Why internet speed drops in the evening (and how to check)

By The SpeedFibre team, updated . 3 min read.

Why internet speed drops in the evening (and how to check)
In short In the evening everyone is online at once: at home, next door and on the network. Test over a cable with other devices paused, in the morning and the evening. If the drop persists in those conditions, it comes from the provider's network; otherwise from your household or Wi-Fi.
Contents
  1. Cause 1: your own household
  2. Cause 2: neighbours' Wi-Fi
  3. Cause 3: network congestion
  4. How to find out for sure
  5. What to do about network congestion
  6. And on 4G?

Between 8 and 11 pm, internet use peaks: series, matches, social media, games. A drop in speed at those hours can have three very different origins.

Cause 1: your own household

In the evening the whole family is home. A 4K TV, two phones on TikTok, a console downloading an update: the connection is shared. That is not a fault, just demand. Do the maths with speed needed by use.

Cause 2: neighbours' Wi-Fi

In apartment buildings, neighbouring Wi-Fi networks are also very busy in the evening. On 2.4 GHz they interfere with each other and speed falls. Fix: 5 GHz and good router placement, see 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.

Cause 3: network congestion

  • On fibre: capacity is shared at the provider's equipment and on links to the internet. A well-sized network absorbs the peak; a saturated one shows a regular drop at the same hours.
  • On 4G/5G: a cell is shared by all users in the area. In the evening, in dense areas or during an event, speed per user drops clearly.
  • Towards certain services: sometimes only one site or platform is slow, because of interconnection between networks.

How to find out for sure

  1. Connect a computer over a cable.
  2. Pause other devices (or turn off the router's Wi-Fi for a few minutes).
  3. Run a test around 10 am and one around 9:30 pm, for 3 days.
  4. Compare in your test history.
ResultConclusion
Cable stable morning and eveningThe drop came from the household or Wi-Fi
Cable drops sharply every eveningLikely congestion on the provider side
Ping rises in the evening, speed fineCongestion or bufferbloat

Measure your connection now. Start the test

What to do about network congestion

  • Keep your tests: they are the basis of any request to your provider, and help rule out throttling.
  • Schedule large downloads at night.
  • For gaming, prefer cable and traffic priority, see lower your ping.

And on 4G?

If your 4G router or phone slows down every evening, it is almost always cell load. Moving the router can sometimes let it pick up a less busy cell. See slow mobile internet.

#WiFiDiagnosis#Ping#Troubleshooting

Sources and further reading

Frequently asked questions

Is a small evening drop normal?

A slight variation is normal. A large, systematic drop over cable with other devices off is not.

Are weekends affected too?

Yes, peaks can spread over the day at weekends and during major sporting events.

Can a VPN get around congestion?

Sometimes for a specific service, if the problem is interconnection. It does not help a saturated line or cell.

The SpeedFibre team Guides written and reviewed by a telecom engineer specialised in fibre optics (FTTH), with more than 8 years of hands-on network maintenance and measurement. Editorial policy.

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