Whether you are a seasoned internet user or someone who recently got connected, it is likely that you’ve had some questions about internet speeds. How fast your internet connection is plays a determining role in the enjoyment of your internet experience. Most people couldn’t care less for slow internet speeds, and customers browsing at a site will promptly move on if the site takes forever to load. If you are selling something online you definitely do not want this happening.

Internet speeds are usually defined in two ways. First, there is the speed at which data is being delivered to you from the internet, also known as download speed or downstream speed. Then there is the speed at which data travels from you to the internet, known as upload or upstream speed.

When shopping for internet providers Ontario you will notice that the selling point is the speeds they can provide, and the different prices for this. Naturally, most users will choose an ISP who can offer the fastest speeds at the lowest cost. It is important to however note that price isn’t the only thing worth considering when choosing an ISP.

There are different factors that can affect your internet speeds, outside of the connection plan that you chose for yourself. While your internet provider determines how fast your internet speed is, these factors below may affect your internet’s performance:

• An old computer will load slowly, regardless of the connection speeds available. An old computer with an outdated operating system will most likely be overwhelmed by the running applications.
• If you are using an old modem, which is the device that converts the data on the phone line into a form that can be used by a computer, then you are most likely not getting the best from your internet connection.
• If you are using a wireless router, a factor that can affect performance is the distance between the router and the devices utilizing the Wi-Fi.
• If a lot of devices are utilizing an internet connection, there is likely to be congestion and this will result into slower speeds.

There are other factors outside of your control that can affect internet speeds. For instance, if a lot of people are trying to access a site at the same time, there is likely to be a problem loading the said site. This usually happens when a site has just put up information that everyone is interested in, or when there is an offer that buyers are interested in. In such circumstances, it is not uncommon to be completely unable to access a site.

Technical factors such as latency and packet loss can also affect internet speeds. Latency refers to the time it takes for data to travel from source to destination while packet loss is the number of data packets that don’t reach their destination.

If you feel unsatisfied with your internet speeds, you can consult with your ISP for a change to a more suitable connection. Alternatively you can change your ISP altogether and move to one who can meet all your connection needs.