Slow Wi-Fi on a laptop is annoying, especially when videos are slow, files take forever to download, and online games are laggy. There can be dozens of reasons - from incorrect router settings to outdated network card drivers. But the good news: in 90% of cases, the problem can be solved on your own without calling a specialist.

In this article we will look at all possible ways to increase Wi-Fi speed - from basic (rebooting the router) to advanced (changing the Wi-Fi channel and standard). We will describe step-by-step instructions for Windows 10/11, macOS And Linux, and also give recommendations on the choice of equipment. If you're ready to get your laptop back to lightning-fast internet, read on.

1. Check your current speed and identify bottlenecks

Before you optimize something, you need to understand where exactly is the speed lost?. Perhaps the problem is not with the laptop, but with the ISP or router. Here's how to diagnose:

First, connect your laptop to the router via cable (Ethernet) and check the speed for Speedtest.net or Fast.com. If the cable speed is low, the provider is to blame. If the cable connection is fine, but the Wi-Fi connection is bad, the problem is in the wireless network.

  • 📊 Wi-Fi speed test: run it on your laptop and record the results (ping, download, upload).
  • 📱 Test on other devices: test the speed on a phone or tablet on the same network. If it is also slow there, the problem is in the router.
  • 🌐 Test on another Wi-Fi: connect to your mobile hotspot (from your phone) and check the speed. If it’s fast there, your router or its settings are to blame.

If the Wi-Fi speed on your laptop is lower than on other devices, proceed to the following sections. If the problem is common, read about router optimization.

📊 What is your maximum internet speed according to your tariff?
  • Up to 50 Mbit/s
  • 50–100 Mbit/s
  • 100–300 Mbit/s
  • More than 300 Mbit/s
  • I don't know

2. Optimize your laptop's Wi-Fi settings

Often the speed drops due to incorrect network adapter settings. Let's look at how to fix them on different OSes.

For Windows 10/11

Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center (or click Win + R, enter ncpa.cpl). Find your Wi-Fi connection, right click → Properties.

  • 🔄 Disable Energy Saver:
    1. B Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager) find Network adapters.
    2. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter (for example, Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200) → Properties → tab Power management.
    3. Uncheck Allow this device to turn off to save power.
  • 📡 Enable maximum performance:
    1. In the adapter properties, go to the tab Additionally.
    2. Find options Roaming Aggressiveness (roaming level) and Transmit Power (transmit power).
    3. Install Roaming Aggressiveness on Lowest (minimum), and Transmit Power - on Highest (maximum).

For macOS

On MacBook optimization comes down to resetting network settings and updating software:

  1. Open System Settings → Network.
  2. Select Wi-Fi → press Additionally.
  3. Tab TCP/IP: press Update DHCP lease.
  4. Tab DNS: add public DNS (eg 8.8.8.8 And 8.8.4.4 from Google).

If the speed is still low, reset your network settings:

sudo ifconfig en0 down

sudo ifconfig en0 up

(replace en0 to your interface, you can find it with the command networksetup -listallhardwareports).

Power saving for the adapter is disabled|Maximum transmit power mode is enabled|DNS servers are updated|Network settings are reset (if necessary)-->

3. Update your network card drivers

Outdated drivers are one of the main reasons why Wi-Fi speed drops by 30–50%. Manufacturers regularly release updates to fix bugs and improve performance.

How to update driver on Windows

  1. Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager).
  2. Expand Network adapters, find your Wi-Fi module (for example, Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4 or Intel Wireless-AC 9560).
  3. Right click → Update driver → Automatic search.

If Windows does not find updates, download the driver from the laptop manufacturer's website (Lenovo, HP, Dell etc.) or directly from the adapter manufacturer’s website (Intel, Broadcom, Qualcomm).

For macOS and Linux

On macOS drivers are updated along with the system (System settings → Software update). On Linux use commands:

# Для Debian/Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade



# Для Fedora


sudo dnf upgrade



# Для проверки версии драйвера


lspci -k | grep -A 3 -i network

If the speed does not increase after the update, try rolling back the driver to the previous version (in Device Manager → Properties → Rollback).

💡

If after updating the driver Wi-Fi disappears completely, boot the laptop into safe mode with network support (click F8 when Windows boots) and roll back the driver.

