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Tips That Boost Wi-Fi Performance

Okay, so you have bought the latest and greatest router. It supports the latest Wi-Fi technologies and it’s supposed to deliver the fastest download speeds known to man. And yet, something isn’t right. The Internet feels a bit snappier, it’s true, but you aren’t experiencing those speed increases you’ve been dreaming of. If these things ring a bell, it’s time to discover our expert tips that are guaranteed to boost Wi-Fi performance.

Begin by evaluating the speed of your network. It makes a lot of sense to be able to compare download and upload speeds after you’ve made some changes, after all. There are lots of services and even apps that can measure Wi-Fi speed, but I like this service because it is simple and effective.

test-internet-connection-speed

Be sure to run several tests – five should be enough – and then compute the average speed value.

Did you know that the first bottleneck could be the router itself? If your ISP can move data at speeds of 500 Mbps, but your router can’t keep up, there aren’t too many things that you can do to fix the problem, besides replacing the router, of course.

Actually, there is something else that you can do: pull out the old antennas, plug in a couple of long extension cables, and then use a pair of new, high gain router antennas. This way, you may revive even an ancient router, saving it from a sudden electronic death.

Make these changes, and then measure your Internet speed again. Then, it’s time to move the new high gain antennas around. That’s why you’ve connected them using those long cables, after all.

Proper router placement is one of the key factors when it comes to boosting Wi-Fi performance. Fortunately, you won’t have to carry its box around; you can place it on top of the cabinet, for example, and then make use of the freedom given by those cables to find the best antenna positions. In addition to this, you can easily orient an antenna towards a particular room, for example, and the other towards a different room, thus ensuring that both rooms have a strong Wi-Fi signal.

Some routers have different sets of antennas for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This means that you should take the time to position them in a way that helps all the devices, which may be operating in both bands.

wifi-frequencies

Your router may be new, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t have to update its firmware. In fact, the newer your router is, chances are an update that fixes bugs and boosts Internet speed may already be available. So, go to your router manufacturer’s website regularly, and check if any updates are available.

Many smart routers give you the option of prioritizing network access speeds. Named QoS – Quality of Service – this option allows you to choose the devices that receive priority Wi-Fi access. By making use of QoS, you will be sure that your office laptop, for example, gets Internet access on the fast speed lane every time you turn it on.

These tips should significantly boost Wi-Fi performance. But if the speed improvements aren’t that great, you should go for a range extender. Maybe your house is too big for a single Wi-Fi router, after all. Or maybe its walls are made from a material that doesn’t allow Wi-Fi signals to propagate properly.

The good news is that range extenders aren’t expensive at all. Just be sure to choose a model that has the same features with your router. And if you go this route, be sure to place the extender in an area where it can still pick a decent signal, and not in the area where the Wi-Fi signal is almost dead. This will ensure that the range extender will pick up a strong signal, and then push it further towards the area that lacks it.

Feel free to use an app and your smartphone to determine signal strength around the house. This way, you will be able to find a good position for your range extender without having to guess it.

These are some easy tips that are guaranteed to fix your Wi-Fi signal problems. Apply them all, one at a time, and your Wi-Fi performance will improve for sure.