applications consume the Internet connection, you figured it out and know what to do.

A WiFi connection may not always provide the same speed as a cable connection. Among the main reasons are incorrect router settings, conflicts with neighbors' access points, and the wrong choice of the location of the router. Speed ​​is also cut when using outdated hardware or older firmware versions.

How to determine that WiFi speed is being cut

Internet providers indicate in the contract the maximum possible access speed. The actual width of the throughput channel is usually lower than the declared one. At home, it is easy to check whether this is due to restrictions on the provider's side or using WiFi. To do this, connect an Ethernet cable directly to the device from which you access the Internet.

Open the Speedtest online service in any browser and click "Begin Test". The site will automatically determine the nearest server through which the speed test will be performed. The computer will exchange data with the selected server to find out the current Internet speed. Wait until the end of the operation, then remember or write down its result.

Then connect an internet cable to your router, turn it on and connect to WiFi from the same device you tested the speed on. Open the site again and repeat the measurement. If the results of the first and second tests differ significantly, the speed is cut precisely because of the use of wireless Internet.

Interference from neighbors' wireless equipment

Most often, this reason manifests itself in apartment buildings with a large number of installed WiFi access points. The wireless network can operate in one of two bands: 2.4 or 5 GHz. The first option is more common. In this case, the actual frequency can be from 2.412 to 2.484 GHz in 0.005 GHz steps, depending on the selected channel.

The 2.4 GHz band is divided into 14 segments, but not all of them may be available for legal use in a particular country. For example, in the USA only channels 1-11 are used, in Russia: 1-13, in Japan: 1-14. Selecting an incorrect value may violate the laws of the state in which the equipment is operated.

If your neighbors' access points use the same channel as your router, interference (radio wave overlay) occurs. As a result of this, the speed of the Internet over WiFi is cut. It is recommended to analyze the current frequency congestion. The most popular software tool used for this purpose is the inSSIDer utility developed by MetaGeek.

Install the program, run the executable file and click the "Start Scan" button in the upper left corner of the program window. The graph on the right will display the found WiFi networks and the channels on which they work. Find the range that contains the fewest networks with a high level of reception, and then select it in the router control panel.

Note! The width of each channel can be 20 or 40 MHz. Only channels 1, 6, and 11 do not overlap. Use one of these values ​​for the best network setup. You can also choose to automatically detect the least loaded frequencies in the router settings.

High band occupancy

In large cities, the number of available 2.4 GHz networks can be so high that changing the WiFi channel does not lead to the desired result. The data rate is cut even after selecting the freest segment of the frequency range. The optimal solution to this problem is the transition to the 5 GHz band, which has not yet received sufficient distribution.

Its use is possible on dual-band routers. Such routers create two networks at once, which have different names, encryption and authorization parameters. Client devices whose radio module supports 5 GHz operation will be able to connect to WiFi in this range. Legacy models will connect to the second network. With this scheme of work, a number of disadvantages should be taken into account, the main of which are:

1. Smaller coverage area in the presence of obstacles, due to the physical properties of radio waves of this length.
2. Lack of compatibility with older devices.
3. The high cost of dual-band equipment.

Router Issues

The main mistake made by users when organizing a home WiFi network is the wrong choice of the location of the router. It leads to poor signal reception on client devices, due to which the Internet speed is cut. You can specify the signal level by the number of marks on the WiFi icon located in the tray (lower right corner) of the Windows operating system. On mobile devices, the Internet connection status and signal strength can be checked at the top of the screen, in the notification bar.

It is recommended to install the router in the central room of the room where it will be used. This arrangement ensures a high level of WiFi reception in all rooms of the apartment or office. When installed in the corner of a room, remote rooms will not be able to connect to the wireless network or will receive Internet at low speed.

Important! The quality of communication with the router is also affected by the transmitter power, the number of installed antennas and the distance from working sources of electromagnetic radiation. To prevent Internet speed from being cut, try to install the router away from microwave ovens, refrigerators and other household appliances.

Also check the correctness of the WiFi mode selection in the router settings. It is responsible for the maximum data transfer rate and backward compatibility with older devices. For example, if "11b only" is selected, the WiFi speed will be cut to 11Mbps, while "11g only" will limit the bandwidth to 54Mbps.

You can enter the web interface of the router at the address indicated on its bottom panel. For TP-Link models, the desired parameters are selected in the “Wireless Mode -> Wireless Settings” section. The recommended values ​​if there are older models on the network are "11bgn mixed" and "11bg mixed". If all home or office devices support the 802.11n standard, check the "11n only" box.

In the Wireless Security menu, set the security type to WPA/WPA2, as using the legacy WEP method cuts WiFi speed. Change the automatic encryption type selection to Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). It provides greater network security with less impact on data transfer rates.

