Why a new connection can feel slower
You switched to get something better, and now pages crawl or the speed test shows less than you hoped. Several different things can be behind it, and they need different responses: the new line may still be settling in, a new router may have changed how your Wi-Fi reaches each room, the switch may have moved you onto a different kind of connection, or something in your home wiring or the evening rush may be holding it back.
If the connection keeps cutting out rather than just running slowly, see why broadband keeps dropping out.
Is slower broadband normal in the first few days?
On many lines, yes, for a while. BT, Sky and TalkTalk each describe a settling-in (or stabilisation) period for a new connection, when speeds can go up and down and the connection may drop now and then while the provider works out the best speed the line can hold steadily. BT says this doesn't mean anything is wrong with your broadband, and Sky calls it "completely normal".
Each provider sets its own period. These are the ones we could confirm on the providers' help pages (checked October 2026):
Provider | Settling period it states | What it asks you to do |
|---|---|---|
BT | About an hour for the line to "settle down" once it's switched on, while the exchange tries different speeds; the whole process can take up to ten days (BT's speed guarantee page says "the first 10 days or so") | Leave the BT Hub on all the time |
Sky (UK) | 14 days, for packages using what Sky calls Copper or Part Fibre technology, while Sky checks and tests the connection | Always leave the hub on so Sky can gather as much information as possible |
TalkTalk | About 10 days (up to 10 days in its fault help), while its Dynamic Line Management system adjusts the speed | Keep the router on at all times so it can gather data to tune the line |
Sky breaks its 14 days into stages: day 0 activation; days 1 to 4 testing and optimising; day 5 learning more about the connection; days 6 to 10 tweaking and testing the best settings; days 11 to 14 stable at the best speed. It shows why a test on day two tells you little.
New to TalkTalk? Its packages are on our TalkTalk broadband deals page.
Other providers, and full fibre
We couldn't confirm a settling period for other providers; search your provider's help pages for "settling" or "stabilisation", or ask. Openreach, which builds and maintains the network many providers sell over, says speeds sometimes take a little time to stabilise after a repair or upgrade, and that your provider can confirm what's normal.
Full fibre is less clear-cut. Sky's 14 days cover only its Copper and Part Fibre packages; for Full Fibre its settling page points you to a general speeds article instead and gives no period. BT's page doesn't say which connection types it covers. We found no provider saying full fibre never needs time to settle, so ask before treating a slow first day as a fault.
Leave the router on while it settles
All three providers above ask you to keep the router powered up during the settling period, and there's a reason. On lines that use copper for some or all of the way, a system called Dynamic Line Management (DLM) watches the connection and adjusts it, trading a little speed for stability when it sees errors or drop-outs. There's more on how it works in our guide to broadband on long copper lines.
The broadband information site thinkbroadband cautions against turning the router off daily when you leave the house: on ADSL2+ and fibre-to-the-cabinet lines, frequent power cycling can lead the remote equipment to judge the line unstable, prompting DLM to cut the speed. An occasional restart is still sensible, thinkbroadband says, for example after a thunderstorm or if the router hasn't been restarted for months.
If you want to see the speed your router has actually connected at, rather than what a speed test shows, see how to read your router's line statistics.
A new router changes your Wi-Fi too
A switch often brings a new router, and that alone can make things feel slower even when the line itself is fine.
- Devices may still be hunting for the old network. A new router comes with its own Wi-Fi name and password. TalkTalk's help pages give two options after a router swap: reconnect each device, or copy the old network name and password onto the new router (noting them down, as the new router's card won't match). Our guide to keeping your devices connected when you get a new router goes through both.
- The new hub may be in a worse spot. Virgin Media's help pages say Wi-Fi gets weaker with distance and through doors, walls and ceilings, that baby monitors, cordless phones and TVs can interfere, and that the hub should stand upright in the open, clear of radiators, with a metre or more between it and other electronic devices.
- Wi-Fi speed is not line speed. Sky's speed figures are measured to the hub. It says a device on Wi-Fi will get less, depending on the device, the apps in use, how many devices are connected and how the hub is set up. If one older device struggles while the rest are fine, see why one device is slower than the rest.
To tell Wi-Fi problems from line problems, run a test on a computer plugged into the router with an Ethernet cable. Ofcom recommends a wired test because Wi-Fi can slow the signal, and Virgin Media says its highest speeds come over a wired connection. If the wired result looks right, the fix is inside your home, not on the line.
You may now be on a different line or network
Since 12 September 2024, Ofcom's One Touch Switch process has worked whichever networks the old and new providers use, so a switch can quietly change the technology your home runs on: from Virgin Media's cable network to an Openreach phone-line service, for example, or from full fibre to a part-fibre line. That changes what speed is realistic.
