Slow Network?

A slow network can be caused by many factors..

Here are 8 ways in which to resolve your slow Network Issue and try to speed things up or fault find..

• Believe it or not sometimes a good old fashion reboot resolves many small issues. Powering down and restarting network hardware and all machines may refresh settings.
• Powering up devices one at a time can also help in troubleshooting and detecting a problem computer or “weak link” on your network.
• Try changing ports should your network consist of a switch or router as sometimes these ports go faulty. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your whole device is at fault however you should consider replacement soon.
• If changing Ports on your devices doesn’t help try testing with a different/spare device to determine whether this is the culprit..
• On Desktop machines, one could try re-installing or replacing network cards. These are normally relatively inexpensive and is a quick way to ensure your pc is not causing your slow network.
• Mis-treated/old network cabling has also been known to cause intermittent issues at times. Try changing network cables just to eliminate this as a cause for your slow network.
• Virus’s & Malware could easily cause a slow network and this is often a good place to start if hardware is not to blame. Try running scans to determine whether or not you have a clean network. We recommend products such as Eset’s Nod32 Antivirus or free spyware applications like Spybot – Search & Destroy or Malware Bytes. Please note that if setup incorrectly some of these applications can cause speed issues or certain applications to hang. If you are uncertain about using these applications rather call us and we will advise accordingly. For more advanced users also checkout Trend Micro’s hijack this or even housecall for a quick way to find and delete serious infections or rogue services.
• Slow Internet does not necessarily mean that you have a slow network. If only your internet is slow this could be caused by many other issues however many of the above steps may apply. This could also be caused by Virus’s/malware however it may be worth checking with your provider first and testing hardware such as routers, adsl lines and other internet related devices.

For more advanced issues such as wireless troubleshooting and setup tips check back soon for our next blog or contact us for some advice.

The Computer Doc is always happy to assist..

Windows 7 – Approx. Load time 30 minutes depending on machine specification

• Insert your Windows CD into your CD Rom Drive and Reboot your Pc
• Tap F12 upon startup in order to choose the required boot device (Machines may vary however a brief message should display at the bottom of your screen telling you which key to press – often F1, F2 or Delete Key may be used)
• Select your Cd-Rom/DVD Rom Drive as First boot Device
• Press any key to boot off the disk (A brief message is displayed – press any key!)
• On the Install Windows page, enter your language and other preferences, then click Next.
• If the Install Windows page doesn’t appear, and you’re not asked to press any key, you may be required to change some system settings. To learn how to do this, see this link on the microsoft website Start your computer from a Windows 7 installation disc or USB flash drive.
• The license terms and conditions will appear, click I accept the license terms, and then click Next.
• On the “Which type of installation do you want?” page, click Custom.
• On the “Where do you want to install Windows?” page, click Drive options (advanced).
• Select the partition that you want to change, select the formatting option, and then follow the instructions.
• When formatting has completed, click Next.
• Follow the instructions to finish installing Windows 7 (This will include naming your computer and setting up an initial user account)