Click the tab with advanced wireless network settings. On TP-Link it is "Wireless Mode -> Advanced Settings". Find and activate the "WiFi Multimedia" (WMM) option. This protocol allows you to set a high priority for multimedia traffic, thereby speeding up its transmission.

In the settings of the connected devices, you must also activate this function. Open Device Manager in the Control Panel of your Windows operating system. Find your network adapter and go to its properties. On the "Advanced" tab, select the line "WMM" in the list on the left. On the right, specify the value "Enabled" or "Enabled". Save the configuration by clicking the "OK" button.

Another parameter that you should pay attention to when configuring the router is the transmitter power or "Tx Power". This value is indicated as a percentage of the maximum power of the equipment. If the hotspot is far away, set it to "100%" to improve WiFi reception.

Outdated device firmware

Manufacturers of routers and other wireless devices regularly optimize their software for maximum performance. You can download the new firmware version on the Internet, on the developer's website. The update is performed by downloading the file to the device through the admin panel. The path in the menu of routers of different brands is different:

• TP-Link: "System Tools -> Firmware Update";
• D-Link: "System -> Software Update";
• ASUS: "Administration -> Firmware Update";
• Zyxel: "System Information -> Updates";

Advice! When installing software, consider the hardware version of the router. It is indicated on the sticker or in the documentation for the device.

On client equipment (laptops, computers and other equipment connected to WiFi), you should check the versions of network drivers. Windows OS allows you to update the firmware through the control panel, in the "Device Manager" section. Open the "Network adapters" tab and select the radio module you are using. In the "Driver" section, click "Update" and select to automatically search for software on the Internet. After that, restart your computer and connect to the wireless Internet again.

Tutorial video: How and why the Internet speed is cut over WiFi

Using optional equipment

If, after fixing all the problems, the Internet speed in remote rooms continues to cut, use additional equipment to amplify the signal. It includes: external antennas for routers, high-power wireless adapters for computers, WiFi repeaters.

When choosing an antenna, consider the gain and type of connector with which it connects to the access point. Typically, manufacturers indicate a list of equipment recommended for use with certain device models. When connecting third-party antennas that have not been tested for compatibility, difficulties may arise with further warranty service.

The repeater allows you to increase coverage and get high speed Internet even at a considerable distance from the router. Due to the use of a built-in power supply, such devices have a compact size. To use them, just plug the device into a power outlet and press the “WiFi Protected Setup” (WPS) button on the case. After that, the same button must be pressed on the router itself or a quick connection must be activated via the web interface.

Internet speed over Wi-Fi, this is a topic that has always been discussed, and will be discussed in various forums, in comments, etc. Very often people ask questions like: "why is Wi-Fi speed lower than cable", " why the speed through the router is less”, “how to increase the speed of the Internet via Wi-Fi”, etc. Why does this happen at all, where do these questions come from. I'll explain now.

There is internet, which is connected to the computer directly. The provider promises a speed of, for example, 100 Mbps. When checking, the speed may be a little lower, but something like that. We buy a router, install it, and of course we check the speed, because we read somewhere that the router cuts speed. We check from the router via cable, it seems to be normal, the speed has not dropped much. We check when connecting via Wi-Fi and see that the speed is two or even more times lower than when connected via cable. For example, on Wi-Fi, out of 100 Mbps provided by the provider, there are 50 Mbps, 40, or even less left. It is clear that this does not suit us, and we begin to look for a solution. And in search of a solution, we go to pages like this one.

If you want to see specific tips on the topic of increasing Wi-Fi speed, then I will write about this a little later, in a separate article. But, I want to say right away that the tips that I will write about, and which can already be found on the Internet, as a rule, do not give any results in terms of increasing speed. Although, it depends on individual cases. And in this article I just want to tell you why it happens that when you connect through a router, the Internet speed is less than, for example, via cable.

Why does a Wi-Fi router cut speed?

Each router cuts the speed. Some less, some more. As a rule, it depends on the price of the router itself. The more expensive it is, the more powerful it is, and the more powerful it is, it means that there will be less speed cut. I'm talking specifically about connecting via Wi-Fi. If the cable speed through the router is less, then, as a rule, this is not critical. But over a wireless network, speed losses are decent.

Many are still interested in the numbers that are indicated on the box with the router, or in the specifications. You can see speed information there. For example: up to 150 Mbps, or 300 Mbps. And here again there are questions: "why does my router support 300 Mbps, and I have a speed of 50 Mbps?". So, the manufacturer indicates the maximum speed , which under normal conditions can never be obtained. The speed will always be much lower. And from those 300 Mbps that are written on the router, we often get speeds several times lower. But how much the speed will be less, already depends on the power of the router (mostly), and on a number of other factors, which I will now talk about.

