Why is my internet slow on my PC, but not on any other device in my home?

Hi johnmorich

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

Based on your description, I understand that you have 2000mbps internet turned on, and all other devices internet is very fast, but only the computer has a slower internet speed. I understand your feelings very well!

I see that you have tried many options and commend your problem solving skills and thinking!

Here are some reasons that are more relevant to your problem.

1. Wireless signal attenuation/interference

The PC is downstairs, the router is upstairs, and physical barriers (walls, floors) can substantially attenuate the 5GHz signal (5GHz is poor at penetrating walls, but fast; 2.4GHz is good at penetrating walls, but low speed).

Your network card (Intel AC 3168) theoretically supports 433Mbps, but the actual speed is greatly affected by signal strength, interference (e.g., microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, neighboring Wi-Fi channel conflicts).

2. Network card hardware or antenna problems

If the PC is a desktop and uses the motherboard's own Wi-Fi antenna, the antenna may not be installed/have poor contact, or the antenna is poorly designed (e.g., hidden behind the chassis).

Some low-priced motherboards have weak Wi-Fi modules (especially AC 3168 which is an entry-level NIC).

3. System settings or driver compatibility issues

Windows 11's power saving mode may limit the performance of the card (default is “Power Saving Mode”).

Drivers have been updated, but the latest drivers may have compatibility issues with the system (especially with the frequent Win11 updates).

The “Channel Width” or “Frequency Band” in the advanced settings of the network adapter is incorrectly configured.

4. Background software consumes bandwidth

System updates, antivirus software, cloud disk synchronization, etc. may take up background traffic and interfere with speed measurement.

I will give you some suggestions and options to hopefully solve your problem or find out what is causing it! However, this is the first time I've replied to this question, so please understand and provide more information in your reply (pictures would be great!). Thank you very much!

Option 1: Confirm signal quality and connection band.

1. Check the Wi-Fi band

Right-click on the network icon in the taskbar -> open “Network and Internet Settings” -> click on the name of the Wi-Fi you are currently connected to -> check “Network Band” in “Properties”.

You must make sure that you are connected to the 5GHz band (2.4GHz speeds cannot exceed 100Mbps).

If the router does not split the 2.4G/5G name, it is recommended to log into the router's backend and name the two bands separately (e.g. “HomeWiFi-5G”) to force the PC to connect to 5G.

2. We can also test the signal strength via command line.

Click “Windows Logo Key” to open the search bar -> Type “cmd” in the search bar and open it with administrator privileges -> Please enter the following command

netsh wlan show interfaces

Check the “Signal” percentage (recommended to be higher than 70%) and “Receive Rate (Mbps)” (should show the negotiated rate e.g. 433Mbps).

If the signal is below 60%: you need to adjust the PC position or boost the signal.

Option 2: We can also try to optimize the wireless environment and hardware to improve the signal as much as possible.

1. Adjust the router channel (key!)

Login to the router backend (usually the address is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) -> find 5GHz band settings -> manually select the channel (recommend 36/44/48 and other low channel, avoid DFS channel).

Set the “Channel Width” to 80MHz (AC 3168 supports 80MHz bandwidth to increase the speed).

2. Check the antenna of PC (desktop computer should be checked).

If the PC is a desktop and uses an external antenna, make sure the antenna is properly installed (tighten the connector) and adjust the antenna angle (vertical orientation is best).

Try to move the PC chassis to an open position (e.g. desktop), avoiding metal obstacles.

Option 3: We still need to make some adjustments at the system level.

I see that you have already made a lot of adjustments from a system perspective, but there are still some angles that we can troubleshoot more deeply.

1. Disable power saving mode (key!)

Right-click Start Menu -> Device Manager -> Expand “Network Adapters” -> Right-click “Intel AC 3168” -> Properties -> Power Management -> Uncheck “Allow computer to turn off this device to save power. “.

2. Modify the advanced settings of the network card

Right click on the NIC in Device Manager -> Properties -> Advanced tab, and press the following settings:

Preferred Band: 5GHz preferred

Channel Width: Auto or 20/40/80MHz

802.11n/ac Wireless Mode: Enabled

Transmit Power: Maximum (if available)

3. Disable the “Traffic Optimization” function

Settings -> Network and Internet -> Advanced Network Settings -> Data Usage -> Turn off “Traffic Optimization”.

Option 4: I see that you have tried updating your drivers, but newer drivers may not be as stable or compatible and may cause similar problems.

We can try rolling back or manually installing older drivers.

1. Install the generic driver

Also in Device Manager -> Right-click on the device and select “Remove Device” (if there is one, please make sure “Remove Driver” is checked) -> After restarting the computer, the system will automatically search for and install the generic driver.

2. Manual driver installation

The driver involves the following situations:

(1) If you are a laptop, you can download the driver for the corresponding laptop model through the brand's official website.

(2) If you have a desktop computer, you can download the driver for the corresponding model through the official website of the motherboard brand.

(3) You can also download the driver for the corresponding model through the hardware/device manufacturer's website.

Please note: Please try the latest version of the driver as a priority, assuming the problem still exists, we can try some known older and more compatible versions.

Go to Intel's official website to download the historical version of the driver (it is recommended to try the 2022 version, some of the newer drivers are poorly compatible with older models).

Option 5: Please try to clean boot your computer.

Since clean boot uses only a limited set of files and drivers, it can help us to effectively troubleshoot the possibility of problems caused by third-party applications, driver conflicts, etc.

You can refer to Clean Boot for more information: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

After clean boot, please slide down the webpage after opening the link and find “How to determine what is causing the problem after you do a clean boot” This is a dichotomy that helps us pinpoint the service that is causing the problem and disable it.

Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background service is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get back on track.

Option 6: I also have a few more quirky ideas that might help you improve the speed of your network as a temporary solution.

1. Temporarily borrow a USB wireless card for testing.

If you have a USB network card around that supports Wi-Fi 6 (e.g. AX200 chip), plug it into your PC and test to see if the speed comes back up and to confirm if it's a hardware problem.

2. Powerline adapter (alternative)

If you can't pull a network cable, you can try a power cat (e.g. TP-Link TL-PA9020P), which transmits network signals through wires and is more stable than Wi-Fi.

Other than that, I have a few more questions I'd like to check with you so I can get a more in-depth understanding of your situation.

1. Is your PC a desktop or a laptop? If it is a desktop, is it using an external antenna?
2. What is the router model? Does it support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)?
3. Have you tried to move your PC near the router for temporary testing (to rule out location problems)?

I sincerely hope that the above information and programs will help you! Please feel free to contact me (Photos related to the question would be great!).

I look forward to hearing back from you. 

Best Regards

Arthur Sheng | Microsoft Community Support Specialist