The Frustrating Case of Our Family’s Internet Speed Woes

Over the past six months, my family and I have faced an exasperating issue with our internet service provider (ISP). After returning home from an extended trip to care for a family member in early 2022, I discovered that our internet speed had dropped to a sluggish 1.8 Mbps. Initially, I suspected a problem with my personal computer, but it quickly became clear that the root of the issue lay with our family’s internet service.

Despite having moderately acceptable download speeds for gaming and basic browsing activities on our desktop PCs, the real trouble arises when using mobile devices. They suffer from intolerably slow download speeds, a problem that has persisted despite five visits from our ISP’s technicians. Here’s a rundown of what we’ve encountered so far:

• New Modem Installation: The ISP quickly replaced our modem, yet the speed issue remained unchanged.
• Direct Connections: We connected various laptops directly to the modem, but the download speeds were still stuck at the frustratingly low rate of 1.8 Mbps.
• Family Feedback: Visiting relatives expressed their concerns about slow video download speeds affecting their work, compounding our frustrations.
• Professional Assessments: The latest technician visit involved installing a brand-new port in our local cable box and thoroughly inspecting both the external wiring and our network setup, yet no source of the slowdown could be identified. The technician even suggested that our ISP was likely not throttling speeds, although we are currently paying for a significantly higher plan.
• Comparative Testing: To further investigate, I took my laptop to a nearby library and noticed a striking difference; internet speeds were markedly improved, highlighting the severity of our home network issues.

With persistence, we’ve ruled out external factors such as mining activities, hackers, or unauthorized users on our network. Typically, only my computer and a seldom-used laptop connect, along with our phones. A T-Mobile booster previously connected to our modem was also unplugged by a technician, yet this adjustment yielded no improvement.

Months ago, we experienced relatively fast internet, but now we find ourselves in a situation that echoes the days of dial-up connections. After several senior technicians have come and gone without finding a solution, the challenges have become disheartening. While the ISP has submitted a ticket to address the issue, we have yet to see any progress.

Adding to the complexity, speed tests conducted while the internet is idle paint a