Check out these quick tips for boosting your router's wireless signal, extending and optimizing your Wi-Fi coverage, and speeding up your browsing.
In a world where going online has become, for some, as essential as breathing, issues like browsing slowing to a crawl, the inability to stream, failed Wi-Fi signals, and wireless dead zones are all frustrating. (Well, maybe not that crucial, but vital nevertheless.)
There are a variety of tools available to test the speed of your internet if you believe it has become sluggish. You can also try a few tricks to troubleshoot your network issues. If standing next to your wireless router is the only way you can get decent reception, these simple tips can help you optimize your network.
Check Your Wired Internet Connection
Make sure the internet entering your home is functioning as it should before blaming the Wi-Fi. If your laptop doesn't have an Ethernet connection, get an Ethernet cable and connect it straight to your modem; you might also require a USB to Ethernet adaptor.
To check your internet speed, run a speed test. You might need to call your ISP or change your modem if it doesn't match the speed listed on your internet bill. If your speed test and internet bill match but your connection still feel poor, it might be time to invest in a better plan. (My grandma thought her Wi-Fi was broken, but I proved to her that she was only using a 3Mbps connection.)
If the modem appears to be in good working order, repeat the test wirelessly while standing right next to the router. If you get similar speeds near the router but not elsewhere in the house, it's possible that your Wi-Fi coverage is to blame. If your internet is still slow when you're standing right next to the router, you may need to upgrade your equipment.
Update Your Router Firmware
It's a good idea to update your router before you start fiddling with things. Software is constantly being improved by router manufacturers in order to gain a little more speed. The ease with which you can upgrade your firmware is entirely dependent on the manufacturer and model of your device.
It only requires pressing a firmware upgrade button on the majority of modern routers because the update procedure is already integrated into the administrative interface. In order to update the firmware on some models, especially older ones, you still need to go to the manufacturer's website, download the file from your router's support page, and upload it using the administrator interface. The fact that it would be such an easy correction makes it tiresome yet worthwhile.
Even if your wireless network is in good shape, you should update your firmware on a regular basis for performance enhancements, new features, and security updates. We have a guide on how to access your router's settings if you need it.
The adventurous should look into a third-party firmware like the open-source DD-WRT if they really want to get the most out of their current router. This can improve performance and provide access to more advanced networking features, such as the ability to set up a virtual private network (VPN) directly on your router. It's a little more difficult to set up, but it might be worth it for tech-savvy users.
Obtain Optimal Router Positioning
Wi-Fi signal distribution is not uniform throughout all residences. The reality is that the location of the router has a significant impact on your wireless coverage. Although it may seem sensible to place the router near the window where the wire enters the house or within a cabinet where it is out of the way, that is not always the case. The router should if at all feasible, be placed in the middle of your home rather than at one end so that its signal may easily reach all four corners.
Additionally, wireless routers require wide areas free from walls and other obstacles. You'll thus receive a better signal if the unsightly black box is surrounded by open space, despite the temptation to place it in a closet or behind a stack of books (which should prevent the router from overheating, too). As operating those close by might affect Wi-Fi performance, keep it away from powerful appliances or devices as well. Performance can be significantly enhanced by taking down even one wall that separates your workplace from the router.
To improve coverage, position the external antennas on your router vertically. To obtain a stronger signal, mounting the router high on the wall or on the top shelf may also assist. You may visualize your network coverage using a variety of techniques. We like the Wi-Fi network's weak and strong regions being displayed by Ekahau's Heatmapper or MetaGeek's inSSIDer. There are also a ton of mobile applications, including WIFI Analytics from Netgear.
What Frequency Are You?
Make sure the administrator interface for your network is set up to perform at its best by taking a look at it. If your router has two bands, switching to the 5GHz band rather than the more widely used 2.4GHz band will probably result in faster throughput.
In addition to providing faster speeds, 5GHz is less frequently used than 4GHz, so you'll probably experience less interference from other wireless networks and gadgets. It won't always go as far as a 2.4GHz signal does, though, because it doesn't handle obstacles and distances as well.
