{"id":8656,"date":"2023-07-19T10:28:15","date_gmt":"2023-07-19T10:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/?p=8656"},"modified":"2023-07-19T12:07:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T12:07:51","slug":"slow-upload-speeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/slow-upload-speeds\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow Upload Speeds – Common Causes And Quick Fixes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We’ve all been there. You’re trying to upload a video, send a large file, or even just post a photo on social media, and it’s taking forever. Your upload speed seems to be crawling at a snail’s pace. But why is this happening? And more importantly, how can you fix it? In this post, we’ll explore the reasons behind slow upload speeds and provide step-by-step instructions to troubleshoot and resolve these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Upload Speed vs Download Speed – What Is The Difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Upload speed and download speed are two sides of the same coin, both crucial for a smooth internet experience. Download speed refers to how quickly data can be transferred across the internet from a website or server to your device, like when you’re streaming a movie or downloading a file. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, upload speed is how quickly data can be sent from your device to the internet, like when you’re posting a photo on Instagram or sending an email with a large attachment. While most of us notice download speeds more in our daily internet use, upload speeds are equally important, especially in today’s work-from-home and content creation era. If you find you are suffering slow download speeds on your PC<\/a>, chances are your upload speeds are suffering too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Common Reasons For Slow Upload Speeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons why your upload speed might be slower than you’d like. Some reasons might be easy or at least within your reach to resolve, while others may signal equipment reaching end of life. Then there are those reasons that are out with your control and will need a little patience. Here are some of the most common:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older or Outdated Equipment: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If your router and\/or modem are getting old, they may not have the capacity for higher upload speeds. This was a common problem when many connections started to change over from old copper wire broadband lines to fibre optic. The new technology required new routers that could cope with the jump in potential capacity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are moving from an old property with copper wires, into a new property that already has fibre optic supply, as another example, you might find that your old router can’t do your service justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might also be that your computer is getting old, or that there are lots of processes running that are causing your laptop to run slow<\/a>, and this is impacting the amount of resources your machine has to deal with data transfer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Poor Router Placement: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The signal from and to a WiFi router can be affected by physical objects between the router and your computer, or any other WiFi device. Walls, furniture and even pipes in walls can all reduce the optimal range of your WiFi signal, and impact the speed that you receive if your computer is in another room, far from the router. Other electronic devices can also cause interference impacting the signal you receive. More interference can cause slower internet speeds and unreliable connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Network Congestion: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If too many devices are connected to your network and trying to upload at the same time, your upload speeds will slow down. It won’t just impact upload speeds, but download speeds too. Data travelling in either direction can be impacted by network congestion as the bandwidth is limited and data both back and forth use up your capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you have 2 or 3 devices all streaming Netflix is separate rooms for example, and you are trying to upload files to a website, like photos to Instagram for example, this can have an impact on your upload speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ISP Limitations: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Your internet provider might not be giving you the maximum speed listed on your plan. This might be due to limitations with the line coming into your property from the exchange, or the distance of your property to your nearest exchange. Or, it may be that you are on a capped plan, say a 10MB broadband plan that has limits on your speeds up and downstream. The other reason may be for a fair usage policy violation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Malware: <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Malware can disrupt your normal computer activities and slow down your upload speed. While unlikely, it’s always good to have reliable antivirus and check for malware and spyware regularly!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How To Fix Slow Upload Speeds – Troubleshooting & Fixes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Check Your Internet Speed:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first thing to check, is that you are getting the speeds you are paying for. Now, upload speeds are always less than download speeds so be aware of that. The service is designed that way, because people use more resources downloading than uploading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you are uploading from a computer, it is usually a file much smaller than one you might want to download from the web. For example, uploading images to Insta, or a video to YouTube, is far less demanding than downloading a new Xbox game. So ISPs design the net to give download traffic the biggest slice of the highway. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your ISP should advise you clearly on what speeds you can expect for your line, and the package you are paying for. You can check if you are getting this service by running a speed test, with a tool like Fast<\/a> or Speedtest By Ookla<\/a>. Simply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n