The Internet Is Slow or Keeps Dropping

When the connection is bad, the first question is whose problem it is. These steps answer it, from the quickest check to evidence you can hand to your provider.

1. Run Internet Check

Open Internet Check and click Check My Connection. It tests each stop on the way from your Mac to the web and rings the one that most likely causes the trouble.

If the Router is the stop that’s ringed instead, the problem is on your side: a weak Wi-Fi signal, interference or the router itself. Go to step 3.

Tip: Click Save Report to keep the result as an image you can send to your provider.

2. If everything looks fine, measure the speed

A connection can answer quickly and still be slow. Run Speed Test and look at the bufferbloat grade as well as the speeds: if the delay jumps while the line is busy, calls and games stutter whenever someone downloads, even on a fast plan. See Bufferbloat.

3. If the router is the problem, check the Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Analyzer shows your signal live and compares the delay to your router with the delay to the internet. Wi-Fi Networks shows how crowded your channel is and suggests a better one. If plugging in a cable makes the problem go away, it was the Wi-Fi.

4. If it comes and goes, record it

A problem that lasts one minute in an hour is easy to miss with a single check. Start MTR to a well-known address such as 1.1.1.1 and leave it running. Its History tab shows when and where packets were lost, and its outage log lists every time the connection dropped.

Before you call your provider

• Connect your Mac to the modem with a cable and run Internet Check again. Providers usually ask for that first.
• Save the Internet Check report and export the MTR report.
• Note when the problem happened. MTR’s outage log has the exact times.