Whether it’s a basic 25 megabits per second (Mbps) or a powerful 200Mbps connection, you’re paying a lot for your Internet service. But are you sure you’re getting your money’s worth?

Let’s start by checking your Internet speed, which is easy and usually takes only a few minutes. One way of doing this is with the free testing service Speedtest.net.

It is best that you plug in directly to your router as connecting via Wi-Fi could produce skewed results. Also, be sure to disconnect other gadgets and quit file downloads or any other actions that could hog your connection speed.

It is also essential that you test your connection speed at different times, including peak and off-peak hours, as results may fluctuate depending on the time of day.

If the results of your speed test do not align with your subscription, there are a few factors to consider before attacking your service provider.

Factors affecting internet speed

A slow internet connection could be a result of the following:

1. Your computer: Older devices may often require additional memory to get the best speeds.

2. Popular websites: The problem may be the result of an overloaded website.

3. Viruses: If viruses or unnecessary software are running in your computer’s background, it may reduce the amount of processing power and speed available for data from the internet.

4. Software: Updating your computer software could also help speed up your computer system and your internet connection speed.

In addition to the above factors, How-To Geek (howtogeek.com) listed the following:

5. End-User Hardware Issues: If you have an old router that just can’t keep up with modern speeds, or a poorly configured Wi-Fi connection that’s being slowed down by interference, you won’t actually experience the connection speeds you’re paying for — and that’s not the Internet service provider’s fault.

6. Distance from ISP: The further you are away from your Internet service provider’s hardware, the weaker your signal can become.

7. Congestion: You’re sharing an Internet connection line with many other customers from your Internet service provider, so congestion can result as all these people compete for the Internet connection. This is particularly true if all your neighbours are using BitTorrent 24/7 or using other demanding applications.

8. Time of Day: You may experience slower speeds during peak hours because more people are using the shared connection line.

9. Throttling: Your Internet service provider may slow down (or “throttle”) certain types of traffic, such as peer-to-peer traffic. Even if they advertise “unlimited” usage, they may slow down your connection for the rest of the month after you hit a certain amount of data downloaded.

10. Server-Side Issues: Your download speeds don’t depend only on your Internet service provider’s advertised speeds. They also depend on the speeds of the servers you’re downloading from and the routers in-between. For example, if you’re in the US and experience slowness when downloading something from a website in Europe, it may not be your Internet service provider’s fault at all — it may be because the website in Europe has a slow connection or the data is being slowed down at one of the routers in-between you and the European servers.

Issues affecting service provider

DigIT recently contacted Digicel to find out some issues, from an Internet service provider’s end, which could affect a customer’s internet speed.

In an emailed response, Head of Public Relations Elon Parkinson pointed out the optimal Internet connection might be affected by the type of technology (copper or fibre) being used by the service provider.

Fibre technology, Parkinson explained, “is superior to traditional copper-based technology where distance from telephone exchanges or cabinets can cause reductions in advertised speed”.

He said a speed test on a fibre connection, which Digicel uses in its ‘Digicel Play’ offerings, might give a variance of one plus.

“Our modern fibre-to-the-home network is designed to deliver 100 per cent uptime at amazing speeds… the speed you buy is the exact speed that reaches your modem,” he said.

However, in the event of a difference in speed performance, Parkinson outlined that Digicel Play experts check with the customer to ensure that all connections are working before troubleshooting issues. If the gateway and connections are all functioning, the customer is then asked to check the devices connected to the service.

“In most cases, a simple reboot of wired and wireless devices is enough. In other cases, the customer may need to ensure Wi-Fi settings are correct and that the wireless adapter on the receiving device is turned on.

“The subscriber may also be advised to reduce the number of active devices connected to their network, close any unused apps, programs, or browser windows, and temporarily disable the firewall to determine if it interferes with their Internet connection. It is also important to run anti-virus and anti-spyware software, as malicious software can affect connected devices,” the PR head explained.

Meanwhile, he shared with DigIT that network issues experienced by Digicel can include “damage to undersea feeder cables or overhead lines as a result of bad weather, cables being dislodged as a result of impact from a road accident, vandalism of fibre cables or equipment and power outages in some areas”.

However, he assured that “the proven resilience of our pure fibre network, along with our round-the-clock network monitoring and response mean that customer impact from these unforeseen issues are addressed quickly”.

Having identified several factors that can impact Internet connection speed, it is imperative to note that pinpointing the precise problem might be a challenge.

Nevertheless, you might experience slower speeds than what your Internet provider advertises over time due to one factor or a combination of a few.

In the event that your connection speeds are significantly lower than the speed stated in your subscription, then ensure that your devices are in good working order and there isn’t a connection overload.

If that doesn’t work, then give your service provider a call, but remember, speeds are advertised as “up to” for a reason.

Up to press time, DigIT had not received a response from major Internet provider, FLOW, which uses copper for its connections.