‘Why is my AT&T internet so slow?’ is a common question asked by many frustrated AT&T customers.
It can be annoying when your internet connection becomes so slow, and it prevents from you conducting simple tasks such as web browsing or sending emails.
The cause of slow internet performance is generally due to network congestion.
This is caused by certain factors such as having too many devices connected to your router, multitasking, streaming high-data content, and surrounding interferences.
Additionally, you should check your modem, router, and connection device for possible faults that may be causing slow internet.
Solutions to this issue are often straightforward. For example, disconnecting devices that are not in use from the router’s network and restarting your router can improve your internet speed.
Other solutions include updating the router’s firmware, performing a power cycle, changing the router’s location, and contacting customer support.
Continue reading to learn more about why your AT&T internet is so slow and how you can fix it.
How To Check If AT&T Internet is Slow?
You can check your current data speed by doing a speed/bandwidth test. Once you know your internet’s speed, compare it with the plan’s advertised speed to know whether it is slow.
You have slow internet if the download and upload speed is lower than the speed in your plan.
If the download speed is low but the upload speed is normal, this could be caused by internet congestion, bandwidth restriction, or excessive usage of data on several devices.
Remove unwanted devices, restrict data usage, and check again.
If the upload speed is slower than normal but the download speed is normal, this could be due to hardware problems. Therefore, contact AT&T for technical support.
If the ping rate is above 150 ms or between 100-150 ms, you can check jitter and latency as it may be causing the slow internet. Convert coax cables to ethernet cables or upgrade to a higher speed plan to fix this.
Why Is My AT&T Internet So Slow?
Some of the most common reasons why your AT&T internet is slow include running background apps, router problems, using devices with low performance, or using an internet plan that is not fast enough for your daily activities.
Below are the reasons for a slow AT&T internet:
1. Bandwidth Restriction
AT&T can deliberately restrict your bandwidth based on the following reasons:
- The service provider will limit your bandwidth by minimizing the internet speed if the bandwidth you are using is above the limit in your subscription plan. For example, if you had chosen a 10Mbps internet speed but your usage has exceeded this limit, AT&T will reduce the assigned bandwidth leading to sluggish internet speed.
- Another reason for AT&T to put restrictions on your bandwidth is network restrictions which normally happen during peak hours. Service providers do this to ensure that all their customers stay connected and their network is not strained.
2. Too Many Devices Connected
This is one of the most common reasons for poor connectivity. When a lot of devices are connected to a similar WiFi network, there will be slow internet.
For instance, if a mobile device and a laptop are connected to a network with 4 Mbps speed, the bandwidth will be spread equally across the two devices.
In this case, the mobile and laptop will have 2 Mbps each, causing a significant reduction in the performance of the network.
To experience good internet connectivity, you should connect and use one device at a time especially when you are doing jobs that require lots of data.
3. Multitasking
Doing several tasks at the same time using your home network will increase network congestion, hence reducing internet performance.
For example, using your laptop to do many tasks where one tab is downloading a large file from email while another one is streaming a YouTube video.
Additionally, you could be making a video call using your phone. All these jobs will lead to slow internet.
4. Faulty Router
A faulty router can cause an intermittent connection to the internet.
To check if the connection problems persist, you first try performing a power cycle and factory reset on the router.
If the problem persists and you’ve conducted other checks on the cables and power source, you may need to get a replacement AT&T router.
You can also connect directly from the modem to a laptop via ethernet cable as another check on the internet connection and the router’s performance.
5. Surrounding Interferences
The presence of external interferences and obstacles is the most overlooked factor when dealing with slow internet speeds.
WiFi signals can easily be weakened or dissipated when there is a presence of wireless devices that operate in the range of microwave frequency like a cordless phone, oven, and radio devices such as a walkie-talkie.
Additionally, a neighbor’s WiFi signal can reduce and impact the strength of your home’s wireless network.
6. AT&T Internet Outage
An internet outage by internet service providers is beyond your control and the only thing that you need to do is wait until the ISP has addressed the internet disruption from their end.
