Why does my internet run slow? How to make it run faster?

[Susan Huckstra]

I have a laptop and before I was using a home computer that would often crash or run slower than a herd of Slowpokes.

I've had my laptop nearly 3 years which I figured may be a reason why it's running slow but being a girl who knows absolutely nothing about computers...I need help.

It mostly has problems loading tabs even if it's just one. If I'm on let's say YouTube and I type in the web address for Twitter it takes longer than it should to load.

After a page finally loads it's usually okay but occasionally the page won't load and I'm forced to kill it and try starting again.

I've never had problems with internet connection and usually have a strong signal when I'm in my bedroom. (Even now I have 4 bars)

On top of that I also noticed that my battery won't hold a charge longer than an hour (Used to be 3)

Are there programs that could be making my computer slower? I have Libre Office (like Microsoft Office), Skype, and Gimp downloaded. I also have COMODO Firewall.

If there is anything that could help me I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for taking the time.

[?]

Is there anyone else using the internet other than you? Is someone downloading a big file in the internet? Or maybe a virus, you probably need to defrag your system.

[Jeff]

you should exit most of the programs you aren't using, and it sounds that your laptop is the problem

[Lightme]

If you are watching a movie in one tab on youtube, and you open another tab then it will load slower - because the youtube page is downloading streaming video. This is completely normal behaviour if your internet connection isn't that fast, and it may cause a considerable delay.

Laptop batteries need replacing every couple of years. Completely normal behaviour.

If you run multiple programs at once on an older computer, then it could be making your computer run slowly (but it won't affect your internet speed). If so, close any applications you aren't using.

The signal for your wireless (4 bars) is not the same thing as your internet connection speed. Try restarting your router - or call your internet provider and they will tell you how to run a speed test to see if there is a problem with your connection speed.