"The internet is slow" is two different problems that need two different fixes. Before you call the ISP or upgrade the package, spend ten minutes finding out which one you have.

Step 1 — Is it the connection or the Wi-Fi?

Stand next to the router with your phone and run a speed test (fast.com or the Speedtest app). Then run it again from the room where it is usually slow. If the speed next to the router matches your package and the far room is a fraction of it — your Wi-Fi is the problem, and the ISP cannot help. If it is slow even next to the router, skip to step 5.

Step 2 — Move the router (the fix nobody does)

Routers are usually wherever the technician found a socket: behind the TV, on the floor, in a corner cupboard. Wi-Fi radiates outward and slightly downward, and it hates concrete walls and water (fish tanks, water heaters). Put the router high, central, and in the open — a shelf in the hall beats a cupboard in the front room. This alone often doubles the speed in back bedrooms.

Step 3 — Use the 5 GHz band

Most routers broadcast two networks: 2.4 GHz (long range, slow, crowded) and 5 GHz (short range, fast). Connect the devices in the same room as the router — TV, laptop, desktop — to the 5 GHz one. If you only see one network name, log into the router and enable 5 GHz, or turn off "band steering" so they show separately.

Step 4 — Change the channel

In apartments and close-built neighbourhoods, ten routers fight over the same channel. Log into the router (usually 192.168.1.1, password on the sticker), find Wireless settings, and set the 2.4 GHz channel to 1, 6 or 11 — whichever your neighbours are not using (the "WiFi Analyzer" Android app shows you). Set channel width to 20 MHz on 2.4 GHz for stability.

Step 5 — When it is slow at the router

  • Restart the router by unplugging it for 30 seconds. Yes, it works. Consumer routers leak memory and slow down after weeks.
  • Check who is using it. Router admin → connected devices. A phone auto-updating, a TV downloading, or a neighbour on your password will eat a 100 Mbps line. Change the Wi-Fi password if you see strangers.
  • Check the package quota. On SLT and Dialog fibre, exceeding the monthly quota drops you to a crawl. The app shows remaining data.
  • Fibre vs ADSL. If you are still on ADSL (copper line, 4–20 Mbps), no router fixes it. Fibre is available in most towns now and the base package is faster than the best ADSL.

Step 6 — Wire what you can

A Rs. 3,000–4,000 network cable from the router to the smart TV or the work desktop removes that device from the Wi-Fi contest entirely and gives it the full speed. For video calls and gaming, a cable beats any Wi-Fi upgrade.

Step 7 — Replace the ISP router (last resort)

The free router from the ISP is the cheapest one they could buy. If your house is large or has thick walls, a mid-range router (Rs. 12,000–20,000) or a mesh pair (Rs. 25,000+) is the real fix. Keep the ISP box as the modem and connect the new router to it.

Home office with a dozen devices, CCTV and a work laptop that must stay stable? Setting that up properly — VLANs, guest network, a wired backbone — is part of my IT support work.