Today the world is driven by the Internet and has become an inevitable part of daily life. Be it, doing work on the computer, social networking, or entertainment, everywhere the internet is needed. When it comes to the internet, the most important thing is the internet speed. The more your internet speed, the better will be the experience.
If you are facing any issue while accessing the internet then just call your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and ask to increase the internet speed. It seems easy, right? Yes, it’s easy and your ISP will be happy to do that but here is the twist; he will not do it freely. You need to spend extra bucks to get better internet speed.
So, what’s the solution?
First, identify how much internet speed you really need. Generally for online streaming of the videos 5 – 10 Mbps is sufficient and if you are playing online games then 10 Mbps is enough. Of course, if you are using 4K or HDRR for streaming then you will need more internet speed.
If your ISP is saying that he is already providing the required amount of speed and still you are facing the issue, then it’s time to look into your system. Instead of paying more money for internet speed, first, try to optimize your current internet bandwidth usage to boost internet speed on your computer.
We have shared 15 different ways which will help you to optimize your internet usage and will increase your internet speed on a Windows 10 computer. However, you can use these tricks on other versions of Windows as well with minor tweaks.
1. Increase internet speed on Windows using command prompt
If your internet is taking longer than usual to access data from the internet then it’s always recommended to check network configuration.
Windows has provided some default utilities that you can run using Command Prompt to view and modify network configuration.
Here are 15 methods you can use to tweak your network configuration which will improve your internet speed almost instantly.
Method 1: Use Netsh (Network Shell) command-line utility
Step 2: List TCP Global Parameters
Type below command in the command prompt screen and hit enter
netsh interface tcp show global
It will display all TCP Global Parameters
Step 3: Enable Direct Cache Access (DCA)
By default, Windows disables Direct Cache Access as all the motherboards do not support DCA.
Type the below command in the cmd screen to enable DCA and hit Enter.
netsh interface tcp set global dca=enabled
You will receive an OK message after the successful execution of the command.
Step 4: Enable netdma
Enabling netdma will allow network adapters to transfer data directly to your applications.
Type the below command to enable netdma and press Enter.
netsh interface tcp set global netdma=enabled
You will receive an OK message after the command is executed.
Step 5: Set windows auto tuning level
By default, Windows enables the auto tuning feature that improves TCP data transfer over the network.
If it is disabled then enter the following command to enable the Auto Tuning feature.
netsh interface tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal
Note: Here, the parameter normal means enabled.
You will receive an OK message after the command is executed.
Step 6: Display TCP Window Scaling Heuristics parameters
If this parameter is enabled then Windows Auto-Tuning Level automatically sets to restricted or highly restricted. Heuristics overrides custom configuration and restricts Windows to go beyond its default value. This ultimately downgrades your internet speed.
First, check whether Windows Scaling Heuristics is disabled or not by typing the following command in the command prompt.
netsh interface tcp show heuristics
If it is enabled then go to step 7.
Step 7: Disable Window Scaling Heuristics
copy and run the below command in the cmd window.
netsh interface tcp set heuristics disabled
You will get an OK message after the command is executed.
To apply these changes, restart your computer.
Read also: Turn off Windows S mode
Method 2: Pinging default gateway
Default gateway is an access point for other networks. When the IP address of another network doesn’t match with the routing node in the network, they get routed to the default gateway node. Pinging the default gateway determines the ability of the host computer to communicate with nodes in the network.
Follow below steps to identify and ping default gateway of your network
Step 1: Run the command prompt in administrator mode
Open command prompt in administrator mode by selecting cmd → Right Click → Run as Administrator.
Step 2: Identify Default Gateway
Input ipconfig in command prompt and press enter.
- If you are using an ethernet connection then you will see the default gateway under “Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection”.
- If you are using Wireless connection then you will find the default gateway under “Wireless LAN adapter Wireless Network Connection”.
Step 3: Ping Default Gateway
Type following command and hit Enter
Ping -t <your_default_gateway_address>
e.g. ping -t 192.168.11.22
Note: Do not close the window, minimize it. You can do this activity daily and observe the change in internet speed.
Method 3: Reset Windows Network Socket
Winsock is a Windows Socket API (WSA) that defines information exchange between Windows network software and TCP/IP network services.
