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Slow Wi-Fi: 8 Ways to Speed It Up

Short answer: Slow Wi-Fi is usually caused by distance from the router, interference, too many devices, or an old router.

TL;DR: quick fix

Run a speed test near the router and far from it to see whether the issue is coverage or the internet plan.
Restart the router and modem.
Move the router to a central, raised spot away from thick walls, microwaves, and metal objects.

Is Wi-Fi & Routers down?

Wi-Fi & Routers has no public status page. If friends on other networks see the same problem, it's probably an outage: wait and retry.

How to fix it: step by step

Run a speed test near the router and far from it to see whether the issue is coverage or the internet plan.
Restart the router and modem.
Move the router to a central, raised spot away from thick walls, microwaves, and metal objects.
Use the 5 GHz (or 6 GHz) band for nearby devices; 2.4 GHz reaches farther but is slower.
Update your router's firmware from its app or admin page.
Disconnect devices you aren't using and pause large downloads.
For large homes, consider a mesh Wi-Fi system or a wired access point.
If speeds are slow even with a wired connection, contact your internet provider.

FAQ

Is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz better?

5 GHz is faster at short range; 2.4 GHz travels farther through walls. Many routers combine them automatically.

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Last checked Oct 2026 against the official help page: Apple Support. Menus can differ by app version; follow the official page if a step doesn't match.