Troubleshooting Internet Woes: A Family Struggles with Slow Speeds
In early 2022, I stepped away from my family’s home to care for a sick relative undergoing surgery. Upon my return five months later, I was met with a perplexing issue: our internet speed had plummeted to a snail’s pace of 1.8 Mbps. Initially, I assumed my personal computer was at fault. However, after extensive troubleshooting, it became clear that the problem lay elsewhere—either with our Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the network equipment.
Over the past six months, we’ve experienced an array of frustrating scenarios. While some devices manage a semblance of acceptable speeds, our phones and other devices suffer from excruciatingly slow download times. We had five visits from ISP technicians, each promising a solution but ultimately leaving us in the same predicament.
Here’s a breakdown of our attempts to resolve the issue:
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New Modem: The ISP provided a brand-new modem that was promptly connected, but the speeds remained stagnant.
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Direct Connection Tests: We connected various laptops directly to the modem, only to find that the speed hovered at that dismal 1.8 Mbps mark.
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Guest Complaints: When family members visited, they expressed dissatisfaction with the internet’s inability to support video downloads for work purposes.
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Extensive Inspections: The latest technician reassured us that he had installed a new port at the neighborhood cable box. He inspected the outdoor wiring multiple times and examined our entire network, yet could not pinpoint the cause of our sluggish speeds. Surprisingly, he ruled out throttling by the ISP.
To confirm our suspicions, I took my laptop to a local library, where I experienced significantly faster speeds. This reinforced my belief that the issue resided within our home network rather than with my device or the broader internet infrastructure.
Our situation is frustrating, especially since one family member, who pays the bill, is hesitant to switch providers, as the slow speeds have not impacted him significantly. Meanwhile, I find myself contemplating frequent trips to the library merely to access reliable internet.
We have ruled out common culprits, such as unauthorized users or issues with our devices. The network mostly serves my computer and the occasionally used laptop, alongside the phones. A T-Mobile booster was disconnected at the technician’s recommendation, though it made no difference.
Our internet connection, once robust, has devolved to what a senior technician described
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