If you are facing network or internet connection issues on Windows 10 then using winsock utility, you can reset Windows network socket to default configuration.
Step 1: Open Command prompt in admin mode
Open command prompt in administrator mode by selecting cmd → Right Click → Run as Administrator.
Step 2: Execute winsock
Type the below command in the command prompt and press Enter.
netsh winsock reset
You will receive the“Successfully reset the Winsock Catalog” message and you need to restart your computer in order to complete the reset.
Method 4: Flush DNS Cache
DNS Stands for the Domain Name System. DNS cache stores the domain name and IP address of the recently visited websites on the local machine. Next time, if you want to visit the same website then the network will take values from DNS cache and will fetch the required webpage. It helps to get results faster.
But if domain name becomes unavailable or if there is a change of websites IP address then the stored information in the DNS cache becomes redundant. So it’s better to clear the DNS cache from time to time to improve network or internet performance.
Here are a few simple steps to clear DNS cache on your computer.
Step 1: Run the command prompt in administrator mode
Open command prompt in administrator mode by selecting cmd → Right Click → Run as Administrator.
Step 2: Execute flushdns command
Type ipconfig/flushdns command in command prompt and hit enter.
A message “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache” appears after the execution.
Exit the command prompt and check your internet speed.
Method 5: Renew IP Address
There are different factors that may affect the current IP address of the system. This can slow down your internet browsing and downloading speed. If the above methods do not resolve your internet speed issue then it’s time to try renewing your computer’s IP Address.
For renewing the IP address, you must release the existing IP address connection then go for the renew steps.
Keep in mind, renewing the IP address may assign the same IP address again but don’t worry. The main purpose is to disconnect existing connections and connect again.
Step 1: Open Command prompt in admin mode
Open command prompt in administrator mode by selecting cmd → Right Click → Run as Administrator.
Step 2: Release existing IP address connections
Type following command in command line
ipconfig /release
Step 3: Renew Windows IP Address
Type following command and hit enter
ipconfig /renew
Read also: 15 ways to Fix Err_Network_Changed in Chrome on Windows 10/8/7 and Android
2. Change DNS Servers
When you take an internet connection, your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gives you DNS servers IP addresses. By default Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) configures your system to use the DNS server provided by your ISP.
Sometimes these DNS servers provided by ISP won’t give you the internet speed as expected. However, you can use other DNS servers such as Google Public DNS Server or Open DNS Server for better performance.
Here are the steps to change the DNS server.
Step 1: Open Control Panel
Step 2: Go to Network & Internet
Step 3: Select the Network and Sharing Centre
Step 4: On the left side select Change Adapter Settings
Step 5: Select Network connection → Right-Click → Properties
In the Networking tab select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) network connection and click on properties button.
Step 6: Select “Use the following DNS server address” radio button to assign DNS servers
Enter required values and click OK.
- For Google Public DNS Server use following values
Preferred DNS Server: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS Server: 8.8.8.4
- For Open DNS Server use following values
Preferred DNS Server: 208.67.222.222
Alternate DNS Server: 208.67.220.220
You can also try using other DNS servers and check whether it improves internet speed on your computer.
3. Modify Reservable Bandwidth and Outstanding Packets settings using Group Policy Editor
Before modifying these settings first understand, what is Reservable Bandwidth and Outstanding Packets in windows configuration.
Reservable Bandwidth:
By default Windows 10 reserves some percentage of bandwidth for system applications and operations. You cannot use that percentage of bandwidth for general purposes. By reducing the reserved bandwidth we can allocate more bandwidth for general use.
This will boost internet speed.
Outstanding Packets:
Over the internet, data is transmitted in the form of packets. Packet Scheduler schedules the transmission of packets over the network. Outstanding packets are the number of packets that have not been sent yet on the network.
When the number of Outstanding Packets reaches its permissible limit then Packet Scheduler postpones all the packets submission until the number falls below the permissible limit. This slows down the internet speed. To avoid this set Outstanding Packets limit to the maximum.
Step 1: Open Group Policy Editor Press Windows + R or Search Run command from Windows search bar and enter gpedit.msc and click OK.
