1)Use Efficient routers
The newest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac , is three times faster than the
previous one, 802.11n. Each 802.11ac antenna can move up to
1,300 megabits of data per second (vs. a max of roughly 450
megabits for n). The easiest and fastest way to get more
performance out of your Wi-Fi network is to buy a new 802.11ac
router.
2) Find the right spot
Make sure you put the router in the optimal place. A router sends
out signals in all directions, so putting it in a corner of your
house results in the significant wastage of signal. For the fastest,
most reliable connection, put your router in an open space, as
centrally located and as high off the floor as you can.
Regardless of where you put your router, the signal will be
strongest in the room it’s in. So ideally, you can put it in a spot
that’s relatively near the center of your house and a room in which
you actually use Wi-Fi-connected devices.
Netgear Nighthawk – 802.11ac router
The newest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11ac , is three times faster than the
previous one, 802.11n. Each 802.11ac antenna can move up to
1,300 megabits of data per second (vs. a max of roughly 450
megabits for n). The easiest and fastest way to get more
performance out of your Wi-Fi network is to buy a new 802.11ac
router.
2) Find the right spot
Make sure you put the router in the optimal place. A router sends
out signals in all directions, so putting it in a corner of your
house results in the significant wastage of signal. For the fastest,
most reliable connection, put your router in an open space, as
centrally located and as high off the floor as you can.
Regardless of where you put your router, the signal will be
strongest in the room it’s in. So ideally, you can put it in a spot
that’s relatively near the center of your house and a room in which
you actually use Wi-Fi-connected devices.
3) Keep Your Rooter in an Open place
Because the router’s signal can be absorbed by many materials,
make sure you place it out in the open as much as possible. Radio
waves travel best through open air .If you can see the router from
far away, and from many different angles, you’re using it
efficiently.
4) Keep it a bit away from other electronic items
All sorts of electronic devices can interfere with your Wi-Fi
signal: microwaves, TVs, cordless phones etc. i.e. anything that
generates an electromagnetic signal or has a motor can cause
interference with the signal. This is why keeping it between home
entertainment components, beneath your TV, is not a good idea.
5) Measure your signal strength
There are some Mobile Apps that help you to measure the
strength of your Wi-Fi signal at different spots at your house.
Apps like Cloudcheck or Amped Wireless’s Wi-Fi Analytics Tool let
you walk through your home and identify dead spots, so you can
figure out the best places to put your Wi-Fi devices.
Amped Wireless’s Wi-Fi Analytics Tool
6) Place the antenna vertically up
The router’s signal spreads out in the direction perpendicular to
that of the antennas. In other words, vertically-oriented antennas
will broadcast the signal horizontally, covering more of your
house. (On the other hand, if you were more concerned about
broadcasting the signal to multiple floors, but a smaller area of
each one, you could turn the antennas horizontally.
7) Use both bands.
Many routers have radios that operate on two frequencies, nearly
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (each channel works on a specific frequency
near to that). So you can have two separate networks running at
the same time, one for devices that access WiFi at the lower
frequency and another for those that connect at 5 GHz. The
higher band is less crowded and better for high-bandwidth uses
like streaming videos.
8) Check to see if your Internet Service Provider is the problem (If your
internet is too slow)
A simple way of confirming that your router is the problem and
not your actual internet provider is by running a speed
test under two conditions: Over the Wi-Fi and with your
computer plugged directly into the router via an Ethernet cord.
If they’re both slow, then talking to your ISP or upgrading your
plan might help. If the Wi-Fi speed test is much slower, then your
router itself is likely the problem.
Wifi Speed Test in speedtest.net
9) Software Tweaks (Additional Tricks)
In some cases, there are some software tweaks you can do to
improve your Wi-Fi network.
To configure the software, you usually need to enter a specific IP
address in your web browser (look on the bottom of the router or
just search for your router’s brand name to figure out what that
is). Once you’re in the settings, there are two useful things you
can try.
One is changing the channel that the router operates on. This is
less of an issue for newer routers, but older ones can often cause
interference with each other (especially in crowded urban areas
with lots of networks), and changing the frequency channel is a
way to solve it. These older routers operate at 14 different
frequencies, numbered 1 through 14 and channels 1, 6, and 11
are generally best, because they overlap the least with other
channels, causing less interference. The default one is usually
channel 6, and if you’re having signal problems, try each of them.
