Working on a Slow Network?

Are you asking why it takes so long to connect to the internet or why sending files over your network isn’t as snappy as it used to? Each one of us have experienced this before and even changing your equipment has not solved anything either. Perhaps you have tried several times to reboot your system but that again, does not yield any positive results. Well, a few things here will help to solve some issues concerning your slow connection.

Check the bandwidth. It could be possible that your system was allocated a small bandwidth. This is so because the number of computer terminals at the time they were installing the system wasn’t as many as it is today. If you are operating on a small bandwidth, chances are that all computer users at your institution are scrambling for the very small bandwidth which results in poor outcome.

Try to turn graphics off. Graphics as take long to load and this can delay the speed at which your web page loads. Check your web browser’s settings regarding graphics and how you can turn them off. Most settings in web browsers are done through the Tools Tab. Verify with yours or consult the Help menu and follow instructions accordingly. Remember that settings vary from one browser to another.

Offline reading also plays a crucial role as far as slow networks are concerned. Load your webpages in different browser tabs and save them on your computer so that they will be available offline. This ensures that you will only need to go online again when you want new information thereby reducing the time you would have spent waiting for pages to load.

You should avoid the temptation to send big files over your network as this takes long to get through or will lose your files. If you are sending big files such as documents or pictures, try to compress them by using appropriate compression format.

It is also advisable especially for those still using dial-up facilities to avoid using their connection during peak hours. Dial-ups are known for slow connectivity and accessing internet during less peak hours helps to solve the problem.

Check the size of your Temporary Internet Files caching system. Increase it so that when you visit the webpages, your browser doesn’t take long to load the required page because some images will have already been saved to Temporary Internet Files. If you increase the size of the Temporary Internet files cache in Internet Explorer, your computer won't have to work so hard when you revisit Web pages. Many of the images will already be downloaded on your computer, decreasing the amount of time it takes to open a page. Remember to delete all Temporary Internet Files, cookies and Web History from your system to avoid unscrupulous people tracking your browsing habits.

Constantly update your system or use Windows Update to patch up your browser. Sometimes internet connection is greatly hampered by computer viruses or outdated plugins. Make sure that your antivirus software is regularly updated and your computer scanned for malware. If everything else fails, consult your network administrator.

References: Wikihow.com, eHow.com