- Copper (ADSL) and fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). In Openreach's terms, ADSL (standard or copper broadband) runs over a copper phone line, while FTTC carries the signal by fibre as far as the green cabinet in your street and by copper from there to your home. On both, it says, the further you are from the exchange (ADSL) or cabinet (FTTC), the slower your connection is likely to be, and thinkbroadband adds that these lines are more prone to interference than full fibre. If you've come from cable or full fibre, a lower speed may simply be what this line can manage.
- Full fibre (FTTP) and cable. thinkbroadband says full fibre speed isn't affected by distance and calls full fibre and cable fixed-speed technologies. So a wired result well short of what you were sold isn't explained by line length; raise it once any settling period has passed.
thinkbroadband also makes a point worth knowing if you moved to a faster FTTC package: because every FTTC product uses the same underlying technology, a line that can't reach the top of a slower tier won't go any faster on a higher one. Not sure what you're on now? See which network your broadband runs on, and our fibre broadband deals page covers part-fibre and full fibre packages.
Phone-line connections: check the socket and filters
If your new service comes over a phone line and you plugged the router in yourself, how it's connected matters. thinkbroadband's interference advice for ADSL and FTTC lines covers four things: plug the router into the master socket (the main socket where the line comes into your home) rather than an extension; put a microfilter on every phone or device sharing the line, unless the socket already has a filtered faceplate; take out extension wiring you no longer use; and swap flat phone leads for twisted-pair ones. Cable and full fibre aren't affected in the same way. Our guide to self-installing broadband covers set-up for each type of connection.
Compare against the right number
Don't measure the new service against your old speed, or against the "up to" figure in an advert. thinkbroadband's advice is to judge any slowness against the personal speed estimate your provider gave you when you ordered, which may be a single figure or a range, because that estimate is for your line, with this provider and this technology.
Providers signed up to Ofcom's voluntary broadband speeds code should give you two figures before you buy, without you having to ask, and send them again once you've ordered:
- A busy-time speed estimate. How this is presented varies by provider; Sky, for example, gives a "normally available" download and upload speed for 8pm to 10pm.
- A minimum guaranteed speed. Sky describes its version as the speed the slowest 10% of lines with similar length and characteristics get. Your right to leave depends on this figure.
Ofcom says to keep this information. Its list of signatories (as captured on 28 September 2026) has nine names, including BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media; our guide to speed estimates and the minimum speed guarantee has the full list and explains how the two figures differ. If you can't find your figures, ask your provider for them in writing.
As a rough guide, thinkbroadband says a speed test within 10% to 20% of the estimate you were given probably means things are fine. Results that sit well below that, test after test on a wired connection once the settling period is over, are worth raising.
How to test your new connection properly
- Let the settling period run, with the router left on; early results will move about.
- Test wired, with other devices' downloads and streaming paused.
- Use the tester your provider's guarantee relies on. Sky says checks for its Speed Guarantee must be done with its Service Checker, the My Sky app or a Sky adviser, not another website's checker; BT's Stay Fast Guarantee is judged on BT's own speed test. For everyday checks you can use our broadband speed test, and why speed tests give different results explains why two testers can disagree.
- Test at different times of day. thinkbroadband suggests testing at breakfast time as well, since providers differ in how well they hold speeds up at peak times; comparing the two helps show whether your line or the provider is the bottleneck. BT says speed to the hub can drop at busy times, especially 8pm to 10pm; why broadband slows down in the evening covers that pattern.
- Keep a dated log: date, time, wired or Wi-Fi, which tester, and the result. It shows whether the line has settled, and it's the evidence you'll need if you report it.
When to report slow speeds, and who to tell
Report it to your new provider, as your contract is now with it. Openreach's own help pages send slow-speed problems to your provider first, and it's the provider that asks Openreach for a repair if the fault turns out to be on Openreach's network.
- No service at all: report it straight away. The settling pages talk about varying speeds and occasional drops, not a connection that never works, and under Ofcom's switching rules you shouldn't be without service for more than one working day during a switch, where that's technically possible. See how to report a broadband fault.
- Slow or patchy during the settling period: keep the router on and keep logging. Sky's settling page offers help for problems that carry on past day 14, and BT warns that speeds can fluctuate for roughly the first 10 days. If you do call early, ask when the settling period on your line ends and note the answer.
- Still well below your estimate afterwards: report it with your wired test log, your speed estimate and minimum guaranteed speed, and (on a phone line) a note that you've checked the master socket and filters.
Worth asking when you call:
- Is my line still settling, and on what date does that end?
- Which technology and network is my service on now?
- What speed is my router connecting at, and is that normal for this line?
- Am I below my minimum guaranteed speed, and from what date are you counting the time to fix it?
- If an engineer visit is needed, could I be charged for it?
