Internet Speed Keeps Dropping & Sometimes Stopping

My internet is normally good. Yesterday and today, it has been extremely slow. Plus on several occasions it has gone completely down. Like the Net was a long time ago. It's taken me over 5 minutes to get to Major Geeks, log in and start a thread.

Although I have had few problems my ISP is not renowned for its customer service. You contact them with a problem and their normal response is there is no problem. So I don't feel contacting them is going to my first port of call.

What I would like to know is if there is anything I can do at my end to discover the problem. Please may I ask that no one recommends one of those sites that tests your Internet speed. I already know it's going slow. I don't want to know the speed. I want to find out (1) why I am having problems and (2) if there is anything I can do, fix it before I have to swallow the bullet and ring my ISP.

In case anyone thinks of asking, no there are no more things connected to it than normal. Plus when I have nieces and nephews visit with all their extra gadgets my internet speed is not affected.

 

Could your computer be downloading an upgrade to the OS? What is the OS currently installed (as well as version)?

Open up TaskManager and see what things are using the most CPUs. I know on my very old desktop computer, when Malwarebytes is doing something it takes forever to load a site. I've learned to turn it on when I get up then walk away for at least 1/2 hour because the CPU runs at 100% and it is very frustrating to try to do anything. I fire up my "younger" but still old laptop and work on that until I'm set to move to the desktop.

 

Yesterday morning, I thought perhaps the problem was solved when it was a bit slow but then I saw that Microsoft were doing several downloads. I also manually update things like Malwarebytes daily so I know when they're running. Howver, they never seem to normally slow my PC down. Both the desktop PC I am currently on, my laptop and both iPhones in the household have all found internet access very slow compared to normal and several times all have reported no internet access. However, it does come back after a few minutes. Last night I was trying to watch a BBC nature documentary on my computer. This would not normally been a problem. Last night it kept stopping and I gave up watching.

The OS on my desktop (which is my primary used computer) is Windows 11 Home (x64) Version 23H2. I know there's a new Version 24 but have been advised here on Major Geeks to not install it as it's so new and wait until MS have ironed a lot of the bugs.

 

The Internet went down again this afternoon and for longer than a few minutes. I decided I'd no option but to ring my ISP. I am now glad I did. I rang them on my landline as my landline calls are free. He asked me to get off the line whilst he ran a line check. He rang me back and said the check came back saying there were no problems. He said he could hear crackling as we were talking to each other and asked me if I could hear it as well. I could and told him so. He asked me to get off the line, physically disconnect the WiFi router cable from the line socket and he'd ring me back. He did and the line was as clear as a bell. He'd asked me to do this because the only other thing he could do was get BT Openreach, who have the monopoly on the network in the UK, and said if they found no problems they'd bill me for their time. He informed me that because the phone line was fine with the router disconnected it could be the router or its cable. Whilst I was on the line he reviewed my package and has changed it. As a result I will now get the same services I'd previously had, it will cost me less and he's sending me a new WiFi router for free by next day delivery so tomorrow I should have a new router. So in the end it was worth ringing them.