Step 2: Open QoS Packet Scheduler settings
In the Local Group Policy Editor expand to QoS Packet Scheduler and select Limit reservable bandwidth as shown below.
Step 3: Change reservable bandwidth limit
In the Next Settings tab select Enabled radio button and set Bandwidth Limit (%) to 0
Step 4: Change Outstanding packets limit
Similarly open the “Limit outstanding packets” policy and select Enabled radio button
In the Number of Packets section, enter 4000000000 and click on OK button
Close the group policy editor.
4. Disable background applications
Background applications also consume a significant amount of bandwidth that slows down your internet speed.
It’s always a good practice to disable background applications that you are not using. Background applications like Torrent, Antivirus, and Cloud sharing applications eat out internet bandwidth. Enable these applications, only when needed otherwise disable those using the following steps.
Step 1: Open Windows Settings and click on Privacy as shown below
Step 2: Select Background Apps from left side and Turn off Background apps in right side
Use can also enable required apps that you want to keep running in the background
5. Disable Windows Updates
Windows 10 consumes a large amount of bandwidth for regularly updating Windows applications. This slows down your internet speed.
It’s always recommended to install the latest Windows updates. But you can install Windows updates manually also when you are not doing any other work over the internet.
So if you want to utilize maximum internet speed then disable automatic Windows update and install the latest Windows update manually when you are not consuming data for other usages.
Step 1: Open Service Manager Window
Type Services in the Windows search bar and select services to open services manager window.
Step 2: Disable Windows Update Service
Search for “Windows Update” service and open the properties window by double clicking on it. The Service Properties window will open.
Stop the service. Also, from the Startup type drop down list, select Disabled to disable it completely.
Click OK to save your preference and close the pop up.
6. Disable or Limit Downloading and Uploading from other Computers
Windows has a Delivery Optimization Feature that downloads updates from other computers available on the local network or from the internet. It also uploads updates on the other computers of the local network.
For data exchange over the peer-to-peer network, a Windows 10 computer uses your internet connection. Though this feature keeps the system updated, it slows down your internet speed.
If you want to utilize the maximum bandwidth of your internet to increase internet speed, then disable this function or reduce the default bandwidth assigned for this functionality.
Here is a step by step procedure to get better internet speed in both ways.
a. Disable Downloading from other computers
Step 1: Go to the Windows search bar. Search and Open Windows Settings.
Step 2: Select Update & Security in Windows setting panel.
Step 3: From the left panel, select Delivery Optimization.
Step 4: Turn Off the “Allow downloads from other PCs” toggle switch.
b. Limit Downloading and Uploading from other computers
If you want to enable the above option and limit the download and upload setting, here are the steps to do so.
Step 1: While the “Allow downloads from other PCs” is on, select “PCs on my local network and PCs on the Internet” option.
Step 2: Click on Advanced options.
Modify Settings as per your convenience in the advanced option panel by selecting the check box and updating the values.
- In the Download Settings, select the checkbox of “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background”. Use the slider to adjust bandwidth.
- In the Upload Settings select checkbox of “Limit how much bandwidth is used for uploading updates to other PCs on the internet”. Use the slider to reduce bandwidth
You can also set a Monthly Upload limit as well. Upon reaching the limit, the computer will stop uploading the updates.
7. Enable Metered Connection
If you are using a limited internet connection plan, then it becomes necessary to control data usage by background applications. By configuring the network adapter, you can control downloading and uploading updates on PCs connected to the network or over the internet which in turn helps to increase internet speed on Windows 10 machines.
Follow below steps to configure your network adapter for metered connection.
Step 1: Open Windows Settings.
Step 2: Click on Network & Internet.
Step 3: Select Ethernet and Click on the Network connection.
Step 4: In the Metered Connection panel turn on “Set as metered connection” toggle switch.
8. Disable Large Send Offload
Large Send Offload (LSO) restricts TCP from breaking large data packets into a series of smaller packets. Keep in mind that this feature is dependent on the network adapter. Some network adapters don’t support this feature. If your network adapter does not support this feature then you will not see it on the list.
Step 1: Open Device Manager.
Step 2: Expand Network adaptors and double click on your network adaptor.
