Although Smart City’s fiber network provides the fastest network speeds available in the home today, there are a number of situations that can cause your network speeds to slow down. Possible scenarios include:
Older network interface card (NIC)
Most computers (desktops, laptops, etc.) that come equipped with 1Gbps NICs today may have the capability of placing bits on the wire at 1 billion bits per second, but the path from the network card through the computer may not support this transfer rate.
Hardware and software configurations
The type of hardware you are using, the age of the device, the operating system, the web browser, and the other applications running on your device all affect the upload and download speeds. When you perform network speed tests, be sure that your device is wired to the network and that no other applications are running. Running an email application in the background or having automatic OS updates enabled can affect your test results as well.
Wiring
You must be using CAT5E or better Ethernet cabling in order to achieve speeds up to 1Gbps. CAT5 cabling, for example, is only rated at 100Mbps.
Malware
Scan for malware and make sure your computer or browser has not been hijacked. Worms can use your network to replicate traffic, which slows down your Internet connection. Use up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware tools to prevent future infections.