You should be able to use the same network name, or SSID, across both bands with the majority of contemporary dual-band routers. Look for the 5GHz network option in your router's administration interface, and then give it the same SSID and password as your 2.4GHz network. Your devices will then constantly select the best signal available.
(If your router does not allow you to use the same SSID, simply give it a different name, such as SmithHouse-5GHz, and attempt to connect manually whenever possible.)
Alter the Channel
Particularly for those who live in densely populated areas, interference is a significant problem. Speeds can be impacted by signals from other wireless networks, as well as some cordless phone systems, microwaves, and other electronic devices.
As a child, have you ever used walkie-talkies? You might recall that in order for you to hear one another, the units had to be on the same "channel." Additionally, even if your neighbors were using a different set, you could listen in on their conversation if you happened to be on the same channel as them. In a similar vein, all current routers have the ability to change channels when speaking with your devices.
The majority of routers will select the channel for you, however, signal congestion will occur if nearby wireless networks are also utilizing the same channel. Older or less expensive routers may just select a preset channel, even if it isn't the best one, while a decent router set to Automatic would attempt to select the least crowded channel. That might be a difficulty.
You may view the channels that nearby Wi-Fi networks are using on Windows-based PCs. You may see a list of all wireless networks and the channels in your area by typing netsh WLAN show all at the command prompt. The aforementioned network analyzers may also display this data for you, frequently in a graphical manner that is simpler to understand.
Channels 6 and 11 are used by the majority of our networks and those of our neighbors at the PCMag office, for example. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the only ones for 2.4GHz that don't overlap with other channels, thus you should generally stick to using these (which can degrade performance). However, 5GHz often uses non-overlapping channels, which should make choosing the appropriate one considerably simpler.
If you discover that the Auto setting isn't satisfying your needs, log into your router's administrator interface, go to the basic wireless category, and try choosing one manually (preferably, one that isn't being used by many networks in your neighborhood). Try a different speed test to determine whether the Automatic setting in the issue locations offers a better signal and faster speeds.
If you choose a channel manually, you might want to check in occasionally to make sure it's still the best one because channel congestion might alter over time.
Set Wi-Fi Intruders Off
The issue could not be related to interference or Wi-Fi range at all. You run the risk of having a few undesirable visitors use your network if it is open or has a weak password. Your video chats will suffer if your neighbor is using your Wi-Fi to download numerous 4K movies.
These programs can help you locate a list of the gadgets connected to your Wi-Fi, which could be useful for spotting nosy neighbors. One of your children may be hogging bandwidth without your knowledge if you look at the traffic analyzer section of your router's admin interface, which will tell you which devices are using a lot of data. (If so, here's how to get rid of them.)
Once you've identified the intrusive party and fixed the issue, encrypt your network by using a strong password—preferably WPA2 as WEP is famously simple to crack. This will prevent other people from joining.
Control Quality
Like the Netgear menu above, the majority of contemporary routers come with Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities to restrict how much bandwidth apps consume. To ensure that your chat with grandma doesn't end because someone else is downloading a large file from Dropbox, you may utilize QoS to prioritize video calls over file downloads, for instance. Grandma is more significant (but their file may take longer). You can even prioritize various apps according to the time of day in some QoS settings.
In the network administrator interface, QoS options are often located under advanced settings. By providing a one-click entertainment or gaming setting, some routers may even make it simpler for you to know that particular programs would be given priority. There are actions you may take to improve the situation if you're trying to stream games while sharing a network.
Replace Your Antenna
It would be a good idea to add an external antenna if your router only has an internal one because the latter generally sends a stronger signal. Many router manufacturers sell antennas separately. Your router may have come with antennas you can place on yourself, but if not (or if you threw them away long ago), you can purchase them separately.
You often have the option of using directional antennas, which deliver a signal in only one particular direction, or omnidirectional antennas, which provide a signal in all directions. When purchasing an external antenna, it should be designated "high-gain" in order to truly make a difference since most built-in antennas are omnidirectional.
