Why is my internet slow?

8 most common causes — and how Signalyzr identifies which one is yours.

Slow internet has many causes and they need different fixes. Restarting your router fixes maybe 30% of cases. The rest need targeted action — and you can't pick the right action without knowing the cause.

Signalyzr runs a 30-second diagnosis that identifies the actual cause for YOUR connection right now. Below are the 8 most common patterns we see, in rough order of frequency, with the fix for each.

What this measures

  • Sustained download and upload speed (vs your plan)
  • Latency to nearest probe
  • Jitter and packet loss
  • DNS lookup time
  • Bufferbloat under load
  • Signal class (for mobile)

How it works

  1. Open signalyzr.com, tap Diagnose
  2. Wait 30 seconds while we measure everything
  3. Read the verdict — it tells you the most likely cause
  4. Follow the specific fix shown for your case

Why this matters

If you only do one thing about your slow internet, run a diagnosis first. Otherwise you're guessing — and the wrong fix wastes time and money (calling ISP, buying a new router, etc.) without solving the actual problem.

Top fixes

  • Don't restart the router as your first step — diagnose first, then act
  • If you're on Wi-Fi: try wired ethernet to see if Wi-Fi is the bottleneck
  • If you're on mobile data: check signal strength (Settings → About Phone)
  • If browsing is slow but speed tests are fast: change DNS to 1.1.1.1
  • If video calls break: jitter or packet loss, not speed — see call-analysis
  • If everything is slow at peak hours: ISP congestion, not your equipment

FAQs

Will restarting my router make my internet faster?

Sometimes. Restarting clears stale state and reconnects DHCP / DNS, which fixes ~30% of cases. But if the problem is Wi-Fi interference, ISP throttling, or bufferbloat, restarting won't help.

Why is my Jio / Airtel / Vi / BSNL slow today?

Indian ISPs commonly slow down at peak hours (8–11 PM) in dense urban areas due to backhaul congestion. Run Signalyzr and check whether your speed at peak is significantly below your plan — that's the throttling signature.

Is it my Wi-Fi or my internet that's slow?

Run Signalyzr on Wi-Fi, then again on mobile hotspot (or wired ethernet). If speed jumps on the second test, your Wi-Fi is the bottleneck. If it's the same, the problem is upstream — ISP or modem.

Why does my speed test pass but pages still load slowly?

Almost always DNS. Slow DNS means every page takes 200+ ms longer to start loading even though the data flows fast once it starts. Change to Cloudflare 1.1.1.1.

Find out why →

Related

Signalyzr is a free, privacy-first network diagnostic tool made in India. Loading the diagnostic app…