How-To

How to Fix Slow Internet on Windows 11

By Brian Burgess

Published February 21, 2022

Experiencing slow internet speeds on your Windows PC can ruin the overall experience. Here’s how to fix slow internet on Windows 11.

Recently upgraded to Windows 11, but you’re suddenly seeing slow internet speeds?

There are a couple of factors that might cause this. It could be your provider or the connection itself, or it could be closer to home, with incorrect settings on your PC.

If you’re seeing sluggish speeds on your PC, you’ll need to investigate. Here are several possible fixes you can try to fix slow internet on Windows 11.

Restart Your Router or Internet Connection

Before you try anything else, try rebooting your modem or router to ensure you have a good, stable connection. If you call your ISP’s support, they will have you do that anyway.

There are also a few things to check on your PC to fix a slow internet connection. Here are various troubleshooting steps you can use to get things running more smoothly.

Disconnect Your VPN

VPN services like Private Internet Access (PIA) help protect your data and privacy. However, it sends your data through several servers and can slow your internet speeds. That is especially a problem if it’s set to run during startup.

Turning off or disconnecting your VPN software varies, but you want to ensure it’s not connected if your browsing speeds are too slow.

Disconnect and Reconnect from Network

You’ll need to ensure you have a solid connection to the network. One way to fix a slow connection is reconnecting to it.

To disconnect and reconnect to a Wi-Fi connection, use the following steps:

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon at the lower-right corner of the taskbar.
2. Click the arrow button next to the Wi-Fi button to open Manage Wi-Fi connections.
3. Next, find the network your device is connected to and click the Disconnect button.
4. After it disconnects, click the Connect button to reconnect to the network. Note that you may need to enter the Wi-Fi password again to secure the connection.
5. You might also want to try turning off Wi-Fi and reenabling it. Right-click the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar and select Network and Internet settings.
6. When the Network & internet section opens, turn off the Wi-Fi switch and turn it back on after a few seconds.
7. After turning the Wi-Fi option off and back on, you’ll need to reconnect to your network.

It’s also worth noting that you can reseat the network cable connected to your PC if you’re hardwired in.

Restart Your Computer

If you’re getting a connection, but it suddenly stops or slows down, try restarting Windows 11. There could be unnecessary processes or services running in the background. Restarting your device can clear them out and provide a fresh start.

To restart your PC, right-click the Start button and select Shut down or sign out > Restart.

Set Lower Bandwidth for Windows Updates

The bandwidth set for Windows updates could be too high and cause slower speeds. Also, the Windows Update Delivery Optimization feature (WUDO) sends updates to other PCs on your network. Adjusting these settings can improve your internet speeds.

To lower bandwidth for Windows updates, use the following steps:

1. Open Settings and click Windows Update from the menu on the left and click Advanced options on the right.

2. Next, scroll down and click the Delivery Optimization option.

3. Under the Delivery Optimization section, turn off Allow downloads from other PCs and then click Advanced options underneath it.

4. Select Absolute bandwidth and tick both boxes to limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates. Enter the values you want for downloading updates in the foreground and background.

5. Alternately, you can tick Percentage of measured bandwidth and move the sliders to adjust the percentage of bandwidth your system uses for updates.

Disable Bandwidth Consuming Processes

Some running processes can take up a good chunk of bandwidth, but ending those processes can improve your internet speed.

To identify and end Windows 11 processes that are using up unnecessary bandwidth, use the following steps:

1. Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Esc to launch Task Manager.
2. When Task Manager opens, click on the Performance tab and select Open Resource Monitor at the bottom.

3. Now, when Resource Monitor opens, select the Network tab at the top.
4. Right-click on processes that use a lot of bandwidth and click End process from the menu.

Stop Running Background Apps

Certain apps running in the background could be hogging your bandwidth.

To disable background apps on Windows 11, use the following steps:

1. Open Start > Settings and navigate to Apps > Apps & features.

2. Find the app you don’t want to run in the background, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Advanced options.

3. Under the Background apps permissions section, select Never from the dropdown menu.

Run the Internet Connections Troubleshooter

Windows 11 has various troubleshooters that can identify and fix issues on your PC. This can help you fix internet issues, including slow internet speeds.

Use the following steps to run the Internet Connections troubleshooter:

1. Click on Start > Settings and select System on the left.
2. On the right, click the Troubleshoot option.
3. Under the Options section, click on Other troubleshooters.
4. On the following screen, click the Run button next to Internet Connections.
5. Work your way through the troubleshooting wizard by following the on-screen instructions.

Change DNS Server Settings

The Domain Name System or DNS converts an IP address to an easy-to-use domain name (like groovypost.com). However, if you’re using the one assigned by your ISP, it might be too slow.

If you change DNS on Windows 11 to an alternate service, you can improve your browsing speed and security. If you’re looking for a free DNS provider, here are three popular options:

• OpenDNS: 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
• Cloudflare DNS: 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1
• Google Public DNS: 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

To change DNS settings, use the following steps:

1. Hit the keyboard shortcut Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog.
2. Type ncpa.cpl and click OK.
3. Right-click your network adapter and select Properties from the menu.
4. Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP) when the Wi-Fi Properties window appears and click the Properties button.
5. Now, select Use the following DNS server addresses option and type in the service you want to use, and click OK.

Networking on Windows 11

If you’re experiencing slow internet on Windows 11, one or more of the options above will help you out. Contact your ISP for additional hardware troubleshooting if you’re still not getting the speeds you want. You’ll often have an old modem or other equipment that the company needs to bring to your location and hook up.

For more, take a look at limiting data use on Windows 11 or how to forget a Wi-Fi network. You might also be interested in using the Nearby Sharing feature that allows you to send files directly between Windows 11 and Windows 10 systems.