Since it's likely that your network doesn't have weak spots in every direction, a directional antenna is usually a better choice. Your external antenna will transmit the signal appropriately if you point it in the general direction of your signal poor spot. For information on what to buy, see the manufacturer of your router.
Replace Any Outdated Hardware
Making the most of your current tools is a smart idea, but you can't expect the finest performance if your hardware is outdated. When it comes to back-end hardware, particularly networking equipment, we frequently follow the adage "if it ain't busted, don't fix it." Although you might still be utilizing the slower, more antiquated 802.11n technology if you purchased your router years ago (or God forbid, 802.11g).
Older routers may have lower bandwidth limits and even narrower ranges. The maximum speed for 802.11g is 54Mbps, whereas the maximum throughput for 802.11n is 300Mbps, so all the adjusting we've shown above will only go you so far. The most recent 802.11ac allows 1Gbps, and next-generation Wi-Fi 6 routers have a potential 10Gbps speed limit. An excellent place to begin your search for a speedier network is with our list of the top wireless routers.
Even if your router is brand-new, you can still have some older equipment that defaults to slower standards. You most certainly have an 802.11ac wireless adapter, or at the very least 802.11n, if you purchased a PC within the last two years. But the less probable it is that your older devices will include cutting-edge technology. (You might be able to find a USB Wi-Fi adaptor that works a little bit better on those outdated computers.)
Remember that a better router will perform all the tasks we've listed above better in addition to supporting those faster standards. It will have better QoS features, better band steering for 5GHz devices, and better channel selection. The Editors' Choice TP-Link Archer AX11000 tri-band gaming router, for example, may contain capabilities like Multi User-Multiple Input Multiple Output (MU-MIMO).
Numerous clients must be MU-MIMO compatible in order for MU-MIMO routers to send and receive various data streams simultaneously to multiple devices without experiencing bandwidth degradation. The setup procedure won't be too intimidating if you decide to get a new router. We provide instructions on how to configure and set up the gadget.
Boost Range with Mesh Wi-Fi or a Range Extender
Although some newer routers may have a greater range than your outdated model, you might still not receive the range you require in many residences. The performance will inevitably suffer if there are many corners and walls to navigate or if the network needs to cover an area that is larger than the router can broadcast to. If none of the aforementioned suggestions work, it's likely that your home is simply too vast for a single router to effectively deliver a signal throughout. If so, you'd require a different gadget to boost your signal.
Range extenders take a signal from your network, receive it, and then broadcast it to your devices. Even though they are less expensive, mesh Wi-Fi systems, which completely replace your current router, are frequently more efficient. In order to cover your home with a single Wi-Fi network that reaches wherever you need, many devices cooperate to intelligently route traffic back to your modem rather than just duplicating a router's signal.
The same placement guidelines apply for setting up these mesh points: one node will be wired to your modem, and the other nodes must be spaced apart enough to pick up a strong signal while remaining far enough to extend coverage to dead spots.
Wi-Fi mesh systems have historically been more expensive than simply purchasing a range extender to be connected to your current router. The Eero 6 and Eero Pro 6 from Amazon, cost about $100 to $200 less than most of its mesh rivals while including Wi-Fi 6 compatibility and even a Zigbee smart home device hub incorporated into the primary router, which is expected to prompt that change in the near future.
Even with a mesh system, however, keep in mind that you might still experience some performance loss on the far ends of your home, particularly if your Wi-Fi needs to make multiple "hops"; as always, positioning the main unit in the middle of your home is ideal, and connecting the nodes with Ethernet will yield the best results. Trust me: anything less is a compromise that may or may not meet your expectations, so if you want trouble-free Wi-Fi, it's worth paying an electrician to install a few Ethernet wires to each mesh device.
Mesh Wi-Fi systems are expensive, especially if your home is large and you need several nodes. However, they are definitely worth taking into consideration as an alternative if you are in the market for a new router anyhow. If you're tech-savvy, you might be able to save some money by installing a few Ubiquiti UniFi Lite access points, which are more expensive but more difficult to set up.
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