4. Configure your router for maximum speed

Even the most powerful laptop will not show high speed if the router is not configured correctly. Here are the key parameters to check:

Parameter Recommended value Why is it important
Wi-Fi standard 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) or 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) Outdated 802.11n limits speed to 150–300 Mbps.
Wi-Fi channel Auto (or manually select least loaded) Overlapping channels with neighboring networks reduces speed by 40–60%.
Channel width 40 MHz (for 2.4 GHz) or 80 MHz (for 5 GHz) Narrow channel (20 MHz) limits throughput.
Security mode WPA2-PSK or WPA3-PSK Outdated WEP Not only is it unsafe, but it also slows down the network.

How to change settings:

  1. Open your router control panel (usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, login/password - admin/admin or indicated on the router sticker).
  2. Go to section Wi-Fi (or Wireless network).
  3. Set the recommended parameters (see table above).
  4. Save the settings and reboot the router.

If your router does not support Wi-Fi 5/6, consider replacing it. For example, TP-Link Archer AX6000 or ASUS RT-AX88U provide speed up to 6000 Mbit/s and stable coverage.

How to find out which Wi-Fi channel is free?

Use apps like Wi-Fi Analyzer (Android) or NetSpot (Windows/macOS). They show how busy the channels are and help you choose the best one. In urban environments, it is better to use 5 GHz - there is less interference, but penetration through walls is worse.

5. Optimize the location of the router and laptop

Physical obstacles are one of the main reasons for a poor signal. Here's how to improve coverage:

  • 📍 Router location: place it in the center of the apartment, on a hill (for example, on a closet). Avoid closed spaces (bedside tables, wall niches).
  • 🚫 Avoid interference: Keep the router away from microwaves, cordless phones and Bluetooth devices (they operate on the 2.4 GHz frequency).
  • 🔄 Antenna direction:
    • For a one-story apartment - antennas vertically.
    • For a two-story one - one antenna is vertical, the second is horizontal.
  • 📶 Use repeaters or mesh systems: if the signal is weak in some rooms, install Wi-Fi repeater (For example, TP-Link RE605X) or go to Mesh system (Google Nest Wi-Fi, ASUS ZenWiFi).

If the laptop is far from the router, try connecting to the network 5 GHz (it's faster, but goes through walls worse). To do this:

  1. In the router settings, enable 5 GHz (if disabled).
  2. On your laptop, connect to a network with postfix _5G (For example, MyWiFi_5G).
💡

The optimal distance between the router and laptop is no more than 10 meters without obstacles. Each wall reduces speed by 20–50%.

6. Change DNS servers to speed up loading times

DNS servers translate domain names (for example, google.com) to IP addresses. If the provider's servers are slow, pages will take longer to load, even with a high connection speed.

How to change DNS on Windows:

  1. Open Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Change adapter settings.
  2. Right click on your Wi-Fi connection → Properties.
  3. Select IP version 4 (TCP/IPv4) → Properties.
  4. Check the box Use the following DNS server addresses and enter: 
    8.8.8.8

    8.8.4.4

    (this is Google's DNS) or

    1.1.1.1

    1.0.0.1

    (DNS by Cloudflare).

For macOS And Linux the instructions are similar (in the network settings). After changing the DNS, reboot your laptop and check the speed.

If you are not sure which DNS is better, test them using the utility nslookup:

nslookup google.com 8.8.8.8

nslookup google.com 1.1.1.1

Compare the response time (the shorter the better).

7. Check your laptop for viruses and background processes

Viruses and programs that consume traffic in the background can eat up to 70% of the speed. Here's how to fix it:

  • 🛡️ Virus check: use Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool or Malwarebytes to scan the system. Pay special attention to network worms (for example, WannaCry).
  • 🖥️ Close background programs: open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc) and sort the processes by network. Close unnecessary ones (for example, Skype, Dropbox, Steam).
  • 🔄 Disable automatic updates: in Windows Settings (Update and Security) pause updates for 7 days if they load the network.

On macOS check network activity in System monitoring (Programs → Utilities → System Monitoring). On Linux use the command:

nethogs

(shows which processes are consuming traffic).

💡

If after closing all programs the traffic is still high, check your laptop for mining viruses. They can use your connection to mine cryptocurrency.

