How to Boost Broadband Internet Speed

Broadband Internet speed is dependent on several factors, like connection bandwidth, computer performance, Internet cache and computer hardware. You can implement various techniques to increase your Internet speed. The Windows XP operating system provides Quality of Service (QoS) enhancement techniques to override the default bandwidth limit settings and increase Internet bandwidth. Other techniques like clearing the Internet cache, upgrading computer hardware and adding web accelerator applications like Download Accelerator and ONSPEED are also effective.

Things You'll Need

• Microsoft Windows XP

Instructions

1. Click on "Start" > "Run," type "gpedit.msc" and press the "Enter" key.

2. Click the "Administrative Templates" link in the "Local Computer Policy" menu to expand it. Expand the "Network" link and click on "QoS Packet Scheduler."

3. Double-click "Limit reservable bandwidth" from the menu on the right side frame.

4. Select the "Enabled" option and set bandwidth to "0%." Click "Apply" and then "OK" to save the changes.

5. Restart your computer and open your web browser. Verify that the Internet is working properly. You will notice an increase in your broadband Internet speed.

Tips & Warnings

• Check your Internet uploading and downloading speeds before upgrading your computer's hardware. This can be done at the Speedtest website (see Resources).

• Another method of increasing broadband Internet speed is by upgrading your computer's random access memory (RAM). RAM is accessed every time you browse the Internet and download data, so increasing its capacity is directly proportional to an increase in broadband Internet speed. This action requires some experience of working with computer hardware or can be done through a computer repair shop.

• You can also download and install web accelerator applications like Download Accelerator, Google Web Accelerator and ONSPEED to increase broadband Internet speed. These applications run in the background and store webpages in cache, every time you browse the Internet, so that those websites load faster the next time you visit them.

References

• Mostly Saving Money: How To Increase Your Broadband Speed In 3 Minutes
• Microsoft Support: Windows XP Quality of Service (QoS) enhancements and behavior

Resources

• Speedbit: Download Accelerator Plus
• ONSPEED: ONSPEED for Broadband
• Speedtest: Begin Test