Is your wifi connection bringing you down? Is it always dropping out just when you’re ready to tune in? So many of us are working from home now too, where a bad connection could affect your work performance and earnings.
Yet there are few wifi connection problems that are insoluble. The vast majority can be fixed in minutes.
In this guide to troublesome wifi performance issues, we’re going to take a look at how you can boost your wifi signal, get better speeds, and have a better internet experience.
Are you ready to get started? Then keep reading!
Move Your Router
Many wifi strength issues can be solved with one simple maneuver: moving your router. You don’t need to understand the technical details behind how routers work if you don’t want to: all you need to know is that they have a limited range. If some of your devices are further away than others, those devices are going to get a worse signal.
You want your router to be roughly in the middle of your home if possible and without a large wall blocking it. If a wall features metal braces, this can block signal. You should also know that some appliances like microwaves can interfere with wifi signals, so you shouldn’t place your router too close to a microwave.
Get a Better Router
If you’re not happy with your router’s performance, you’re not alone. A lot of the routers that ISPs ship out are, put bluntly, garbage. Their antennas are weak and they can’t maintain a signal.
If you’ve been having a lot of problems, buying a third-party router could be your best bet. These can also come with other nifty features that your ISP-supplied one won’t, such as the ability to use 5 GHz wifi.
For those who want a technical approach, your third-party router’s antenna should have a gain of around 9 dBi. This can make a massive difference.
Block Users or Change Your Password
Are your neighbors using your wifi? Has your wifi been turned into a communal connection? Then you need to take action.
The more people that are using your wifi, the slower it will be. If you go into your router’s settings, you should be able to see who is connected and block users that you don’t recognize.
We would also recommend that you change your password from the default. This is good security practice and can cut leeches out of your network.
Change Your Wifi Channel
Wifi runs on different channels, a little like TV signals. Different radio waves use different channels, which cuts interference in the local area. If there are too many wifi networks all on the same channel, you could have serious interference problems.
So how can you find best wifi channel? Trial and error can help: go into your wifi router’s settings and change the channel, reboot, and see if it’s better.
If you’ve tried a few different channels and it hasn’t helped, then this probably isn’t the issue with your signal.
Buy a Wifi Booster
If you’re having problems with devices being out of range and you can’t move your router, then a booster is your next best bet. These devices take the wifi signal and boost it, creating a new area of strong signal.
Boosters can be had for less than $30, so they aren’t too big of an investment and can make a world of difference. If you own a large property or have rooms on multiple levels, a booster is a great way to make sure that you get good signal everywhere in your home.
Update Your Router’s Firmware
If you haven’t updated your router, this is a vital step. You can update your router’s firmware by logging into the router management page and following the instructions.
It could be that your wifi problem isn’t only affecting you but is a general issue that’s been fixed by the manufacturer.
Manage Your Bandwidth
A lot of routers come with quality of service tools, or QoS tools. These let you adjust how much of your bandwidth an application can use. This means that you can change it so that that person using Netflix doesn’t slow down your gaming session or work progress.
You can set it so that various protocols are given the highest priority over others. For instance, let’s say that you use an IP phone for your home office, you can set it so that your router always gives it highest priority, while an FTP download will get lower priority.
This level of granular control means that you can make sure there’s always enough bandwidth to play with.
Reset Your Router
It may sound like an obvious step but many people don’t think to reset their router. As with many devices, resetting your router can sometimes solve a problem that seemed insurmountable.
To reset your router, we’d recommend that you unplug it from the wall and then wait for a minute or so. Then plug it back in and turn it on again.
You may find that this simple solution solves you a whole lot of stress and bother!
Enjoy Your Improved Wifi Connection
We hope that our guide has helped you and that you’re now enjoying a better wifi connection! Solving these issues doesn’t have to be difficult and most problems can be solved by following our list of tips.
For more interesting and informative articles like this, check out the rest of our blog!