Speed of browsing slows to a crawl difficulty of streaming, lost Wi-Fi signals, dead wireless zones–every single one of them can be a bit frustrating in a time in which internet access has become just as essential as breathing for certain. (Well maybe not so critical…but nevertheless, they are significant.)
If you think your Wi-Fi might be more efficient, then there are several devices you can utilize to determine the speeds of the internet. Try some tricks to solve the issues with your network. But, if you only receive decent coverage being right near the router on your wireless network These simple suggestions can assist in optimizing your network.
1. Change That Channel
Interference is a major problem, particularly for those living in areas with high density. Wireless signals from different wireless networks could affect speeds such as cordless phones or microwaves as well as various electronic gadgets.
Did you ever play with walkie-talkies when you were a child? You might remember how they had to be in an identical “channel” so that you could listen to each one. If you were on that same channel with your neighbor you could be able to listen in on conversations of another even if they had the same device. Similarly to that modern routers are able to change channels while communicating with devices.
The majority of routers will select the appropriate channel however, if other wireless networks use the same channel there will be signal congestion. A router that is set to Automatic will attempt to select the most congested channel however older or less costly routers might select a predefined medium even if it’s not the best choice. It could be a problem.
If you’re using a Windows PC, you can view the channels that neighboring Wi-Fi networks are using. In the command prompt enter netsh wlan show all, and you’ll get an overview of all wireless networks as well as the media being used in the vicinity. Network analyzers will also display the data, usually in a format that is easier to read.
In our PCMag Office, for example, the majority of our neighbors and networks are using channels 6 and 11. For 2.4GHz it is recommended to use channels 1, 11, and 6, because they’re the only ones that don’t share a frequency with other channels (which could affect performance). 5GHz is generally a non-overlapping media, making picking the appropriate channel easier.
If you notice that the Auto setting isn’t working, it needs to be adjusted for you, sign in to your router’s administrator interface. go to the primary wireless category and select a manually selected one (ideally it’s one that’s not utilized by numerous networks in your region). Do another speed test to determine if it gives you a better signal and speeds than the Automatic setting in the troublesome regions.
The channel’s congestion may change as time passes and, if you select an option manually, you might want to check it out once the time to confirm that it’s still the top.
2. Kick Off Wi-Fi Intruders
The issue may not have anything to have to do with interference or the Wi-Fi range. In the event that your connection is not secure or has a weak password, it could be a rogue guest or two pinning on your network. If the neighbor downloads a lot of 4K films through your Wi-Fi connection then your video chats could be affected.
A program like wireless network Watcher(Opens with a fresh tab) will reveal all devices connected to your network and assist you to identify a neighbor who might be trying to steal your Wi-Fi. The admin interface of your router can also be an analyzer of traffic that can identify the devices that are consuming a lot of data. You might even discover that one of your children is taking up bandwidth without even realizing it. (If this is the case, here’s a way to stop them).
After you have identified the intruder and fixed the issue ensure your network is secured with A strong password. Ideally, you should use WPA2 since WEP is notoriously simple to break, so other users can’t get into it.
3. Control Quality
The majority of modern routers have Quality of Service (QoS) tools that restrict the amount of bandwidth that apps utilize, such as that Netgear menu(Opens in the New window) above. The QoS settings are usually located under advanced settings on the administrator interface for the network.
As an example, you can make use of the QoS feature to prioritize video call calls over file downloads. This will ensure that your video call with your grandma will not be cut off due to someone else downloading a large download from Dropbox. The file might require a longer time to download however it will keep the video looking good. Certain QoS settings permit you to prioritize different apps during certain periods in the course of the day.
Some routers make it simpler by allowing a single-click game or multimedia option and you can be sure that those applications will be given priority. If you’re looking to stream games and share networks there are options to improve the experience.
4. Replace Your Antenna
If your router is equipped with an internal antenna and you want to use an external antenna, then adding one is a great idea since it transmits an even stronger signal. Your router might have been equipped with antennas that you can count on However, if they don’t (or when you’ve thrown them away many years ago) there are many router manufacturers that offer antennas on their own.
In many instances, it is possible to choose between Omnidirectional antennas that send signals in all directions as well as directional ones that transmit a signal in a particular order. The majority of built-in antennas are thought to be omnidirectional. Therefore, if you’re planning to buy another external one(Opens in the new window) you should make sure it is labeled “high-gain” to be different.
An antenna that is directional is a superior choice since the odds are you won’t encounter weak points in your network from every angle. The external antenna should be pointed towards the weak spot and it will send out the signal according to the direction. Visit the website of your router’s manufacturer for information about what you need to purchase.
5. Upgrade Your Obsolete Hardware
It’s good to get the most performance from your current equipment however, you shouldn’t expect to have the highest performance in the event that you’re running outdated hardware. We’re prone to the “if it’s not broken don’t repair it” attitude with devices that are back-end, particularly networking equipment. But, if you bought your router a while ago you may use the outdated slow 802.11n standards (or, God forbid, 802.11g).
These older routers can be limited at lower bandwidths and also offer fewer ranges. For example, the maximum bandwidth of 802.11g has been set at 54Mbps and 802.11n has a limit of 300Mbps. The tweaking that we’ve described previously will only get you this far with the older models.
If you do upgrade your router running the latest 802.11ac standard, you will get access to 1Gbps. Furthermore, future-generation Wi-Fi 6 routers could theoretically support 10Gbps. Wi-Fi 6E routers are able to connect to a wider spectrum of frequencies that will provide additional coverage.
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Even if your router might be new, it is possible that you have old devices that have to be upgraded to outdated, slow standards. If you purchased a computer within the last two years, it’s likely that you already have the 802.11ac wireless adapter, or at the very least 802.11n. However, the older your PCs are, the less likely it is that they’ll have the latest tech integrated into them.
If you have one of these devices you can purchase a USB Wi-Fi adapter, which connects to the USB port, and enhances connectivity. In this way, you won’t need to change your laptop to make use of the latest Wi-Fi technology.
Be aware that a better router will not only support higher standards, but it can also do better at everything we’ve described in the previous paragraphs. It will offer more channels, offer better band steering on devices with 5GHz, and also include higher-quality QoS features.
Other routers may also have Multi User-Multiple input Multiple output (MU-MIMO) options, such as editors’ choice for TP-Link’s Archer AX11000 gaming router with tri-band connectivity. MU-MIMO routers are able to deliver and receive multiple streams of data at the same time to different devices, without any degradation in bandwidth. They also require specialized testing on different clients. However, the client needs to be compatible with MU-MIMO.
If you are buying a newly-built router, then the configuration process is easy to manage. This guide will show you how to configure and set up the router.