Among the likeliest suspect for slow computer performance – after you’ve taken care of the obvious viruses, malware, bloated systems, insufficient memory, run a registry cleaner, etc. – may just be your peripheral equipment. Network connections are notorious for slowing down computer performance. This is because a computer that’s attached to the network is communicating with other computers (like servers) and may be waiting for a response from another computer.

Check Your Network Card

Computers normally use a network card of some sort to connect to a computer. Whether the network card is built into the device, or is added after the fact, it remains a potential for a performance bottleneck. Sometimes, network cards can get “confused” and start to behave erratically.

These network adapters can “chatter” incessantly, creating all sorts of unnecessary network traffic that other devices have to listen to by virtue of the way Ethernet networks are designed. In other cases, your networked computer may be a victim of a “rogue” device, and is simply unable to get proper access to the network.

If you are working with a laptop computer, the network adapter or “air card” you use to connect to a 3G or cellular network may be causing performance problems. While the network may be capable of a faster download speed, your adapter card may be limiting the network’s performance. Laptops pose a unique challenge because in many cases, they’re underpowered to begin with. Combining a slower processor with a limited amount of RAM, a slower graphics processor and a slower network card, may produce an unhappy result when it comes to performance.

If you’re not using a cellular network card, but you’re connecting to a network with a wireless adapter, you may find that your computer has trouble shifting gears between one wireless network and another. The computer may spend time fruitlessly searching for network devices like DNS servers that it may have encountered in a previous session. If you’ve moved to a different wireless network, the most recently available DNS server won’t be around any longer. You may try disabling the wireless adapter when booting up and connecting once your computer is up and running.

If you’re working with a desktop computer that’s slow and attached to a network, disconnect the computer from the network. You may have to reboot or manually shut off the network adapter. If your performance problems improve or disappear altogether, you can begin to search for network related causes for your computer’s slow performance.

Photo Credit: Marius Perijoc, via Flickr

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In my last post, I talked about troubleshooting a computer with a slow network connection. If you’ve verified that the speed problems you’re having aren’t related to your computer’s network configuration or firewall settings, there are other diagnostics you can use to shed some light on why your connection may be slow.

Some Simple Tests Can Measure Your Computer Speed

If your problem shows up while browsing the Web or seems to affect a particular site, try clearing your browser’s cache. This will remove any old information your browser may be using. Try to reload the site. If the site still seems slow, but other sites work fine, the site may be having trouble serving visitor requests. In this case, there’s not much you can do to improve the site’s performance.

If you can’t find any specific trouble with your computer or its configuration, you may want to measure the speed of your broadband service. Most broadband providers will offer services that promise to deliver “up to” a certain bandwidth amount. Rarely do they offer a guaranteed upload and download speed unless you pay extra for a business-class service.

Due to the nature of TCP/IP networks, the performance of the network is determined, in part, by how many other people are using the network at the same time. If many people are using the network, your performance will be degraded. This is another situation that you don’t have much control over, but you can determine how much bandwidth you’re receiving at any given time.

There are several online bandwidth-testing sites that will measure your upload and download speeds. These tests can be a little deceiving because they’re simply measuring how fast you can send and receive data to and from their site. Your results when connected to a different site may be completely different. One site you can use to test your speed is SpeedTest. The site will recommend a test server that’s relatively close to your location, and provide you with upload and download speeds. Don’t be surprised if your download speed is much faster than your upload speed. This is normal, especially for broadband connections.

If you’re like most residential users, you’ll be more interested in the download speeds than the upload speeds. Track your speeds over a period of time. If your download speed is consistently poor, your only recourse is to ask your provider to check the service they’re delivering to your home. If the service meets their internal standards, your provider isn’t likely to do much more testing on your behalf.

Photo Credit: Doc Searls

If you connect your computer to the Internet via a broadband connection (DSL, cable modem, etc), you may wonder exactly how fast your computer is. Keep in mind that when you connect your computer to the Internet, you add variables that can change the apparent performance of your computer, but that doesn’t mean your computer has gotten slow.

Troubleshooting A Slow Network Connection

To troubleshoot a “slow” network connection, you’ll first have to isolate the problem. The problem could be in one of several areas. The bad news is that you have real control over just one potential problem spot: your own computer. That makes locating the source of the slow response a critical part of getting the problem resolved.
The easiest way to determine whether a slow connection is on your computer or elsewhere in your setup is to disconnect your computer from the network. This will help you determine whether the problem is with your computer or outside of your control.

If your computer seems to operate normally when it is disconnected from the network, the problem may be with your network configuration. The first thing to do is verify all of your network settings. Even simple things like an error in the DNS server address can cause enormous delays when your computer is connected to the Internet. Once you’re sure your network configuration is correct, look for other, less obvious causes.

If your computer is connected directly to your service provider’s network, verify all network settings with your service provider. If you have a firewall turned on, verify that the traffic you’re sending out and receiving from the Internet can pass. If you have a firewall, but don’t know how to use it, consult the Technical Support group at your network service provider.

Alternately, if you have the time and energy to do so, learn a bit about administering your firewall. Don’t simply disable your firewall; it’s there for a reason. Firewalls can keep your computer safe from malicious users who are looking for an available computer to “borrow” for file storage, malware distribution, identity theft, or hacking practice. With a little effort, you can configure your firewall to reduce your risk on the Internet, and improve the performance of your computer. If you suspect a problem with your firewall, your Internet Service Provider may be able to help with configuration and testing.

In my next post, I’ll show you how to measure your upload and download speeds.

Photo Credit: Kjell Olsen

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