Routers that operate in the 5 GHz range (802.11a, n, and ac)
broadcast across 23 channels and are less prone to interference,
so there’s less need to operate with the channel settings.
Another option is upgrading the router’s software (firmware) . This
won’t be possible for all routers, but for some older ones,
manufacturers put out free firmware upgrades from time to time,
and these can improve performance. Search for your router
model to see if there’s one out there for you.
10) Upgrading the router
If all the above steps ain’t improving the network performance of
your Wi-Fi, then you might try upgrading your current router
with a more powerful antenna , though only some routers will let
you do this. Finally, to extend your router’s range, you can buy
a repeater, a device that picks up your current network and
broadcasts it again. It won’t increase your total bandwidth at all,
but will spread your network more widely.
Because the router’s signal can be absorbed by many materials,
make sure you place it out in the open as much as possible. Radio
waves travel best through open air .If you can see the router from
far away, and from many different angles, you’re using it
efficiently.
4) Keep it a bit away from other electronic items
All sorts of electronic devices can interfere with your Wi-Fi
signal: microwaves, TVs, cordless phones etc. i.e. anything that
generates an electromagnetic signal or has a motor can cause
interference with the signal. This is why keeping it between home
entertainment components, beneath your TV, is not a good idea.
5) Measure your signal strength
There are some Mobile Apps that help you to measure the
strength of your Wi-Fi signal at different spots at your house.
Apps like Cloudcheck or Amped Wireless’s Wi-Fi Analytics Tool let
you walk through your home and identify dead spots, so you can
figure out the best places to put your Wi-Fi devices.
Amped Wireless’s Wi-Fi Analytics Tool
6) Place the antenna vertically up
The router’s signal spreads out in the direction perpendicular to
that of the antennas. In other words, vertically-oriented antennas
will broadcast the signal horizontally, covering more of your
house. (On the other hand, if you were more concerned about
broadcasting the signal to multiple floors, but a smaller area of
each one, you could turn the antennas horizontally.
7) Use both bands.
Many routers have radios that operate on two frequencies, nearly
2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (each channel works on a specific frequency
near to that). So you can have two separate networks running at
the same time, one for devices that access WiFi at the lower
frequency and another for those that connect at 5 GHz. The
higher band is less crowded and better for high-bandwidth uses
like streaming videos.
8) Check to see if your Internet Service Provider is the problem (If your
internet is too slow)
A simple way of confirming that your router is the problem and
not your actual internet provider is by running a speed
test under two conditions: Over the Wi-Fi and with your
computer plugged directly into the router via an Ethernet cord.
If they’re both slow, then talking to your ISP or upgrading your
plan might help. If the Wi-Fi speed test is much slower, then your
router itself is likely the problem.
Wifi Speed Test in speedtest.net
9) Software Tweaks (Additional Tricks)
In some cases, there are some software tweaks you can do to
improve your Wi-Fi network.
To configure the software, you usually need to enter a specific IP
address in your web browser (look on the bottom of the router or
just search for your router’s brand name to figure out what that
is). Once you’re in the settings, there are two useful things you
can try.
One is changing the channel that the router operates on. This is
less of an issue for newer routers, but older ones can often cause
interference with each other (especially in crowded urban areas
with lots of networks), and changing the frequency channel is a
way to solve it. These older routers operate at 14 different
frequencies, numbered 1 through 14 and channels 1, 6, and 11
are generally best, because they overlap the least with other
channels, causing less interference. The default one is usually
channel 6, and if you’re having signal problems, try each of them.
Routers that operate in the 5 GHz range (802.11a, n, and ac)
broadcast across 23 channels and are less prone to interference,
so there’s less need to operate with the channel settings.
Another option is upgrading the router’s software (firmware) . This
won’t be possible for all routers, but for some older ones,
manufacturers put out free firmware upgrades from time to time,
and these can improve performance. Search for your router
model to see if there’s one out there for you.
10) Upgrading the router
If all the above steps ain’t improving the network performance of
your Wi-Fi, then you might try upgrading your current router
with a more powerful antenna , though only some routers will let
you do this. Finally, to extend your router’s range, you can buy
a repeater, a device that picks up your current network and
broadcasts it again. It won’t increase your total bandwidth at all,
but will spread your network more widely.