Step 3: Click on Advanced Tab
Step 4: Search and Select Large Send Offload v2 (IPv4) and select Disabled value from the dropdown option.
Step 5: Repeat same for Large Send Offload v2 (IPv4) and click OK.
9. Uninstall OneNote Application
Microsoft OneNote application lets you create and store notes in an electronic notebook. You can also store audio clips from the internet and web pages.
OneNote Application keeps synchronizing whenever your computer is connected to internet connection. That slows down your internet speed. Uninstall Microsoft OneNote application using control panel to speed up your internet connection.
10. Update LAN or Ethernet Drivers
Outdated, corrupted, or incompatible driver software can cause limited connectivity or bandwidth issues. Make sure to download and update the latest driver software from trusted sources.
If you are using Wi-Fi on your computer, then use the latest updated Wi-Fi adaptor software. It will not increase internet speed blazingly but it will resolve if there is any connectivity issue and you will be able to use full bandwidth.
Step 1: Go to Device Manager.
Step 2: Expand Network Adapter and select your network adapter.
Step 3: Right-click on the selected adapter and click on Update Driver Software.
Restart your computer after updating the driver software.
11. Optimize Internet Browser
For accessing anything on the internet you need an Internet browser. If your internet browser is slow then it definitely impacts your internet activity. So always optimize and update your internet browser for better internet experience.
Follow the below activities to optimize your internet browser.
Remove Browser Extensions
When you open the browser, the extensions start synching with respective extension sites for updates. Though it’s a good practice, it slows down your browser speed. So it’s recommended to remove unnecessary extensions.
Remove Bookmarks
Internet users have a habit of adding bookmarks of websites that we frequently visit. It provides ease of use but we forget to remove these bookmarks when they are no longer needed. Those additional bookmarks consume space and make the browser slow.
So remove unnecessary bookmarks from whatever browser you are using.
Clear Browser Cache
When you visit any website then the browser stores some of that website’s information in the browser cache. If you accept website cookies then the website creates some files in your browser cache. This helps the web page open faster during your next visit.
But if you don’t visit those websites frequently then these files are unnecessary and slows down browser experience. So it’s good practice to clear browser cache from time to time.
12. Delete Temp files and cached files
Windows services, system applications, and almost all other software applications create some temporary files while executing some operations. These files get stored in Temp Folder on your local drive.
You might have guessed already, the “Temp” folder is used to store temporary files. When you reboot the system, Windows automatically deletes these temporary files. But some files won’t get deleted and unnecessarily consumes disk space which slows down system performance. The best practice is to delete these temporary files frequently for better system experience.
There are different ways to clear or delete these temporary files.
Method 1: Delete Temp files manually
Go to Windows Search bar and search Run or Press Windows + R
Type %temp% and click OK.
It will list all the temporary files. Select all files and press Shift + Delete to permanently delete these files.
Method 2:Use Disk Cleanup
In the Windows search box type disk cleanup and select Disk Cleanup from the list
- Select the drive/file you want to clean and click OK.
- Select Temporary files to delete and click OK.
13. Scan for virus
When you use an internet connection on your computer, the computer becomes open for malware attacks. If you are not using any antivirus software then these malware attacks can do serious damage to your system files and can also steal private documents.
If some malware is present in your computer or laptop then it slows down system performance. So it’s recommended to use a premium antivirus to protect your computer. And scan your system with antivirus from time to time to detect and remove malware and viruses.
14. Secure your Wi-Fi connection
If you are using Wi-Fi for internet connection then secure your connection with a high-security password. If you don’t provide any password to your connection then anyone can connect to it and can access the internet.
If multiple devices are connected to a single internet connection, it will slow down your internet speed. So, don’t share this password and keep changing the password from time-to-time.
15. Reconnect the Router
If you are using a Wi-Fi router for internet connection then try to reconnect the router. Remove the power supply from the router and also remove data cable. Wait for 10 – 15 seconds and plug-in the internet cable again.
Most of the time this will resolve the slow internet connection issue.
That’s it. These are all the possible ways to increase internet speed on Windows 10 computer. Do let us know in the comments which way worked for you in boosting the internet speed.
Cheers !!!
