My internet connection repeatedly slows down during the day, but only on my personal laptop. When it happens, both upload and download speeds drop below about 7 Mbps, even though I normally get more than 100 Mbps for each. Turning Wi‑Fi off and back on temporarily restores the speed. My work laptop and all of my other devices stay connected normally, so I'm not sure whether the problem is with the laptop, its Wi‑Fi settings, or a background process. What should I check to fix this?
3 Answers
If your router offers both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, make sure the laptop is using 5 GHz when it’s nearby enough. The 2.4 GHz band generally has better range, but it can be much slower and more crowded. You can check the connected network in your laptop’s Wi‑Fi properties or forget the 2.4 GHz network so it doesn’t switch back to it.
A background application could be consuming the connection whenever the slowdown starts. Open Task Manager on Windows, sort the Processes list by Network usage, and watch it when the speed drops. Also check the Startup apps list and run a malware scan. Software such as cloud-sync tools, game launchers, updates, or unwanted programs can use most of the bandwidth. If nothing is using the network, updating or reinstalling the laptop’s Wi‑Fi driver would be a good next step.
I’ll check Task Manager as soon as the connection slows down so I can see whether a program is suddenly using a lot of bandwidth.
Check your router’s Quality of Service, or QoS, settings. Some routers let you prioritize a specific device, which may help stabilize its connection. You can usually find QoS under the router’s web-based settings or mobile app, often in sections labeled Network, Advanced Settings, or Traffic Control. You’ll need to select your laptop from the connected-device list.
I’m not sure where those settings are, but I’ll look through the router’s advanced network options and see whether my laptop can be prioritized.
The laptop is already connected to the 5 GHz network, so that probably isn’t the cause, but I’ll keep checking whether it switches bands.