Unfortunately, despite all the laudatory odes to the tenth version of Windows, users have a lot of unforeseen problems with it. In particular, many people notice that after updating or after installing Windows 10, the Internet slows down to such an extent that it becomes almost impossible to work with it. In the article, we will deal with the reasons and decide on some simple actions that will get rid of problems and speed up access to the World Wide Web.
Why Internet slows down on Windows 10: possible reasons
To begin with, let's briefly go over the possible reasons that could theoretically affect the decrease in the speed of Internet access. In the tenth modification of the system, among everything that can happen, the following is usually distinguished:
- too heavy load on the networkconnection from user programs;
- incorrect settings for applications using internet connection;
- restrictions on network use by the operating system;
- inconsistent or outdated network hardware drivers;
- Unfinished Windows updates;
- viruses.
Internet slows down in Windows 10: what to do first?
So, let's start looking for the most appropriate solution to the problems.
If the Internet slows down on Windows 10, first of all open the "Task Manager" (taskmgr), go to the performance tab, then click on the link to launch the performance monitor, look at the network status and the list of programs that are most actively using the connection to internet at the moment. After that, return to the main tab and force-quit all unnecessary processes and services, or simply close unused programs.
The programs are also not so simple. For example, if you prefer to download files using torrent clients, you can be sure that in Windows 10 the Internet slows down precisely because of their use, even when the download speed priority is set to medium or minimum in the applications themselves. Very often this manifests itself with a large number of simultaneously downloaded torrents.
If you notice a slowdown in this type of apps, go to settings andremove all download restrictions.
Remove restrictions for QoS service
Few ordinary users know that the system itself reserves the use of computer network resources for itself (usually this value fluctuates around 10-20%), setting limits for all other programs. If the Internet slows down very much in Windows 10, the restrictions should be removed.
First, use the properties of the active connection by selecting it from the available list (ncpa.cpl) and make sure that the client for QoS networks is enabled. After that, call the group policy editor (gpedit.msc), through the administrative templates in the computer configuration, go to the network section, find the subsection of the QoS packet scheduler there, and on the right in the window edit the reserved bandwidth limit setting by calling the corresponding window by double-clicking.
Set the parameter to enabled, and in the box below for the limit expressed as a percentage, enter "0" and save the changes.
Note: if you cannot set the above options, first disable the scheduler in the network connection properties, then set the required parameters and enable it again.
Updating network device drivers
On outdated computers and laptops that can theoretically work with the tenth modification of the system, the problem may only be that forthe network equipment used in them (network cards and wireless adapters) it is not always possible to find suitable drivers. If you notice that the Internet slows down in Windows 10, you don’t even have to try to update the drivers using the system tools (through the Device Manager) (anyway, the “ten” will not find anything suitable). Better use automated packages like DriverPack Solution or iObit Driver Booster.
If they don't help either, go to the details tab in the hardware manager through the properties of the network adapter or wireless module, select the device ID display in the list, copy the longest line containing the DEV and VEN identifiers, use it to set search for a driver either on the official website of the manufacturer, or on specialized resources with driver databases. Next, download the desired driver and install it manually.
Speed up Internet in browsers
Let's assume that on a desktop PC or laptop with Windows 10, the Internet slows down, but everything is fine with the drivers, and disabling system restrictions did not have any effect. In this situation, look at the settings of the browser used for Internet surfing, find the activation of the turbo mode and turn it on.
Note: You will need to install the additional Data Saver extension for the Chrome browser.
You can also try changing the browser cache size. To do this, in the properties of the shortcut in the object type field after the name of the browser executable file with the EXE extension, additionallyenter the line -disk-cache-dir="c:\browsercache" -disk-cache-size=XXXXXX, where XXXXXX is the preferred cache size in bytes. It is not recommended to set this value to more than 100 MB equivalent.
Speed up Internet after installing system updates
If you notice that the Internet slows down after updating Windows 10, uninstall all the latest update packages one by one, using at least viewing installed updates in the "Programs and Features" section for this. To simplify the steps, you can use the Show or hide updates utility from Microsoft or use the troubleshooting tool in the Control Panel.
Additional methods
As additional methods, a few more solutions can be advised:
- accelerate the Internet in optimizer programs (for example, in the Advanced SystemCare application);
- try to increase your connection speed by using special utilities like Ashampoo Internet Accelerator, cFos Speed, Internet Speed Booster or similar;
- install updated firmware for your router(s);
- perform a full system scan for viruses.
