The Internet is everything these days. In a sense, it’s the most powerful piece of technology as it connects us all, allows us to earn money, grow a company on our own, and so much more. But what happens when the Internet isn’t available to you or is slow to respond? You panic is what you do.

There’s nothing worse than a poor Internet connection and it can be extremely frustrating because it can get in the way of your productivity, your ability to earn money, and so much more. But what do you do when you’re having issues with your Internet’s speed? You get in touch with an expert.

But before you do that, you should try a few things on your own to see if you can alleviate the problems. I’ve compiled some of my tips below, as well as some insight from experts.

(1) Cheap router.

It all starts with the equipment you have. If you notice your Internet is slow and are using a cheap router, I’d recommend looking into upgrading to a better, higher quality router.

(2) Wi-Fi pods.

Wi-Fi pods can also help strengthen your connection if you disperse them throughout your home and office. They can strengthen your connection and can help it reach more areas of your home and office.

(3) Check your Internet plan.

I was curious to hear from Paula Novo of HighSpeedOptions who mentioned different Internet plans available to you that might be the reason behind your poor connection.

“There are different packages and plans available to you through your local Internet provider. Obviously, the cheaper plan will offer up an Internet connection that is slower, has a longer loading time, comes with cheaper equipment, and more. If you notice a slow connection, I recommend you look into your plan and decide if you upgrading it might help improve your connection.”

(4) Reset your network and start fresh.

Over time, more people join your Wi-Fi network and slow it down. The more information the system has to store, the slower it will be. A complete reset of your network can help clear it up and will allow you to start fresh with a newly ignited connection.

(5) Try a quick reset.

Before completely wiping your connection, try a quick reset. Turn off the router, unplug everything, then fire it back up a few minutes later.

(6) Location of the router.

Where is your router? Is it far away from where people are located and are using it? Obviously the farther the connection has to go, the weaker it will be. If you can, move it as close as possible to where you spend the most time.

(7) Too many devices using equipment that can’t handle it.

If too many people are using the same Internet connection at the same time, then it’s going to slow it down. You have to find a way to limit the usage at the same time and, if you do notice that the connection is slow because there is too many people using it, then you will have to upgrade your plan.

(8) Do you need Wi-Fi for your phones?

Andrew Hill, the Founder of Distribute Digital, shared an interesting story about slow internet at his office and what was causing it.

“For us, we came to realize that the usage on our mobile devices was slowing down the Internet’s strength on our computers. So, we began to disconnect from the Wi-Fi on our mobile phones and used data instead, which allowed us to have faster Internet for the work we do. This was a revelation and saved us tons of headaches, because we need a strong connection as we work.”

(9) Is it a public network?

Obviously, a public network can be quite damaging as well. With a public network, anyone can join your network, which clogs up the lines and slows it down. Too many people on your network is not a good thing and, if your network is public, you are allowing anyone to join.

(10) Is it your device?

My final tip to check out before you call an expert is to look at your own devices. Are they old and tattered, because the performance of your device also contributes to the performance of your Internet.

An old smartphone or computer that operates slowly will be slow no matter what type of Internet connection you have. So, before you look to an expert and potentially spend money, I would check on your own devices first.