As of January 2021, 92.6 percent of all users (4.32 billion people) accessed the Internet via mobile devices, highlighting the critical importance of a reliable and strong Wi-Fi connection for many. However, no one wants to deal with the stress of losing a connection in the middle of an important meeting or while watching their favorite Netflix show.
Try these tricks for yourself and the results will follow shortly.
Check your Internet speed
Before trying anything fancy, it’s better to stick to the basics. First, run an Internet speed test — that’s the best way to determine if you are getting the speed you are paying for. To get the most trustworthy results, you should take these steps:
- Get an Ethernet cable (the most common type of cable used to connect 2 wired devices to ensure Internet connection).
- Connect one end of the cable to your modem and the other to a PC or laptop.
- Run the speed test.
If the measured speed is not as advertised, it is best to contact your Internet provider and work out a solution.
Please note: You could run the test using a wireless signal, but the results won’t be precise.
Move your router
The location of your router is critical for the signal you receive. The router should be placed in a central location in the house, away from walls, refrigerators (or other electronics), fish tanks, and so on. It may be tempting to hide your box in a dark corner of your home. However, allowing your router to “breathe” (literally, giving it enough open-air space) will ensure a better Wi-Fi signal.
There is an app that can assist you in determining the best location for your router in your home.
Adjust the antennas on the router
Let’s say your router has 2 antennas. What’s the best direction to put them in?
Basically, if you adjust the antennas to sit vertically, the signal spreads horizontally. And if the antenna is pointing horizontally, the signal is emitted vertically.
So it really depends on your particular situation. If your home or office is single-story, the best decision is to place the antennas vertically. If you need upstairs and downstairs Wi-Fi coverage, you should point them at an angle of 30°.
Protect your Wi-Fi from unwanted users.
Even if your password is “1234” or better, your network isn’t secure. We’re sorry to break it to you, but you might have some “signal parasites” feeding off your personal Wi-Fi. If this is the case, it is not uncommon for your Internet speed to be slow (it may be just your neighbor streaming Netflix on their PC, phone, and TV, simultaneously).
The best solution, in this case, is to protect the network with a strong password. This effectively closes the doors to any unwanted visitors. Weak passwords are typically made up of generic letter or number sequences such as “12345,” “qwerty,” “1q2w3e4r,” or something closely related to you such as your address, pet’s name, and so on.
Unplug any devices you aren’t using
You don’t need network intruders to overwhelm your system; you can do it yourself by running too many signal-hungry applications or clients at the same time. There’s a simple solution here: reduce the number of devices connected to your Wi-Fi to relieve some of the network’s strain. Furthermore, modern routers include features such as QoS (Quality of Service), which allows you to prioritize traffic to specific clients or appliances over others
Update your router
Updating your router firmware is an essential exercise that you should do regularly. With the new updated features, not only do you get a performance boost but important security updates as well. But how can you get the updates?
It really depends on the router you’re using. Some older routers require you to go to their website and download the firmware yourself. The newer ones have implemented an update button right in the administration interface — and with just one click, you’re good to go.
Buy a new router or Wi-Fi extender
Perhaps you’ve tried all of the suggestions above and nothing seems to work. Perhaps your hardware has become obsolete and it is time for an upgrade.
The newer models have broader coverage ranges and can reach speeds of up to 10 Gbps (10 gigabits of data go through your system in a second). Different routers are suitable for different user needs, so you must determine exactly what you require (check out the current trends).
It’s not always necessary to spend a lot of money on a brand-new router. A piece of hardware, such as a Wi-Fi range extender, can sometimes solve the problem. Range extenders receive your router’s signal and then rebroadcast it. If you need to cover a large area, the device is an excellent choice.
The device is an excellent choice if you have to cover a large area or sidestep many impenetrable obstacles, like corners and walls.
