Slow Wi-Fi? Check this before buying a new router.

A connected icon does not show where the speed drops. Compare one device, one room and the whole connection before you replace anything.

The Wi-Fi icon only shows that your device reached a router. It does not tell you whether slow Wi-Fi starts in the room, on one device, or in the internet connection beyond the router.

Check the room. Run the same speed test on the same device beside the router, then in the room where Wi-Fi feels slow. If it is much faster nearby, distance, walls or interference may be weakening the signal. Put the router in an open, central spot. If you already use a mesh point, check that it still gets a strong signal where it sits.

Check the device. In the same place, test another phone or computer on the same Wi-Fi. If that device is fast, start with the slow phone or computer: reconnect its Wi-Fi and check for a large download or update. A single slow device is not evidence that the router needs replacing.

Check the internet connection. If several devices are slow beside the router, try Ethernet if your equipment allows it. If wired internet is slow too, check your provider’s outage notice and plan. If wired is fast but Wi-Fi is slow, focus on the wireless link. Restart the modem and router once, repeat the same comparisons, and share the results with your provider if the problem continues.

Quick read: faster beside the router points to room coverage; one slow device points to that device; slow wired internet points beyond Wi-Fi. These clues narrow the search, but do not identify a faulty part by themselves.

Speed tests vary by device, test server, time and service plan. Compare the same test under similar conditions.

Sources: Google Home and Nest Help, improve Wi-Fi speed · Google Home and Nest Help, slow internet · Microsoft Support, Wi-Fi connection issues.