Your rights if the speed doesn't recover
The voluntary speeds code is your main way out of a new contract that can't deliver. Where speed sits below the guaranteed minimum because of a fault on the provider's own network, and 30 days pass without a fix, signatories must release you with no early exit fee; since 21 December 2022 that extends to linked services bought in a bundle. Rolling monthly contracts aren't included, but you can leave those with notice anyway.
Citizens Advice suggests noting your test results and asking the provider for your minimum guaranteed speed. If you're below it and the provider has signed the code, send it the results: it then has a month to put things right, after which you can cancel without a fee. If your speed is above the minimum but slower than you were told, or your provider hasn't signed the code, Citizens Advice suggests asking for a discount; it adds that a provider outside the code doesn't have to do anything.
Some providers add promises of their own (checked October 2026):
Provider | What its guarantee says |
|---|---|
Sky (Speed Guarantee) | If speed to your hub is below your Guaranteed Minimum Download Speed for at least 3 days in a row in the last 30 days, you can change package with no upfront fees or cancel without early termination charges. Speeds must be checked with Sky's own tools; neither a total loss of service nor a major outage counts towards those 3 days. |
BT (Stay Fast Guarantee) | If the fault is within BT's control and it can't improve your speed within 30 days, you can leave without an early-cancellation charge, provided you complete the in-home checks BT asks for, allow at least one engineer visit, and BT's own speed test still shows a speed below the guarantee. This covers phone line, broadband and TV, not BT Mobile. |
Check your own provider's terms. Our Sky broadband deals and BT broadband deals pages show their packages, and the broadband providers hub links to the other providers we cover. If you're getting nowhere, our guide to complaining to a broadband provider sets out the next steps.
Where the cooling-off period fits in
An online or phone order normally also comes with a 14-day cooling-off period, during which Citizens Advice says you can cancel free, though you're likely to pay for any service you've used. Whether that overlaps with the settling period depends on when your provider starts counting. Some count from when the contract is agreed (TalkTalk, from the day after), others from activation or router delivery: BT's online cancellation works while the service is under 14 days old or not yet live, Virgin Media counts from the most recent of the day after its equipment is delivered, the service start date or receiving its terms, and Sky gives UK customers 31 days from the later of router delivery, activation or receiving its terms. Check your order documents for your own date. If you'd rather move to another provider, under One Touch Switch you contact only the new one; your current provider must send you the switching information, including any early termination charges. See our broadband cooling-off guide for more providers' start dates, and leaving broadband without an exit fee for other ways out.
Before your next switch
Next time, look at the technology a deal uses, not just its headline speed; make sure the speed estimate is for your exact address; and keep that estimate together with your contract summary so you have both if you ever need to complain. When you're ready, you can compare deals at your postcode; the deals come from our comparison partner, and you order with whichever provider you choose.
Slow broadband after switching FAQs
How long does broadband take to settle after switching provider?
It depends on the provider and the type of line. BT says up to ten days, Sky says it tests UK Copper and Part Fibre connections for 14 days, and TalkTalk says about 10 days. We couldn't confirm a period for other providers, so check your provider's help pages or ask it (checked October 2026).
Should I turn my router off and on while my new broadband settles?
No. BT, Sky and TalkTalk all ask you to leave it on during the settling period. On copper-based lines, thinkbroadband says regular power cycling can make the network think the line is unstable and slow it down. An occasional restart, such as after a thunderstorm, is fine.
Does full fibre need a settling-in period?
Providers don't all say. Sky applies its 14-day period only to Copper and Part Fibre packages and gives none for Full Fibre, while BT's settling page doesn't say which connection types it covers. We found no provider saying full fibre never needs time to settle, so ask yours what's normal.
Who do I contact if my broadband is slow after switching?
Your new provider, because your contract is now with it. Openreach directs slow-speed problems to your provider, which arranges any repair needed on Openreach's network. Have your wired test results and your speed estimate ready when you call.
What speed should I compare my results against after switching?
The personal speed estimate your new provider gave you when you ordered, not your old speed or an advert's "up to" figure. thinkbroadband says a result within 10% to 20% of that estimate probably means things are fine. Your minimum guaranteed speed is the lower figure your exit rights depend on.
When can I leave a new broadband contract because the speed is too slow?
If you're with a signatory to Ofcom's voluntary speeds code, you can leave without an exit fee when your speed is below the guaranteed minimum because of a network fault it hasn't fixed within 30 days. Sky's own guarantee applies after 3 days in a row below the minimum in the last 30 days.
Why is my Wi-Fi slower with my new provider's router?
A new router has a new Wi-Fi name and password and may sit somewhere worse than the old one. Virgin Media says walls, distance and devices such as baby monitors weaken Wi-Fi. Test on a computer wired to the router first: if that's fast, the line is fine and the fix is in your home.