Internet outages can be caused by equipment upgradation, network congestion, maintenance activities, natural disasters that can affect the network infrastructure, and disruption of optic fiber cables because of road works and digging.
7. Other reasons for a slow AT&T internet include:
- Outdated hardware.
- Issues with the router’s firmware.
- The ethernet cable is not being used.
- Devices are out of the router’s range.
- Router’s location is inappropriate.
How to Fix AT&T Slow Internet
The following are some of the well-tested methods of troubleshooting AT&T’s slow internet:
1. Upgrade Your Plan (If your data plan has exhausted)
If you are connecting several devices (more than 3 or 4) to your internet for 4k streaming or multitasking and your data plan is a low speed, you should upgrade to a faster plan.
Upgrading your data plan is the best option even if you think that you are using more data than the daily limit of your current plan.
However, if you are not ready to spend more money on upgrading your plan, you can try other solutions for improving your internet speed.
2. Disconnect/Disable Unwanted Devices
If disconnecting various devices improves the internet speed, then it means that either your router cannot handle many devices connecting at the same time, or it cannot handle the consumption of a specific device.
The download speed of your internet plan determines the number of devices that you can connect using the same network while maintaining a decent internet speed.
For example, do not connect more than five devices for web browsing, streaming, downloading files, or video calling if your internet speed is between 50-100 Mbps because the bandwidth will be spread too thinly, leading to reduced internet speed.
Go to your router’s settings and check the ‘Wireless WiFi connections’ section to know the number of devices connected to the network and then you can disconnect the unwanted devices.
You can also change your WiFi credentials if you think lots of devices are automatically connecting to your network.
To avoid guests accessing the main network, you can create separate access as a ‘Guest network.’
3. Use an Ethernet/Wired Connection
If there is an issue with your equipment (mesh system/router/modem) you can consider using a wired connection via an ethernet cable.
Especially for devices needing high bandwidth, connecting via an ethernet cable will improve the internet speed.
The ethernet cable is less susceptible to interferences and disruptions unlike a wireless signal as it is connected directly to the router or modem.
There are three types of ethernet cables which include CAT 6 for up to 10 Gbps, CAT 5e for up to 1 Gbps, and CAT 5 for up to 100 Mbps.
Therefore, to get a stable connection on your laptop or PC, consider using an ethernet cable to improve internet speed.
4. Clear Background Apps
The AT&T internet can be slow on your device because there are apps such as Instagram that are consuming lots of data.
You can improve internet performance by closing all the background apps running on different devices. You can also disable the background data usage of some apps.
5. Relocate Your WiFi Router
If you place your router in a location where the signal strength is weak such as in a corner or a wall, the speed will be reduced.
Physical objects like walls, glass, and electrical appliances like fridges, and microwaves, can interfere with and block wireless signals. Therefore, make sure that your router is not located near these objects.
The best place to put your router is in the center of your home on a flat non-metallic surface to ensure that it allows strong signals to pass through the walls.
Your download and upload speed will improve when you move your router to a place with good signal strength.
6. Disable VPN
VPN uses encryption processes and proxy servers to protect your network activity and browsing data. However, these proxy servers and encryption processes use a lot of data, making your AT&T internet slow.
Therefore, when you are not using the VPN on your device, you should disable it to improve the data speed.
You can also change the encryption settings if you do not want to disable it. For example, AES encryption is responsible for latency and uses the most data, so you can try to disable this setting.
To optimize VPN performance, you should select a server near your location. Similarly, if many people are using the same VPN server, the speed will decline. So, choose one that will not be congested by too many people.
7. Update Router Firmware
If you want to enhance your WiFi speeds, you should update your router’s firmware as the developer will fix the bugs in the latest version to make your internet faster and better. You can use the mobile app or web portal to check and update the firmware.
Follow the steps below to update your router’s firmware:
- Open your web browser and type your IP address number in the address bar and press enter.
- On the login page of your router, enter your credentials.
- Click on the ‘settings’ tab and under ‘firmware’ check for any available updates, if there are one you should download and install it. Once completed, do a speed test and check whether the speed has improved or not.
