What is network congestion and how can you reduce it?

Network congestion is when too many people or devices are trying to use a network at the same time. This causes the data traveling through the network to get slowed down because you don’t have enough bandwidth available for everyone, causing websites to load slowly, videos to buffer, or online games to lag.

Network congestion usually happens when the demand for data is higher than what the network can handle. If one person is streaming a movie in 4k, another is downloading files, and someone else is gaming online, your router has to divide the available bandwidth between all of them.

But if your broadband isn’t fast or strong enough to keep up with all those activities, your network will become congested, and everyone’s connection will slow down.

The same can also happen due to other problems like outdated hardware on your router, poor network design, or sudden spikes in internet use, but the most common issue is your internet not being fast enough.

Network congestion happens when the demand for data on a network is greater than what the network can handle. There are several main causes behind this, including:

Network congestion can be checked by looking for signs like slow loading websites, buffering videos, or lag during calls and games. If these problems happen mostly at busy times, like evenings when many people are online, it’s often a sign of congestion. You can also compare how the internet works on different devices – if all are slow at the same time, the network itself is likely crowded.

If you’re still unsure if you’ve got network congestion, the simplest way to check is to run a broadband speed test at different times during the day.

If the results show much higher speeds when there’s less people at home but much lower speeds when many people are use the internet at once – especially during peak hours – network congestion is probably the cause.

To avoid network congestion, your broadband speed needs to match the number of people and devices using it, as well as the types of activities they do. For light use, like browsing websites, checking emails, and using social media, aim for 25 Mbps per person at home.

For heavier activities, such as streaming HD or 4K videos, online gaming, video calls, or downloading large files, each person may need 50–100 Mbps or more.

In households with multiple users doing these high-demand activities at the same time, we’d recommend broadband with speeds from 200Mbps and beyond or to prevent slowdowns when lots of people are using the internet at the same time.

It’s not all about speed though. It’s also important to consider that WiFi signal strength, router quality, and the number of connected devices you’ve got at home. You can have the fastest broadband in the world but still experience network congestion if your connection isn’t set up correctly. 

Read out guide to setting up your broadband to avoid any issues.

Reducing network congestion

Other than upgrading your broadband, there’s several practical ways you can do to keep on top of network congestion and avoid slowdowns.

Here are some things worth trying:

1. Limit Heavy Internet Use During Peak Hours

Data-heavy tasks like streaming 4K videos, online gaming, or downloading large files put a lot of pressure on your network because they all use a lot of bandwidth. Try to save high-bandwidth activities for less busy hours to reduce the strain on the network and improve performance for everyone.

Pro Tip: Schedule big downloads or software updates overnight when fewer people are using the internet. That way you're more likely to have more of your bandwidth available

2. Optimise Your WiFi setup and Settings

Optimising your WiFi setup means placing your router in a good location, away from walls or electronic devices that can block signals and adjusting settings to reduce interference. This can include changing the WiFi channel to avoid overlapping with nearby networks, using switching from the 2.4GHz band tot eh 5 GHz band (if your router supports it) for faster speeds.

Pro Tip: Position your router in a central, open spot in your home so that the signal reaches further in your home. If you’ve got a Virgin Media hub at home, read out guide to setting up your Hub and improving your internet speed.

3. Keep your router up to date and upgrade if necessary

Routers can slow down over time if their firmware is outdated, so it’s important to keep your router updated to make sure it supports the latest speeds, and can handle multiple devices without causing congestion.

You may also need to consider an upgrade if your router is old. Older routers and modems can’t handle modern high-speed internet or many devices at once, creating a bottleneck. Upgrading to a newer model helps make sure your equipment can manage more traffic efficiently, reducing the chance slowdowns and improving overall network reliability.

Pro Tip: Look for routers labelled “WiFi 6” or “dual-band” for faster speeds and better device management. We (naturally!) recommend our gigabit broadband, which comes with our WiFi-6 enabled Hub 5 and features download speeds of 1130Mbps and beyond – more than enough to keep network congestion low.

4. Prioritise Important Activities

Some routers allow “Quality of Service” (QoS) settings, which let you prioritize certain activities, like video calls, work meetings, or online classes. This ensures that critical tasks get enough bandwidth even if other devices are using the network.

Pro Tip: Assign higher priority to work, school, or streaming devices during peak hours to prevent any chance of interruptions.

5. Use Wired Connections When Possible

WiFi is convenient and usually enough for most families, but it can become crowded when many devices are connected, leading to congestion in large homes. Using an Ethernet cable for computers, gaming consoles, or smart TVs reduces pressure on the WiFi network and provides a more stable, faster connection for everyone.

Pro Tip: If you want the fastest and strongest connection you can get, use a Cat6 Ethernet cable for the best performance. Plug your console or gaming PC directly into the router whenever possible. You’ll see a big improvement in ping and fewer random disconnects.

Network congestion usually happens when your current broadband package isn't fast enough for everyone needs at home. If you're experiencing slow speeds, buffering, or lag during peak hours, it might be time to consider an upgrade to put a stop to it.

At Virgin Media, we’ve got a range of superfast and ultrafast broadband deals with speeds to suit every home – from 125 Mbps to 1Gbps and beyond. That’s plenty to keep your experience online silky smooth, even during peak hours.

Not sure what you can get? Use check out all of our broadband deals and enter your postcode to see what you can get.