Also, do not forget that in addition to the router, we also have a Wi-Fi receiver in our laptop, tablet, smartphone, or. Which also supports different standards, and the speed at which it works may be lower than that which the router can issue. Speed ​​is always determined by the slowest device on the network. For example: the router gives out theoretical 300 Mbps. But the adapter that receives the signal can operate at a maximum speed of 150 Mbps. And we are already getting a limit of 150 Mbps, since on the network, this device is the slowest. Well, I will go deeper into these nuances, I just wanted to explain why the speed suffers so much when connected via a Wi-Fi network.

What determines the speed of a Wi-Fi network, and how to get the maximum speed?

As promised, I will write in more detail about ways to increase speed in a separate instruction. And now, I will list the main reasons that affect the speed of a Wi-Fi network:

• WiFi router. Network standards (802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac), which it supports, what technologies it uses, and the power of the hardware itself. As a rule, the more expensive the router, the higher the speed of the wireless network.
• Router software, and Wi-Fi receiver on your computer. Very often, with updating the firmware of the router, or adapter drivers on the computer, the speed becomes faster.
• Interference. Interference can be both from other, neighboring Wi-Fi networks (mostly), and from household appliances.
• The power of the Wi-Fi network. It is not news that near the router, where the signal is maximum, the speed will be higher than in another room, where the network signal is no longer so stable.
• The number of devices connected to your network. If one device is connected to your router, then it will receive all the speed that the router can give out. If we connect another device and start downloading something on it, then the speed will already be divided by 2, and so on. In addition, all connected devices create a load on the hardware of the router, which leads to a drop in speed.
• The type of internet connection your ISP is using. The fact is that if your provider uses the Dynamic IP or Static IP connection type, then the router will cut the speed less than when connecting PPPoE, L2TP and PPTP.
• Router settings. Correctly setting up network protection, choosing the network operation mode and channel width, as well as changing the channel, can slightly increase the speed.

How to organize a Wi-Fi network so that the loss of speed is minimal?

Regarding the ISP: if you have not yet connected the Internet, and if possible, then select a provider that uses Dynamic IP or Static IP connection technology. So it will be easier for the router, and setting up such a connection is much easier.

Router selection: if you want minimal loss of speed, you will have to spend money on a router. I advise you to buy a router that can work at a frequency 5GHz(GHz), and support for . The 5GHz frequency is now practically free, which means that there will not be much interference there. After all, basically, so far, all Wi-Fi networks operate at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. And the new standard 802.11ac, even compared to the most popular at the moment 802.11n, allows you to transmit information at a speed of as much as 6.77 Gbps. This is of course in theory, with special equipment.

Devices that you will connect to the network: as I wrote above, the speed also depends on network clients. It is desirable that your devices are new, with support for the modern standard 802.11ac, or at least 802.11n. If this is a computer, then update the driver for your Wi-Fi adapter. I wrote about it in .

Check the speed of the Internet, share the results in the comments, and tell us if your router cuts the speed a lot. Best wishes!

American engineers from the CAIDA data analysis center have developed a system that limits the speed of Internet connections to which of the Internet providers. The technology has gained particular significance in light of the fact that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has canceled the rules of net neutrality in the United States. Next, let's look at this system.

Why a CAIDA solution was needed

Since 2015, the principle of net neutrality has been in effect in the United States. It prohibited telecommunications companies from distinguishing between traffic from different sources. That is, the provider had no right to limit the speed of access to any content, forcing users to purchase a premium package of services.

In June of this year, the principles of net neutrality in the United States ceased to exist. Therefore, CAIDA engineers proposed a system that will allow you to determine which of the network providers slows down or limits the connection speed to individual resources. It is based on the concept of cross-domain traffic tracking.

How the system works

The system uses a set of eighty "viewpoints" (Vantage Points) to evaluate the latency and percentage of lost packets in inter-domain connections of 47 ISPs. The Time Series Latency Probes (TSLP) method is applied.

It involves sending probe ICMP requests (frames of the Probe Request type) to servers. The packet lifetime (Time To Live, TTL) is set in such a way that their timer expires when a connection arrives at the far and near routers. If the delay at the far end of the line is increased, but not at the near end, then the "congestion" in the inter-domain connection is probably to blame.

Researchers use this approach because it does not require cooperation with ISPs and is easy to implement. It is less accurate, but the results are close to those of more invasive methods (bandwidth measurements, performance tests on video streaming, etc.).

InfluxDB is responsible for managing the temporary data obtained using TSLP. The researchers also set up Grafana to render the data in the browser.

