Why Is My Internet So Slow? 6 Common Causes and How to Fix Them

Slow internet is typically caused by either an insufficient plan from your ISP, an issue on their network, or a problem with your home Wi-Fi setup. Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. It’s frustrating. You’re paying for “high-speed internet,” but every time you try to stream a show, join a Zoom call, or download a file, it feels like you’re back on dial-up. Pages hang, videos buffer, and that spinning loading circle shows up more than your favorite characters.

And internet is not cheap either, as the average American spent around $70 a month on home internet in 2024 based on research by Amazon. On paper, the U.S. ranks among the top 10 countries for broadband speeds. In a report from Speedtest.net, the US median speed hit 300 Mbps on broadband. But despite the growing infrastructure, Ookla found that only 5 states deliver FCC-minimum speeds to more than 70% of US customers, leading to many users having issues with speed, reliability, or quality that make it hard to do what they need online.

Between what you pay for and what you actually get, that gap is a big deal. Slow internet wastes time, but also wastes money. It adds up. If your connection is constantly lagging, you might be:

• Paying for a plan that doesn’t fit your household
• Stuck with an outdated router or bad Wi-Fi setup
• Experiencing network issues your provider should fix

In this guide, we’ll break down how to figure out if your internet is actually slow, why it might be slow and what you can do about it. We’ll also show how a service like Pine AI can help take the pain out of dealing with internet issues and even get you compensation for subpar service.

Is My Internet Speed Actually Slow?

Before you panic, let’s define what “slow internet” really means in practical terms. Internet speeds are measured in Mbps, a number telling you how fast your connection should be. Your download speed is how fast data comes to you. The upload speed is how fast data goes out. The FCC in 2024, updated their definition of broadband as 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload at minimum, thanks to the increasing needs of consumers across the country.

Looking at the table, combine all the different activities that happen simultaneously in your household to figure out if your internet speed is slow. If you pay for 500 Mbps but only get around 50 Mbps, the problem may be caused by the ISP. On the other hand, if your speed test looks good but things still feel slow, the issue might be with a specific website/app, your specific devices or your overall home setup.

How Pine Can Help with Slow Internet

“When your internet drops in the middle of work or streaming, you lose time, but you’re still paying full price. In a lot of cases you’re entitled to credits or compensation for outages and slow speeds, you just don’t have the time or energy to chase it. Pine does that work for you, from logging issues to drafting complaints, so more of your money goes toward paying down debt, not subsidizing broken service.” – Stanley Wei, CEO of Pine

6 Common Reasons Your Internet is Slow

If your internet connection is crawling, the first step is figuring out why. Slow internet can boil down to a variety of common issues. So, let’s run through the seven usual suspects one by one, and how to tell which is causing your woes.

1. Is my Wi-Fi signal the problem?

It might be. The main reason for inconsistent Wi-Fi speed is placement of the router. The farther the router is from the devices, the weaker the signal and thus the slower the connection. If your router is placed in a closet or behind the TV, it can also lead to extremely slow speeds. Routers also have two frequencies. The 2.4GHz frequency has a larger range, but lower speeds. The 5GHz frequency has high speed but a smaller range as it struggles with walls (Meter, 2025).

Signs this might be your issue:

• Your internet is fast in some rooms but slow in others
• A device connected via Ethernet cable to the router gets good speeds, but over Wi-Fi the speeds plummet.
• The Wi-Fi signal icon on your device shows low bars or frequently drops out, especially in certain areas of your home.
• Moving closer to the router instantly improves your connection quality.

Quick fixes: Try relocating your router to a more central, higher spot. Make sure it’s not blocked by big objects or tucked in a cabinet. Norton research shows us that users can connect bandwidth-hungry devices via an Ethernet cable for a faster, more reliable connection.

You can also experiment with changing your Wi-Fi bands, as many routers let you separate the Wi-Fi name into one for 2.4 GHz and one for 5 GHz, allowing you to choose whichever option is faster.

2. Do I just have too many devices online at once?

You can easily have too many devices online at the same time. Especially if your plan doesn't provide enough speed for the total demand. Park Associates performed a study in 2024 where they found the average U.S. household had over 17 devices connected to the internet at one time in 2023. So, think about all the devices using your internet, such as phones, laptops, Smart TVs and more. Use the table above to figure out how much bandwidth you require during peak usage and compare to your plan.

Signs this might be your issue:

• Your connection is fine during the daytime hours or when single individuals are at home, but slows down during the evening hours when everyone is logged on.
• The video buffers or reduces quality only when multiple devices are in use.
• You've got a bunch of smart devices on the network, and yet you've never checked how much they're actually using.
• Stopping the activity of a particular device improves the experience of other devices.

Quick fixes: If you suspect your devices might be hogging too much bandwidth, try limiting concurrent activities or disconnecting less important ones during primetime. Use the router to help you troubleshoot, as most routers make it possible to see how many devices are connected, and sometimes even how much bandwidth they use.

3. Is my router or modem too old?

Routers and modems don’t last forever. If you’re using the same modem or Wi-Fi router that you got five, six, or ten years ago, it could potentially be a major bottleneck. Many older routers have 100 Mbps Ethernet ports, so even if you have a 300 Mbps internet plan, the router can’t provide the full speeds. According to Netgear, older Wi-Fi standards, like WiFi 4, can also struggle to exceed ~50–150 Mbps in real conditions. So, a cheap or older router can actually limit your maximum bandwidth.

Signs this might be your issue:

• Your router or modem is more than 4–5 years old, especially if it’s the base model your ISP provided ages ago.
• You’ve upgraded your internet plan’s speed, but never upgraded your equipment, and now your speed tests never get near the new advertised speeds.
• Only older devices are slow, while a new laptop or phone gets much better speeds on the same network.
• The router frequently freezes or needs rebooting.

