My internet connection seems fast once things get going, but starting anything is unusually slow. New browser tabs and YouTube videos take a long time to begin loading, although videos play smoothly afterward. Discord and Spotify behave similarly: joining a call or starting a song is delayed, but the connection is stable once it starts. Online games also have frequent connection problems.
This is happening on one Windows 11 PC only. I recently replaced some hardware and reinstalled Windows, and the issue remains even when using an Ethernet cable that works normally on another computer. The system has a Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB of RAM, and a Radeon RX 7600. The PC is about five years old, though some parts have been replaced. What should I check to find the cause?
3 Answers
Since the cable works properly on another computer, compare the network settings and drivers on this PC. Install the latest motherboard Ethernet or chipset drivers directly from the manufacturer, then check whether Windows is using the correct adapter. Also temporarily disable VPNs, custom firewall tools, traffic-monitoring software, and third-party antivirus programs, since they can delay every new connection while allowing existing streams to work normally.
The pattern sounds like connection setup trouble rather than a lack of bandwidth. Try opening a command prompt and testing both a direct IP and a domain name with ping, then run a continuous ping to your router. If the router ping is unstable, the issue is local to the PC, adapter, or router connection. If the router is stable but domain names are slow, DNS is more likely. You can also reset the Windows network stack with `netsh winsock reset` and `netsh int ip reset`, then restart the PC. Make sure you understand any custom network settings before resetting them.
Run a speed test and pay close attention to latency and packet loss, not just download speed. A connection can have excellent throughput but still feel terrible if latency or packet loss is high. Compare the results on this PC with the other computer using the same cable and network. If the results look normal, DNS could be contributing to the delay; try changing your DNS servers to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 and see whether new connections start faster.
Windows 11 was installed cleanly, and the problem only appears on this computer. I have not noticed unusual background programs, overheating, or low disk space.