Tip 3: Close Background Programs That Consume a Lot of Data
In Windows 11, some programs can run in the background and consume a lot of your internet data. These programs can be streaming applications, cloud storage, online games, antivirus, and others. If you’re not using these programs, it’s best to close them so they don’t interfere with your internet speed. Here’s how to close background programs that consume a lot of data:
- Press “Ctrl + Shift + Esc” on your keyboard to open the “Task Manager”.
- Click the “Processes” tab in the “Task Manager” window.
- Sort the list of processes by the “Network” column by clicking on it.
- See which processes have high numbers in the Network column. This number indicates how much data is used by the process.
- Right-click on the process you want to close, then select “End task”
- Repeat this step for other processes that consume a lot of data.
Tip 4: Clear Browser Cache
A browser cache is a temporary storage area used by your browser to store data from the websites you visit, such as images, videos, text, and others. Browser caching aims to speed up the process of loading websites when you revisit them because the browser does not need to download data again from the server.
However, sometimes the browser cache can become full or corrupted, thus causing problems with your internet speed. A full browser cache can slow down your browser and eat up your storage space. A corrupted browser cache can cause websites to load incorrectly or error messages to appear.
To solve this, you can periodically clear the browser cache in the following ways:
- Open the browser you’re using, like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or something else.
- Press “Ctrl + Shift + Delete” on your keyboard to open the browsing data deletion menu.
- Select the time range for which you want to clear the cache, such as the last hour, the last day, or the entire time.
- Make sure the option “Cached images and files” or similar is checked.
- Click “Clear data”, “Clear now”, or similar to clear the browser cache.
- Close and reopen your browser.
Tip 5: Turn Off Proxies and VPNs
Proxies and VPNs are services that can help you access blocked websites or protect your privacy while surfing the internet. Proxies and VPNs work by redirecting your internet traffic through other servers located in different countries or regions.
However, the use of proxies and VPNs can also affect your internet speed, especially if the server being used is far from your location or has low quality. Proxies and VPNs can increase latency or wait time between data requests and responses. Proxies and VPNs can also lower bandwidth or the amount of data that can be transferred.
To boost your internet speed, it’s best to turn off proxies and VPNs when not needed.
Tip 6: Consider Using Third-Party Extensions and Apps
In addition to making settings inside the operating system, you can also consider using third-party extensions and applications specifically designed to increase internet speed.
1] Adblockers and Filtering Extensions
The use of adblockers and filtering extensions can help block unnecessary ads and content, reduce bandwidth usage, and speed up your internet connection.
2] Download Manager
Download manager apps can help organize and prioritize your downloads, optimizing bandwidth usage.