Upgrade network equipment to speed up network connections.
A slow network, particularly when accessing network drives, impedes your ability to work. This can be a frustrating experience especially when you are working under a deadline or trying to connect with other users for urgent work. It is important to realize that there is no one way to diagnose network slowness. Sometimes upgrading to a high-speed Internet may be your only option if you are using a dial-up connection. If you already have a high-speed connection, you have more options to diagnose a slow connection.
Instructions
1. Disconnect the power cords from your modem and router. Wait for about 10 seconds, and then plug them back in. A restart can boost the speed of your slow network connection.
2. Upgrade your modem and router if either or both are more than five to six years old. Cable modems and wireless routers are available in almost all electronics stores. You may also choose to buy networking equipment online or from your Internet service provider.
3. Clear your Web cache. Click the "Start" menu and choose "Control Panel." Click to switch to "Classic View." Double-click "Internet Options." Click the "General" tab. Click the "Delete" button under "Browsing History." Check "Temporary Internet files" and "Cookies." Click the "Delete" button.
4. Remove "Remote Differential Compression" to stop transferring data over network in a compressed format. Click the Start menu and choose "Control Panel." Click "Programs." Click "Turn Windows Features On or Off" under "Programs and Features." Click to clear the check-box next to "Remote Differential Compression" and click "OK."
5. Update your network adapter driver. Click the "Start" menu and type "Device Manger" (without the quotes) in the search box. Press the "Enter" key. Scroll down and locate "Network Adapters." Right-click your wireless network adapter and choose "Update Driver Software."
6. Use a wired connection (as opposed to a wireless connection) to diagnose network slowness. A wired connection transmits more data while connected to a network.
7. Choose a faster Web browser to browse the Internet. Google Chrome, Safari or Mozilla Firefox offer better browsing speeds than Internet Explorer. All browsers are free to download.
8. Right-click the "Network" icon at the bottom right corner of the screen and choose "Diagnose and Repair." Windows will find errors in your network connection and fix such errors automatically.
