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Struggling with sloth-slow broadband? Does loading a simple site feel like the final scene of Chariots of Fire?

If you're sick of hearing that the easiest way to improve your broadband speeds would be to just pack up and move then this guide is for you.

We've complied a list of the simple (and the not so simple) things you can do to get faster broadband.

If you want to know more about why your broadband might be slow or you'd like to know how fast you can realistically expect your broadband to be then please see our Broadband Speeds Explained guide.

Please note that this guide is for home broadband only for more on mobile broadband please see our mobile broadband guide.

Very quick ideas: a few minutes to half an hour

Fiddle with your Router

Often, it's the signal provided by your wireless router - rather than line or provider problems - that are slowing your broadband down.

Fiddling about with your wireless router could improve the signal that you're getting and make your broadband faster.

First, try moving your wireless router to get a better signal. The signal can be disrupted by other devices which operate in the same 2.4 GHz range as your router so moving the router away from microwave ovens, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors and cordless phones could make your broadband faster.

The signal can also bounce off shiny surfaces, which is why people with faster broadband tend to have poorly applied makeup.

Also be aware that each wall or object the signal has to go through will degrade the strength. Brick walls will degrade the signal more than say a wooden door.

Direct line of sight is best but not exactly achievable throughout a home, so minimising walls/objects as much as possible is the next best thing.

It may also be worth checking the instructions that came with your router (if you've lost them many are available online, try Googling the model name and number) to troubleshoot common problems that could be affecting your broadband speeds.

Finally, bear in mind that wireless signal is poor by its very nature.

Network analyst Epitiro, conducted over 1 million tests which showed that on average broadband connections shared using home wi-fi networks were 30% slower than the speeds measured at the main phone socket in the same property.

That equates to around 15-20Mb for someone paying for a 50Mb broadband connection.

Ultimately, plugging in an Ethernet cable is the only way to dodge wireless signal degradation entirely.

It is worth noting though that both the router sending the signal and the device inside the computer or laptop receiving the signal play a part.

Often you can get external aerials for laptops for example which can pick up weaker signals in comparison to built-in receivers.

Apple laptops for example are common culprits as the aluminium frame of the laptop itself can cause signal deflection which results in poorer reception (similar to the well known iPhone 4 reception issue).

Compare your broadband package

It could just be that your broadband package is no longer suited to how you're using the internet. To see if this is likely to be the case try using one of our broadband comparison tables to see which headline speeds are common.

If you've had your current broadband package for a number of years, for example, it might just be that the speeds that were adequate to load basic web pages a few years ago are no longer enough to cope with your new BBC iPlayer and WoW addiction.

See the switch your broadband package section for what to do if that sounds like you.

Look into your usage

Some broadband providers prioritise certain types of internet use so look into how you're using your broadband connection.

If you download a lot from the internet and you're finding that your broadband is very slow your provider may be throttling your connection under the terms of their fair-use policy. See our guide to broadband fair-use policies to see if this might apply to you.

If you often use the internet at peak times - around 6pm - 9pm - try testing the speed at off-peak to see if that makes a significant difference.

Unfortunately, if you find that the way that you use your broadband is having a negative effect on your speeds there is little you can do except switch to another broadband provider with a fair use policy better suited to your needs.

Quick Projects: 30 minutes to a couple of hours

Install a BT iPlate

The individual characteristics of each and every telephone line are often the root cause of the wild fluctuations in broadband speeds around the country.

A BT Interstatial Plate - or iPlate - slots into a BT master socket and can often make broadband faster and more reliable. Typically, users see an increase of around 1 - 2Mbps, not a huge improvement but a definite boost especially if your current line speed hovers around 1 - 4Mbps.

The iplate works by reducing external interference on the line picked up by the bell wire, one of the six wires inside the telephone cable. You can buy an iplate online for around £5 or, if you're a BT broadband customer, you can request one for free.

For it to be effective you'll need more than one working telephone socket (the little white box that you plug your home phone into) in your property. Some sockets will already have the technology installed so check that yours is compatible on the BT accelerator site.

You can disconnect the bell wire yourself and put the iplate in place with a couple of screws. A quick Google yields many handy guides and it'll be easy enough even for the DIY-phobic.

Buy a better router

If you have fiddled with your router and haven't seen a significant improvement then you might get faster broadband with a better quality router.

Most of the wireless routers that are given away free with broadband packages are very basic and many of the broadband packages that advertise higher speeds do so, at least in part, because they are giving away better equipment.

If you have a high-speed broadband connection but an old router your router might not be powerful enough for your broadband connection.

A wireless router that uses an 802.11b/g network protocol (the most common type) will support speeds up to 11Mbps if it only supports 802.11b and up to 54Mbps if it supports 802.11g. However, even if it supports up to 54Mbps - this speed will reduce on distance and even more so for every wall or object it has to pass through to reach your computer or laptop.

To get the fastest broadband you'll need a router which is 802.11n compatible - it supports speeds up to 300Mbps and most importantly has an increased range of 70 meters (compared to 45 for 802.11b/g).

For example, Virgin Media's XXL broadband and TalkTalk's Pro both come with a good quality Netgear wireless 'N' router which is 802.11n-compatible.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that an 802.11n router will only show any improvement if you also upgrade the receiving wireless card in your computer or laptop - otherwise the 'n' router will fall back to using 802.11b/g.

Warning! Although most ISPs are more than happy to let you know your broadband username and password, which you'll need to use your router, Sky Broadband won't give you any technical support unless you're using the router that they provided you with at the start of your contract and could suspend your service if they find you using your own router.

It's also worth noting that other ISPs will find it difficult to provide technical support to you if you have you own router, since their staff will be trained on the routers that come free with their broadband packages.

Switch your broadband provider

By moving to a faster broadband deal with a different broadband provider you can often improve your speeds massively.

Use one of our broadband comparison tables to see which companies are offering the fastest speeds in your area and read our reviews for an idea on how realistic that headline speed is.

Check your microfilter/filter/splitter

Your broadband provider might have provided you with a microfilter (also known as a broadband filter or splitter) when you signed up.

It's a little white box which plugs into your phone socket and makes sure that the ADSL and phone signals are completely separate. If you don't have a microfilter, or it's not installed correctly, you'll probably get interference on your phone line and reduced broadband performance.

Check that your microfilter is the first thing to be plugged into your phone line, before any other line splitters and don't use multiple filters like extension leads for a longer cable as this will stop them from working properly.

You'll need a filter in any phone sockets in your home that you're using, not just the one that your modem is plugged into.

Try clearing out your cache

The technological equivalent of plunging your sink, clearing your browser's cache can help it to speed up.

Browser software keeps a cache of pages that you've visited which makes it easier to load pages that you often visit and also allows you to access your browsing history. However, sometimes technical problems with the cache can make loading pages slow.

You can choose to keep saved cache data that might be useful to you such as saved passwords, recent answers on online forms or your download history.

• Internet Explorer - Go to 'Tools' and then 'Delete Browsing History'
• Firefox - Go to 'Tools' and then 'Options' you should see an option to 'Clear Cache Now' in the 'Privacy' section. In some versions it might be under the 'Advanced' tab.
• Google Chrome - Go to 'Tools' and then 'Clear Browsing Data' or press Ctrl+Shift+Del
• Sarafi - Go to 'Sarafi' and then 'Empty Cache' or press Alt+Apple+E

Get in touch with your provider

It's good to talk, email, text and tweet: if you think that you're not getting a reasonable broadband speed then get in touch with your broadband provider and ask them what they can do to make your broadband faster.

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