I have very slow internet. Would a booster work or are they just hype?

Do you have a DUM (dial-up-modem), DSL or some other connection? Try defragging your disc and getting rid unwanted files, cookies, Emails, programs. You might take your CPU in and having more RAM installed.

I have DSL.

Go to https://www.speedtest.net/ and test your speed .DSL should be between and 1 Mbps and 7 Mbps download.

Please run a speed test here so you know what you’ve got.

@Tropical_Willie Jinx! :-) I use speedof.me but the two are close.

Slow, as in “low download speed”, or “slow responsiveness”?
You can not do much about the former, but the latter you could address by setting a different DNS in your network connection settings.

@LuckyGuy You owe me a diet Coke

@raginloli Both.

Are you using WiFi?

When was the last time you shutdown the whole system including PC/laptop and modem?
If it has been a month or more; try a shutdown of everything.

I was struggling with wifi and used my hardline/ethernet and haven’t had issues since.

You might be close to or overclocking your RAM.

Do you gain any speed if you close all your internet connections?

If you try that, go to Task Manager (if your OS is Windows), click on the Processes tab, and ensure that all of your browser processes have ended.

And clear your cache!

Did you try the speed test? If you are using wifi, try the speed test on wifi and plugged into the ethernet as @KNOWITALL mentioned. See if your numbers are very different. If wifi is much slower than the ethernet, then you know you have to address the wifi. If your ethernet is slow, then you have to address the speed of your service in general.

Didn’t get a chance to yet, but plan on it tonight.

@JLeslie I explain it to people as Wifi kicks you off, ethernet doesn’t….haha, a lot of people are trying to use older devices now since Covid was unexpected (for most), so it’s just easier to explain that way.

Your Wi-Fi performance is limited by the hardware in your router and your Wi-Fi devices. That limit is normally less than what your wired Ethernet can support. ... For low end laptops and many tablets and phones, even the processor speed can limit data rates independent of the capability of their Wi-Fi adapters.

Ok I did the test.
Download speed is 6.97 and it says that is the max speed.
Upload speed is 0.7 and max is 2.37.

That is nothing. Oh wow, no wonder you are frustrated. It must be running on old lines, not fiber optics. My previous download for years was 40 and upload 20, and it worked pretty well. Now, I have 350 and 350, but I don’t see that much difference to be honest.

The number is mbps? Did you try attached to the ethernet?

What speed are you supposed to have? Maybe it’s on fiber optics and just needs to be reset.

Do you have cable TV?

She has DSL @JLeslie she is running at max DSL speed. To get higher speed she’ll have to go to cable or Google Fiber.