Quick fixes: First, try a firmware update on your router if you haven’t done so in a while. Also, rebooting the router can sometimes clear issues. But keep in mind that it's a red flag if you have to reboot constantly. If your equipment is old, consider upgrading.

4. Is my internet plan just too slow for my household?

If your household has a very old, entry-level plan that's slow enough for only one user, then you may want to check what type of plan fits your current use. With modern demand for multiple 4K streams, Netflix recommends around 15-30 Megabits per second per stream, meaning a basic plan under 100 Megabits per second will be easily exceeded by modern day needs.

Signs this might be your issue:

• When you run a speed test, you actually get speeds close to what your plan promises.
• Your ISP’s website or bill shows you’re on a plan with much lower speeds than the national median.
• You consistently max out your bandwidth whenever multiple devices are active.
• You’ve had the same plan for years and never revisited it.

Quick fixes: Check what plan you’re paying for. If it turns out your plan is slower than you'd like, consider upgrading to a faster tier. If you’re already paying around the national average for a low-tier speed, look at what that same money could get you with promotional deals.

5. Is my ISP throttling or having network issues?

Your ISP might cause throttling. ISPs can intentionally slow down your Internet traffic in some instances as explained by Security.org. A throttled connection will have all of your internet traffic slowed down significantly. If multiple neighbors are experiencing a similar issue or if you experience frequent disconnections, it’s likely that your ISP is the problem.

Signs this might be your issue:

• Speed tests vary wildly at different times despite no changes on your end.
• You consistently see a specific bandwidth, like 5 Mbps during speed tests, which CNET notes is likely to mean that throttling is enabled.
• If the whole neighborhood is complaining, it’s likely an ISP network problem.
• You’ve received notices about high data usage from your ISP, or fine print in your plan says they may reduce speeds after X amount of data.

Quick fixes: Check if there’s an outage or known issue by contacting your ISP or visiting their website or app. If you suspect throttling, check in with your ISP to see if you’ve reached any existing data cap. In some cases, upgrading to a higher-tier plan stops the throttling. If you’ve had repeated outages, you may be able to claim internet outage compensation or a credit for the lost service.

6. Could it be this website or app, not my whole connection?

Absolutely. Sometimes it’s the specific website, app, or service you’re using that’s having trouble. If you notice that only one site or application is lagging, while everything else is normal, the bottleneck is likely due to the specific service in question.

Signs this might be your issue:

• Only a particular website or service is consistently slow or unreachable, while others work fine.
• The issue is reproduced across different devices on your same network for that site.
• News reports or Downdetector show that service is having issues.

Quick fixes: Usually, you have to wait it out until that service fixes its performance issues. Sometimes restarting the app, your browser or even your device can help.

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Is it Your ISP’s Fault – and When Is It Something You Can Fix?

Signs the problem is on your side:

• Only one device or one area of the house is slow.
• Your router is very old or cheap, or you haven’t upgraded equipment despite faster available service.
• The Wi-Fi signal is strong in some rooms but weak in others.
• A quick reboot of your router or device temporarily fixes the issue.
• You discover a particular app or device in your home is hogging bandwidth.

Signs the problem is on your ISP’s side:

• Multiple households or neighbors experience the same slowdown or outages around the same time.
• No matter what you adjust at home, speeds stay far below what you pay for, even on a wired connection.
• Slowdowns align with peak usage times across the board.
• You’ve ruled out your Wi-Fi and devices and the issue persists.
• Speed tests and connectivity are poor at all times, or your connection drops frequently.
• You get communications from your ISP about maintenance, outages, or hitting data limits.

What next? If the problem is likely with your ISP, provide them with evidence of how you confirmed the issue. You might qualify for utility bill compensation or an internet outage compensation credit depending on your jurisdiction.

Let Pine Handle Complaining About Slow Internet

“If you’re paying for 500 Mbps and getting 50, you aren't just having a bad tech day – you’re being ripped off. Most people tolerate slow speeds because the alternative is fighting with customer service. I built Pine to take that fight off your plate. We sit on hold, demand the service you were promised, or negotiate a credit for the downtime so you don’t have to.” – Stanley Wei, CEO of Pine

Habits to Keep Your Internet Fast – and Your Bills Under Control

• Position your router smartly and check its placement periodically.
• Run a monthly speed test to monitor your connection performance.
• Review your internet service bill every six to twelve months.
• Watch for expiring promotional rates and be prepared to negotiate.
• Audit all connected devices to remove unused ones from your network.
• Update your router's firmware regularly for security and performance.
• Periodically restart your modem and router to clear minor issues.
• Secure your Wi-Fi network with a strong password to prevent unauthorized use.
• Audit all household utility bills periodically.

By following these habits, you’ll keep your home network in good shape and your ISP on their toes. Consistency and vigilance pay off. Both in terms of performance and dollars saved.

Sources & Citations

• State of Consumer Media Spending in 2024: Cost of Internet, TV, and Mobile: Amazon AWS (2024)
• Speedtest Global Index: Speedtest.net (2025)
• 50 U.S. States Broadband Speed Performance: Ookla (2025)
• FCC Increases Broadband Speed Benchmark: FCC (2024)
• 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz: How many GHz is my Wi-Fi? How to check: Meter (2025)
• How to increase upload speed: 10 tips for faster internet: Norton (2024)
• Average U.S. Internet Home Had 17 Connected Devices in 2023: Parks Associates (2024)
• Why am I not getting the maximum speed that my router is capable of: Netgear (2025)
• Netflix-recommended internet speeds: Netflix
• ISP Throttling: How Do You Know If You’re Being Throttled: Security.org (2025)
• Suffering From Slow Internet? Your Internet Provider Could Be Throttling Your Speeds: CNET (2025)