8. Advanced methods: changing MTU and QoS

If the previous methods did not help, try fine-tuning the network.

Changing MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit)

MTU - maximum data packet size. If it is too large, the packets are fragmented, which slows down the connection. Optimal value - 1472 (for most networks).

How to change MTU on Windows:

  1. Open Command line on behalf of the administrator.
  2. Enter: 
    netsh interface ipv4 show subinterfaces

    Note the current MTU value for your adapter.

  3. Set new value: 
    netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Имя_подключения" mtu=1472 store=persistent

    (replace Connection_name to the name of your Wi-Fi, for example, Wi-Fi or Wireless network).

Setting up QoS (Quality of Service)

QoS allows you to prioritize traffic (for example, give preference to video or games). The setup is performed in the router:

  1. Go to the router control panel.
  2. Find a section QoS (or Traffic priority).
  3. Enable QoS and set priority to your laptop (by MAC address) or to specific applications (e.g. Zoom, Steam).

On some routers (for example, ASUS) there is a mode Game Boost — it automatically optimizes the network for games.

💡

Changing MTU and QoS - advanced settings. If you are not sure, it is better to leave the default values or consult a specialist.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about Wi-Fi speed on a laptop

🔍 Why is the speed via Wi-Fi lower than via cable?

This is normal: a wireless connection is always slower than a wired connection due to interference, distance, and limitations of the Wi-Fi standard. For example, even Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) in real conditions gives a maximum of 70–80% of the declared speed. In addition, performance is affected by:

  • The number of connected devices (each “takes” part of the bandwidth).
  • Router settings (channel width, Wi-Fi standard).
  • External interference (neighboring networks, microwaves).

If the difference is more than 50%, check the settings as described in the article.

📶 Which Wi-Fi standard is better: 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz?

Each range has its own pros and cons:

Parameter 2.4 GHz 5 GHz
Speed Up to 150–300 Mbit/s Up to 1–2 Gbps (Wi-Fi 5/6)
Range Goes through walls better Passes worse over obstacles
Interference Many (neighboring networks, household appliances) Few (fewer devices running at 5 GHz)

Recommendation: if the laptop is next to the router, use 5 GHz. If there are many walls or far away - 2.4 GHz.

💻 Can antivirus slow down Wi-Fi?

Yes, some antiviruses (for example, Kaspersky, Norton) scan network traffic in real time, which can reduce speed by 10–30%. To check:

  1. Temporarily disable your antivirus.
  2. Check the speed at Speedtest.
  3. If the speed has increased, add exceptions for the browser or games in the antivirus settings.

Do not disable your antivirus for a long time - it is dangerous!

🔄 How to reset network settings on a laptop?

If all else fails, reset your network settings to factory settings:

Windows 10/11:

1. Откройте Параметры → Сеть и Интернет → Состояние.

2. Нажмите Сброс сети → Сбросить сейчас.

macOS:

1. Откройте Терминал.

2. Введите:


sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/NetworkInterfaces.plist


sudo rm /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/preferences.plist


3. Перезагрузите Mac.

Linux:

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

After the reset, you will have to re-enter your Wi-Fi password.

🛒 Is it worth buying a USB Wi-Fi adapter for a laptop?

Yes, if:

  • The built-in adapter is outdated (for example, it only supports Wi-Fi 4).
  • Do you want to connect to the network? 5 GHz, but your laptop doesn’t see it.
  • You need a more stable connection for gaming or streaming.

Recommended models:

  • TP-Link Archer T4U (Wi-Fi 5, speed up to 1300 Mbps).
  • ASUS USB-AX56 (Wi-Fi 6, speed up to 1800 Mbps).
  • Netgear Nighthawk A7000 (dual band, antennas).

Cost - from 1500 to 5000 rubles. Please check compatibility with your OS before purchasing.

If after all the manipulations the Wi-Fi speed on the laptop is still low, the problem may be due to hardware limitations (for example, an outdated network card) or to the provider. In this case, you should contact the technical support of your Internet provider with the results of speed tests.

⚠️ Attention: if you use VPN, it can reduce speed by 20–50%. Try turning off the VPN and repeating the test. Also, some providers artificially limit the speed when connecting via VPN - this is specified in the contract.