How to Speed Up Your Internet Service

Computer maintenance can speed up your Internet service.

There are a number of computer issues that can cause slow Internet performance. These issues are common and are easily resolved. Because computer issues are generally software related, most Internet Service Providers will generally refer you to your computer manufacturer or the manufacturer of your operating system. If you would like to upgrade the speed of your Internet service, you should contact the customer service department of your Internet Service Provider and talk with them about speed upgrades available in your area. However, if your speed issue is computer related, general maintenance will speed up your computer's performance.

Instructions

1. Delete temporary Internet files and cookies. Temporary Internet files and cookies are web content that is stored on your computer for quick viewing and tracking. Removing these files will speed up your computer and your Internet performance. How these files are deleted will vary depending upon which Internet browser you are using. The most recent version of Internet Explorer is 8.0, as of 2010. To delete temporary Internet files and cookies in Internet Explorer 8.0, open Internet Explorer and click "Tools." Click "Internet Options," and click the "Delete" button under the "Browsing History" subheading. Uncheck the "Preserve Favorites website data" check box to ensure all the cookies and temporary files are deleted. Make sure there are check marks beside "Temporary Internet files" and "Cookies." Click the "Delete" button. When the files and cookies have been deleted, click "OK." Close Internet Explorer and re-open it.

2. Reset the TCP/IP. When the TCP/IP becomes damaged or corrupte,d your Internet connection will either become slow or pages will fail to load properly. To you resolve this, reset TCP/IP back to its original state. In Windows XP, click "Start." Click "Run." Type "CMD" and click "OK." In Windows Vista and 7, click "Start." In the search bar, type "CMD." Right-click on the icon and choose "Run as Administrator," and when the security warning pops up, click "Continue." A black window will appear; this is the command prompt. In this window, type "netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt" and press "Enter" on the keyboard. Restart the computer.

3. Perform a Winsock fix. Damaged or corrupted registry Winsock keys will also cause Internet pages to load slowly or to not load at all. These issues can be resolved by performing a Winsock fix. To perform this action in Windows XP, click "Start." Click "Run." Type "CMD" and click "OK." In Windows Vista and 7, click "Start." In the search bar, type "CMD." Right-click on the icon and choose "Run as Administrator," and when the security warning pops up, click "Continue." A black window will appear; this is the command prompt. In this window, type "netsh winsock reset" and press "Enter" on the keyboard. Restart the computer.

4. Flush the DNS resolver cache. DNS clients store the names of websites you have visited. If a bad DNS entry is stored, you will need to either flush the DNS to clear it or wait at least 24 hours for it to clear automatically. To flush the DNS in Windows XP, click "Start." Click "Run." Type "CMD" and click "OK." In Windows Vista and 7, click "Start." In the search bar, type "CMD." Right-click on the icon and choose "Run as Administrator," and when the security warning pops up, click "Continue." A black window will appear; this is the command prompt. In this window, type "ipconfig /flushdns" and press "Enter" on the keyboard.

References

• Microsoft Support: How to Delete Cookie Files in Internet Explorer
• Microsoft Support: How to Reset Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
• Microsoft Support: How to Determine and to Recover from Winsock2 Corruption in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, and in Windows Vista
• TopBits.com: How to Flush DNS in Microsoft Windows