The following pages provides tips on how to get the fastest broadband speeds:
General tips
We advise you to read our guide, with our top tips to get the fastest broadband speeds. View our Increase Broadband Speed Guide.
You could save money and increase speeds by changing your provider or upgrading to superfast or ultrafast broadband. According to Ofcom, about 8 million users are out of contract and could save money. To check whether higher speed services are available in your area, and to find the best deals, visit our Broadband Deals page.
WiFi can often be the weakest link in a typical broadband set-up. So, use an Ethernet connection wherever you can, particularly for online gaming and for smart TVs and other devices that stream video and audio. To optimise your WiFi set-up, view our WiFi Optimisation Guide.
Bufferbloat is a growing issue where bandwidth-intensive applications such as video streaming cause online gaming lag and wreck the quality of browsing and voice and video telephony (e.g. Skype). To get rid of bufferbloat on your network, view our article Bufferbloat: Why It is Harming Your Broadband and How to Easily Fix It.
Online speed tests can be very useful to diagnose issues with your connection but they can often fool you into thinking your broadband is not as fast as it is. Use our Broadband Speed Test now to assess your connection. For information on how to get the most accurate results, view our page Online Speed Tests: how to use them and which are the best.
Choose the best DNS settings to speed up your broadband and make it more reliable. View our page Speed Up DNS Look-ups For Faster Web Browsing. To view the DNS server addresses of the most popular ISPs and the best Public DNS servers (e.g. Google, OpenDNS and Cloudflare) visit our UK ISP and Best Public DNS Server Settings page.
Upgrade your existing modem router with a high-performance modern device. View Which Broadband Modem Router?
Tips for standard broadband
An ADSL faceplate filter would provide a cheap (< £10) and significant upgrade for many broadband users. View our ADSL Faceplate page. You can assess the performance improvement that a faceplate filter will provide by following the instructions on our page Quick and Free Way to Test if a Filtered Faceplate Will Improve Your Broadband.
If you have a choice, ensure you are using an enhanced ADSL2 or ADSL2+ service rather than basic ADSL. View our ADSL and ADSL2+ page.
Tweak the target SNR Margin if your modem allows this. View our Broadband SNR Margin Tweak page.
Tips for fibre broadband
Install a faceplate filter if you do not have one installed. For more information, view our page Fibre Broadband Self Install and the Risks to Broadband Speeds Without a VDSL Faceplate Filter.
Consider changing your ISP or package, particularly if you are nearing the end of your contract period. View our Which Fibre ISP? page.
Ensure your modem is compatible with G.INP, which is a new fibre broadband enhancement that increases speeds. View our G.INP page for more information.