Guide To Fix Optimum Slow Internet

1. Check for Outages

Before you try any fixes, check if there is a service outage. To do that, you may use the Optimum outage map. It allows you to monitor the service outages and track the status of the updates.

Here is a quick guide to the tool:

• Visit the Optimum outage map.
• On the top right corner, input your service area code.
• The map will display if there’s an outage in your area or not.

If there’s an outage, then contact Optimum customer support to know when the service will be restored.

2. Install Pending Router

If there’s no outage, the problem can be with your router. Oftentimes, pending firmware updates on your Optimum router can undermine its performance. Just like our smartphones and laptops, routers have updates for their firmware. These updates are responsible for fixing security bugs as well as improving the network architecture according to the latest standards.

Although providers update the firmware of their leased routers automatically, here’s how you can update it when you buy your own router:

• Open the website of your router brand
• Search for your router’s model and check if your router is updated or not
• If not, then check for pending updates and download them
• Head to the Administration via Advanced Settings, and click Browse
• Choose the directory where you’ve downloaded the updates
• Click Upload and hold up until the update is complete.

Installing updates on your Optimum router may resolve the internet issues. Read more on router reboot here.

3. Use a Wired/ Ethernet Connection

Ethernet boasts faster and more consistent speeds compared to WiFi. You can easily connect an Ethernet to your router, and its other end to your device. Here’s how to do it:

• Choose between a Cat 6 or Cat 7 Ethernet cable
• Plug one end of the cable in the router’s port labeled ‘LAN’ or ‘Ethernet’
• Connect the other end to the Ethernet port of your PC/ laptop
• Your PC/ laptop will show an ‘Ethernet Connected’ sign
• Run a speed test to check if the connection is working or not
• You can also check the LAN/ Ethernet port on your Optimum Router to see if it’s:
  • Blinking: establishing a connection
  • Solid: connection secured

Check out our blog, which highlights how an Ethernet is faster than WiFi and why you should use it.

4. Disable/ Disconnect Unnecessary Devices

Too many devices running on the same network can lead to network congestion. If you have multiple smart devices connected to your network, then your Optimum Internet can be slow.

A good way of getting rid of this issue is resetting your Optimum WiFi password and connecting only necessary devices. Here’s how you can do it:

• On the back of your Optimum router/ router box, find the login credentials i.e., IP address and Admin password. It’s usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
• Log in to the admin account and head to the WiFi wireless settings.
• Find out the number of connected devices to compare it later.
• Find the SSID and Password for your device. Edit and save them.
• The dashboard will prompt you indicating that changing the password will disconnect all connected devices. Click OK to continue.

Once the password has been changed for your router, reconnect the devices that you want to use. Compare the number of devices connected to your router to know if you’ve cut down on additional devices or not. Read more about how many devices you can connect to your router.

5. Reposition Your Router

If your Optimum router is placed near walls, appliances, or someplace where its heat doesn’t dissipate, then you’re bound to get internet issues. Closed spaces cause hindrance in WiFi signals, and heat up the router, causing disconnection and slow speeds.

Hence, you should ideally place your Optimum router in a place that is:

• Open and not closely surrounded by walls
• Well-ventilated and allows the router’s heat to dissipate

In addition, avoid covering your router with anything or placing it near appliances that emit electromagnetic waves, such as microwaves, TVs, etc.

6. Disable Background Apps & Programs

The more background apps running on your device, the slower the processing and internet speed. Some background apps such as security, performance, etc., tend to keep running to ensure functionality.

However, there may be other unnecessary applications that consume resources and cause performance issues. That’s why, you need to disable them to free up data and boost speed.

You can:

• Head to the ‘Background App Refresh’ option in your smartphone to find out what apps are running in the background and disable them.
• On your computer/ laptop, you can open ‘Task Manager’ or ‘Activity Monitor’ to find out currently running and background apps and disable them accordingly.

You can even turn on the Data Saver mode to stop the apps from consuming data freely.

7. Install Device Updates

While most of us don’t bother installing device updates, these are actually helpful and can help fix your Optimum Internet easily.

• You can simply head to the device’s settings and find updates.
• Here, you’ll find any pending updates that you need to download and install.
• You can also head to the router’s administrator panel and find any pending updates to install.

8. Disconnect VPN

You can often use a VPN for opening restricted websites or accessing the internet securely. A VPN creates a point-to-point communication tunnel with a remote server, bypassing filters, blocks, and firewalls. But if the server is at a longer distance from your location, it takes time to communicate, which results in slow speeds.

For that purpose, you need to disconnect your VPN if you’re continuously using it.

• For smartphone users, head to your device’s settings, find ‘VPN,’ and turn it off.
• For PC/laptop users, if you’re using a browser extension, then click on the extension and turn the VPN off.
• Find the app shortcut on your desktop or open it from the search bar to turn it off

Doing so will connect you with your local communication server, minimizing the distance of communication and giving you more speed.

9. Switch WiFi Frequency Band

Modern routers come with multiple frequency bands (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, etc.). These frequency bands allow the router to communicate with the devices on a different frequency wavelength than the appliances around them.

For instance, most appliances emit electromagnetic waves at the same frequency that routers emit i.e. 2.4 GHz. However, if you change this frequency to 5 GHz, then the waves from other appliances won’t interfere with your router’s WiFi signals. Here’s how you can do this:

• Log in to your Optimum Router’s admin panel.
• Head to Wireless Settings, then to Advanced Tab, and find the WiFi channel.
• Here, you’ll find the bands that your router can operate on.
• It’ll be set to auto but you can change it to the band you want.
• Change and Save.

10. Reset Your Router

Resetting your Optimum Internet router is one of the easiest ways of resolving internet issues. Resetting puts the router back in its factory settings; any poor configurations or changes done to its firmware will be removed.

For resetting the router:

• Find the reset hole on the rear of the router
• Insert a thin pin into it
• Hold the button inside for at least 30 seconds
• Once you do, the light on the router will go out, indicating that it has been reset
• Let the lights turn back on and stabilize
• Connect your devices to it and run a speed test to check if the issue has been resolved

11. Clear Device Cache

Clearing the cache helps improve the speed of your device as well as your internet browser. Therefore, you should ritually clear your device’s and browser’s cache at least once a month. Clearing the cache will remove the saved passwords, accounts, etc. So, keep them synced with your email accounts to fetch them later.

Here’s how you can clear the cache from your web browser:

• Open the web browser and go to Settings
• Click History
• Click on Clear Browsing History and check on Clear Cookies and Cache
• This will clear the cache from your browser

For clearing the cache on Windows:

• Press Windows Button + R to open Run Box
• Type ‘Temp’
• A folder of temporary files will open.
• Select all to clear

For clearing the cache on Mac:

• Open Finder and then head to Folder in the Menu
• Open the directory of the folders listed and select the files you want to delete.
• Move them in the Trash and clear

Need Help? Contact Optimum Customer Service at (844) 520-8978 for Assistance