Slow WiFi
Is your WiFi slowing you down? Read four tips on how to improve your WiFi experience at home.
- Choose the right channel and frequency. Routers have numerous channels. Sometimes, just changing the channel can make a huge difference. Channel 6 is the default channel of most routers, so we would advise against using this channel as you run the highest risk of it being congested, especially in apartments and condos. The safer bet would probably be to use something closer to 1 or to 11. Routers also have different frequencies as well. Generally speaking 2.4 GHz is better for bigger homes with multiple floors because the signal travels farther and through walls. 5 GHz is great for smaller rooms or homes because it offers faster speed, just at a shorter range.
- Move your router to it’s ideal position. Keep your router centrally located and keep away from thick walls made of brick or concrete, water and windows. The true fix for Wi-Fi issues is to install a wireless access point in the locations which have issues. A wireless access point will more or less “boost” or “repeat” the signal in the areas in which it is installed. Installation involves running an Ethernet cable from your router to the location of the access point. Once connected, traffic will run from the router, through the Ethernet cable, and be broadcasted wirelessly from the new access point.
- Make sure your router is secure. Putting a password on your router or limiting which devices can access your network will keep other people from using your network and slowing it down.
- Get a newer router. This is a big one! There are so many consumers that don’t understand how many devices they actually are trying to run on a home network. You may only have 3 people in your house, but if each of you has a computer, phone, tablet, plus a gaming console that will easily exceed your entry level router’s capacity. One of the main things we see with a customer’s slow Wi-Fi, and internet for that matter, is that their router is causing the issue. This is essentially the brain of your network as EVERYTHING runs through it. A HIGH Wi-Fi signal is not an indicator of FAST Wi-Fi speed. You may have the correct channel selected, a security key, and a fast internet speed package, but if your router cannot handle the amount of traffic you are trying to put through it, you will see no improvement.