Try some or all of these options to resolve a poor internet connection.
- Reboot your laptop or computer
- If possible, move closer to your WiFi router, which should improve your WiFi signal
- Refresh or reboot your home router or your primary network internet device to make sure it is running optimally. Unplug the power cord, wait two minutes, and then reconnect the power.
- If you are near your router, consider plugging your laptop into the router with an Ethernet cable. This direct connection will provide the highest speed based on your router and your internet service provider limits.
- Search online for your laptop model to confirm that the laptop has an Ethernet port, so the laptop can plug directly into the router. (For example, newer Mac laptops lack Ethernet.)
- If your laptop lacks an Ethernet port, you need an Ethernet adapter for your laptop to make the direct connection to your router.
- Search online for your laptop model to confirm that the laptop has an Ethernet port, so the laptop can plug directly into the router. (For example, newer Mac laptops lack Ethernet.)
- Reduce the number of devices on your network. Extra network traffic will cause slowness. Online gaming and video streaming take a larger amount of bandwidth.
- Plug your workstation directly into your modem, bypassing your router. This will ensure that your device is getting 100% of the bandwidth for your home network, but keep in mind it will cut off the rest of your household.
- Check to see if you are performing backups, if so, disable, pause or reschedule, as this can cause slowness issues.
- If your Internet Service Provider issued equipment is more than three years old, you may want to reach out to your provider to inquire about updated equipment
- If you are vying with other for bandwidth on your home network, your data package may no longer meet your needs. Contact your provider to explore a data package with more bandwidth.
If You Have No Internet Connection
- Are other devices connected to the Internet working? If the problem only happens on one device, you can safely assume the problem is with that device.
- Check if WiFi is enabled on your device
- Make sure you are connected to the correct WiFi network and you have the correct password entered
- After checking the above and still have no internet connection, you may need to call your internet service provider
Having Trouble with Online Meetings?
- If you are having connectivity issues with Zoom, Teams or Canvas, try closing all other browser sessions and applications that are not needed
- If you are using Canvas for online coursework and are having connection trouble, as a temporary solution, try using the Canvas Student or Canvas Teacher app available for Android and iOS via the respective app store
- If you are using Zoom or Microsoft Teams for an online meeting and are having trouble, try using your phone to attend the meeting
- In Microsoft Teams, you can switch off the incoming video feeds and listen to just the audio
- Visit our MyCanvas and Zoom webpages for more information
Additional Resources
Internet service providers have support webpages as well. For example:
You can check your internet speed at https://www.speedtest.net.