8. Check For Internet Maintenance/Outage
A local system maintenance or network outage could be the cause of poor internet speed in your area.
If this is the case, your ISP will send you a notification that indicates the expected time that your data speed will be restored.
Otherwise, check your ISP’s website or contact them to check for local outages.
9. Change DNS Settings
DNS translates domain names to IP addresses for your device to connect to a website’s server. While it doesn’t affect download speed, altering DNS settings can improve responsiveness when browsing.
Slow or unresponsive DNS servers can cause delays in loading web pages, but using faster and reliable DNS servers can reduce resolution time, leading to faster page loads and a more responsive browsing experience. Change DNS settings to improve responsiveness during browsing.
AT&T’s DNS servers can be unreliable and slow due to overload and distance. Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public DNS server is a good alternative that blocks malware and keeps minimal logs to maintain its responsiveness.
10. Try 5 GHz Band
Most modern routers typically offer both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies, with the latter providing faster speeds and higher bandwidth.
Users who require high-speed internet and are located close to the router should connect to the 5 GHz network, while those who need less bandwidth or are located further away should use the 2.4 GHz network for better penetration capabilities.
Some routers have a “Smart Connect” feature that combines both frequencies into a single network for optimized performance.
11. Reset Network Settings
Outdated network settings can cause internet speed issues. Reset network settings on devices to fix latency and jitter.
The following are steps to reset network settings:
- Go to your phone’s “Settings” and tap on the “General Management” option.
- Search for the “RESET’ option and tap on ‘Reset Network Settings”.
- Reconnect your devices to the network and run a speed test to check if the reset has improved your internet speed.
12. Power Cycle Internet Equipment
A quick and easy way to improve your speed and refresh your network is by power cycling your router. You can use the following steps:
- Disconnect all devices and unplug the router from the power source.
- Wait for 60 seconds, then plug it back in and allow it to be set up.
- Reconnect the devices and check if the internet speed has improved.
13. Use a WiFi Extender
An effective solution to improve WiFi connectivity is to utilize an AT&T WiFi extender. Acting as an amplifier, a WiFi extender can enhance the existing signal by amplifying it which increases the connectivity in areas where the signal strength is weaker.
14. Upgrade Your Internet Equipment
Old routers that support WiFi 4 technology may not be compatible with several devices to achieve high-speed connections.
It is recommended that you upgrade to a high-speed fiber optic router with the latest features and technology for AT&T internet.
For larger homes, a mesh WiFi system is a better option to ensure that you have complete coverage.
15. Contact Support
If none of the methods mentioned above improve your internet speed, you can contact AT&T customer support to register a complaint or request technical assistance.
AT&T will investigate the issue from their end or send a technical team to diagnose any problems at your end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is AT&T’s internet so bad?
Poor signal strength in an AT&T connection can result from various factors, including local outages, internet congestion, low bandwidth plans, high data consumption, or hardware/network problems.
To identify the root cause of the speed issue, try utilizing the troubleshooting tips mentioned above.
Why is my AT&T internet not working on my phone?
In case of hardware issues or network settings on your device, try restarting it and checking whether the cellular data is working.
If cellular data is enabled but WiFi is not, resetting the network settings may resolve the issue.
How to make AT&T WiFi faster?
To enhance the speed of your AT&T internet, consider relocating your router to an area with a stronger signal, using an ethernet cable if possible, disconnecting unwanted or inactive o devices from the network, and turning off the background app data for high-bandwidth applications.
Why does AT&T’s Internet slow down at night?
AT&T’s internet speed can slow down at night because of network congestion caused by many users being active and overloading the network or due to high-bandwidth activities of multiple devices at your home.
Final Words
You can fix the AT&T slow internet by using the troubleshooting tips mentioned in this article. Before fixing your slow internet, you need to know what is causing it.
Some of the causes include local network outages, internet congestion, bandwidth restriction, and firmware problems.
To increase your internet speed, you can upgrade your subscription plan, try using a wired connection, relocate your router, change the DNS settings, or upgrade your internet equipment.
If you are not able to solve the slow internet issue in your router, you should contact customer support for help.