Slow Internet from AT&T?

Working from home has always been a dream for a lot of people, and having a slow internet makes it nearly impossible to get anything done. So, if you’re one of the many folks who benefit from remote work, then you probably have zero tolerance for a bad internet connection. 

But it isn’t just home offices that pay the price when it comes to slow download speed. Many other fun activities like watching Netflix or streaming music is also affected by internet lagging or a slow internet in general. 

Below we will go over some of the most common reasons people experience a slow internet and give you some tips on how to troubleshoot your bad internet connection. If none of these tips and tricks work for you, we’ll also tell you what steps to take next. 

Here are the most common reason’s your internet is slow:

• Outdated Equipment – If your modem or router has been around since the day your teenager was born, or when you bought that new house fifteen years ago, then you probably need to upgrade your equipment. Routers and modems are continuously evolving with the latest technologies, and in order to benefit from that, you need to upgrade your equipment.

• Faulty Wires – One of the last places people think to look when their internet begins to slow down is the wires and cords they use to connect to the internet. Just like your outdated equipment, an old Ethernet cord isn’t doing your connection speed any favors. 

• Usage – Maybe when you first signed up with AT&T, you only needed a little bit of power to search up some cool things on the internet. However, once you began working from home or added a few other people to that usage, your plan probably needs to be upgraded to accommodate all that internet action. 

• Speed – Okay, we know that’s a given. But, do you actually know how slow your internet really is? Many people just assume their internet is slow due to the provider’s nonability to provide faster speeds. However, you need to run a speed test on your connection to know for sure and rule out all the other possibilities. More on this topic coming up next. 

Once you’ve gone through the above steps, continue reading to find out what you can do next to fix your bad internet connection.   

Test Your Internet Speed 

Performing a speed test is a critical step for finding out why you are experiencing slow internet. If you haven’t already done this, now is an excellent time to start. By simply running a speed test on your internet connection, you’ll be able to detect any changes in your speed over time.

This is the best way to know if your provider is actually delivering the promised speeds per your contract. Many different websites offer free speed tests, including almost all the internet providers. However, we suggest using a source that is not related to AT&T. This will help you have peace of mind when seeing the results. 

We recommend using Google’s free speed test because it’s fast, effective, and reliable. Just open your web browser and type in the search bar these two words: Speed Test. You will immediately see the option to run the speed test now. 

However, if Google is not your favorite source to use, then here are a few other free speed tests that we can recommend using: 

• FAST (Powered by Netflix)
• SPEED CHECK
• OOKLA

Compare Your Speed with Your AT&T Contract

After you’ve completed your speed test and you’ve written down your numbers, you’ll want to get a copy of your invoice from AT&T and see what your promised speed rates are per your contract. If you can’t find them on your bill, simply go to AT&T’s website to look at the details of your specific plan.

AT&T does offer some incredible internet speeds, and depending on what plan you chose, you might have the ability to download at approximately 940 Mbps. However, AT&T has multiple plans that offer a variety of speed rates. Be sure to compare the included speed rate of your plan to your speed test results.   

Troubleshoot with AT&T Customer Service

Once you’ve exhausted all your options for troubleshooting your slow internet by yourself, you might want to reach out to AT&T’s Customer Service at 800-331-0500 or 611 from a mobile device. But, before you decide to call their tech support team, check out all the resources they have online for fixing your bad internet connection. 

Whether you decide to use the live chat or call them directly, you might be asked to assist in the process of troubleshooting your slow internet. This is what you can expect:    

• Verify the light colors on your router or modem.
• Push the reset or reboot button on your equipment. 
• Unplug all your device’s power cords and wait before plugging them back in. 
• Run a speed test using their software to detect your actual download and upload speeds.

Be patient with the customer service representative as they try to test different aspects of your internet connection. They have been trained and have all the resources to troubleshoot any bad internet connection. However, if nothing is helping with your slow internet, you might need to go to the final step listed below.

File an Official Complaint and Get Compensated

Once you’ve allowed AT&T’s customer service agent to troubleshoot and try to fix your bad internet connection, they might try to sell you additional repeaters or upgrades. This is their final attempt to try and see if an upgrade will help deliver you a faster internet speed. 

WATCH: How it Works – An Intro FairShake

However, do not agree to any other charges or costs to fix your internet; you’re already paying for a service that is not being delivered as promised. Now is the time to file an official complaint or dispute through FairShake.