CAIDA says it tested its system between March 2016 and December 2017. They noted that there is no mass tendency to limit the speed of access to the network among the eight American providers (whose activity was monitored). This is probably due to the fact that at that time the principles of net neutrality were still in effect. However, as noted by CAIDA, some providers did slow down the Internet speed at certain times of the day.

The authors note that their system does not yet take into account a number of factors, in particular, the bandwidth of the communication line or asymmetric routing. But in the future, they plan to refine their tool and conduct research on the networks of a larger number of Internet providers. So how the picture has changed since the FCC neutrality was lifted (or if it has changed at all, given that the three major US telecom operators have already refused to introduce any paid subscriptions) remains to be seen.

Recorded cases of speed limit

In the United States, there have already been several cases where providers limited the speed of Internet access for end users.

Information theory professor Dave Choffnes and developer of the Wehe network traffic monitoring application, together with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts, found that almost all US mobile operators limit the bandwidth for video content, but do not touch other types of traffic.

The researchers analyzed the data Dave collected with his app. This is more than half a million tests in the networks of providers in 161 countries of the world.

Most often, US carriers limit the speed to YouTube and video streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and NBC Sports. For example, during one of the tests, it was found that on the T-Mobile network, the access speed to Netflix was 1.77 Mbps. For other content, the speed reached 6.62 Mbps.

In total, in the first half of 2018, Wehe recorded more than ten thousand cases of traffic restriction on Verizon networks. On AT&T networks, the figure was eight thousand, and on T-Mobile it was four thousand. At the same time, "throttling" was recorded 24/7 - even when there was no point in it.

Similar situations occurred ten years ago, which, in fact, became one of the reasons for the introduction of net neutrality. In 2007, Comcast was accused of intentionally preventing BitTorrent users from sharing files online. Slowing down BitTorrent traffic was declared illegal, but Comcast never received a fine.

Sometimes providers restrict users from accessing the Internet at the most inopportune times. For example, Verizon recently speeded up network access for the fire department of Santa Clara County, California, while fighting a major fire. The head of the unit, Anthony Bowden, noted that the operator, by his actions, prevented them from working, making it difficult for the rescuers to coordinate.

According to the tariff used by firefighters, they have 25 gigabytes per month. When they run out the speed is cut two hundred times. However, the operator must remove this restriction in emergency situations. But he didn't.

And although Verizon says that the situation has nothing to do with the problem of net neutrality (according to them, it was a technical support error), there is an opinion that this is not entirely true.

For example, one of the Santa Clara County legislators where the incident took place,

Do you have low internet speed and want to increase it? Then read this article and learn how to increase the speed of the Internet.

I will not reveal a terrible secret if I say that the speed of the Internet depends on only two factors: on your Internet provider and on you. You may be asking: what about me? Fine. I answer in order.

Factor One: Your ISP.

It provides Internet connection and is fully responsible for the serviceability and speed of the Internet connection. Often, providers treat their duties in bad faith and do not pay due attention to the development and maintenance of their communication lines and equipment. This leads to congestion of the lines, and as a result, a decrease in the speed of the Internet. As a rule, this situation can be observed during peak loads, in the evening.

Factor two: you. Or rather, not you, but your ability, and most importantly the desire to properly configure that part of the Internet, the responsibility for which lies with you. Because, as a rule, most of the problems that prevent normal network operation do not occur on the provider's side, but on the user's side.

There are many factors that affect low Internet speed that you can change.

The first, the most obvious, and the most common. Antivirus

Antivirus is truly a "double-edged sword". It's bad without him, and not very good with him. Do you have an antivirus installed on your computer? Then conduct a simple experiment: check the speed of the Internet with the antivirus turned on (you can check it with any one). Do not one, but at least 10 online tests. Calculate the average value of incoming and outgoing traffic.

What can be done?
Of course, the easiest option is to disable the antivirus completely. But it's probably not worth it. You never know what... It's better to carefully delve into its settings and change the traffic check mode to a softer one. In different antiviruses, this is done in different ways. Some have this opportunity, while others do not. This must be looked at in a particular case.

Second: There may be low Internet speed through the router (if you have one, of course)

Do it. Then connect directly, bypassing the router, and test again. The results may surprise you! If this is the case, then try first flashing the router with a new firmware. If it doesn't help, buy a new one.

Third: Modem

The situation is similar to the router, but it is more difficult to test. Since for the test you need to borrow a similar modem from someone and make test measurements of the Internet speed. And this is not always possible. Therefore, as a rule, the modem is left alone.

Fourth: Computer and its performance

Check your computer for viruses. You can have a lot of them, even if you have a "cool" antivirus. Check with third-party programs or utilities. Not with your antivirus! He and so to you on a computer of any rubbish let loose. A list of recommended free utilities is in the article.