In recent months, the Internet has been a lifeline for all of us, allowing us to stay connected to each other, to our workplaces, to our friends, and to our families. The tools we have used are here to stay. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, etc. they are the place where we talk about work, network, and meet friends for virtual happy hours. People are now used to working remotely and have become masters of live streaming. However, nearly 70% of remote workers face technology challenges when working from home, according to Independence Research. This is compounded by the fact that M-Lab data indicates that more than three quarters of US states experienced slower internet speeds during the pandemic. So how can you maximize every ounce of internet you have? Here are 19 ways to improve your Wi-Fi connectivity.
1. Choose an Internet service provider with the fastest speeds
If you haven't bought broadband recently, it's worth exploring your options. Competition between providers is fierce and more and more speeds are available, which will only intensify with the growth of 5G. The speed you can get varies by region, but some cities in the US and UK now have gigabit connections. Most of us don't have access to these super-fast connections yet, but shopping around may reveal an affordable provider that offers 50+ Mbps.
2. Regularly test your speeds, including real-time monitoring
The first step to improving Wi-Fi is to understand your speeds. Start by going to speedtest.net to run a quick test online. For best results, start using a computer connected to the router via a wired connection. Then test your speed with another device such as a smartphone to compare. When testing over Wi-Fi, test close to the router, with no walls or objects in the way. After testing, you can determine if the speeds you're getting meet your needs. Move around your home and try remotely to see where your Wi-Fi is slow. You can even monitor your Internet connections in real time using widely available tools to better understand each of them.
3. Compare speeds to your contract
Are the download and upload speeds close to the speeds advertised by the ISP or what is in your contract? If they are and you're not happy with them, it's time to upgrade your plan. If not, please contact your provider to discuss your issues. Try some of the options below along with the troubleshooting tips they share with you. If your Wi-Fi connection is not fixed, you may need to find another ISP.
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(Image credit: deepblue4you)
4. Check if your provider has problems
If you've noticed a sudden drop in speed but it's never been slow, your own internet service provider may be to blame. There are many reasons, from inadvertent network setup, delivery issues, or technical difficulties to more damaging activities like throttling and matchmaking agreements. If this is the old set of circumstances, check your status page for any known bugs. If there aren't any, a quick call can solve the problem.
5. Determine if you are choking or have congestion
With throttling, an ISP intentionally slows down broadband traffic, such as Netflix or YouTube, if it finds that certain activities consume a lot of bandwidth. A peer agreement, on the other hand, is an agreement between the major providers not to solve congestion problems by performing basic upgrades at the interconnection points between the networks. Less devilish congestion can also occur if traffic increases faster than an ISP's ability to scale, but the only way a user can overcome it is to not rely on a single provider. A VPN is a tool that can help you get around throttling by making it harder for ISPs to detect what you're doing, and when you sign up for one, you can run a test to see if you're getting faster streaming speeds. fast media If your download speed increases, you know you're throttled.
6. Make sure your devices are connected to the correct networks
If you are connected to multiple networks within range of your location, you should quickly verify that each device is set to the correct networks. You may have a public Wi-Fi network nearby, or your provider may connect you to a slower network instead of your faster private connection.
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(Image credit: Shuuterstock)
7. Reset your connection to avoid "fixed Wi-Fi"
Once a device connects to a Wi-Fi access point, it stays there. Your smartphone, for example, won't constantly search for and connect to a better hotspot, even if it can reach one. Devices stay on the network they are connected to until they are out of range. At the edge of the Wi-Fi coverage area, speeds drop and latency increases significantly. This is when there are problems with file transfer or download, video calls, etc. may arise. This means that you will lose any performance you could get by automatically switching between them. One solution is to simply reset your connection.
8. Close applications that consume bandwidth.
These apps that ISPs are throttling? Even if they're not choked, they can slow you down. If you're downloading a large file in the background, someone left Netflix, or if all your apps are updating at the same time, closing apps you're not using will free up more important bandwidth for you. It also goes without saying that if you haven't secured your Wi-Fi network with password protection, you should do so to prevent your neighbors and passers-by from draining your network and using up your bandwidth for apps you don't use.
9. Restart your modem and router
How can a list of Wi-Fi solutions be complete without mentioning unplugging your modem or router? It may be one of the simpler solutions, but it works for some reason. You may not know it, but your router is actually a minicomputer with a processor, memory, local storage, and even its own operating system. Just like any other computer, you can experience a number of issues such as processor getting too hot, memory or operating system failing, etc. Just as you would reboot a computer while it's running, you can and should do the same with your router. Unplug, count to 10, take a deep breath, plug back in, and then wait about a minute for your computer to come back online.
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(Image credit: Jens Domschky)
10. Check the cables
This is something you probably associate with your carrier's technicians coming to your house to do it. The good news is that you can too. If you have loose connectors or tapped cables going in and out of your modem or router, your Internet connection can slow down. Poor quality coax splitters can also affect your internet speed. So, check your Ethernet cable connected to your router, then the connectors connected to your router and to your modem. See if everyone is in good shape and well connected. If you have coax splitters, unplug them and test your internet speed to see if you notice a change.
Find a central location for your router
Do you remember the walls mentioned during the testing phase? The reason we wanted to remove them as a variable is that they can block a signal. Other obstructions can also degrade a signal, and particularly those made of certain materials, such as anything made of metal, and to a lesser extent wood, glass, plastic, and more. Wi-Fi signals travel in all directions vertically and horizontally, so you'll want to find a central location in your environment to place your router, and preferably with as few obstacles as possible. If that means rearranging furniture or appliances, that's what we'll need to do, because we want to get the best Wi-Fi speeds possible.
11. Upgrade to a new and better router
If you use your ISP's default router or a router with older standards like IEEE 802.11n, b, g, etc., you probably won't get the most out of your Internet connection. Upgrading to a router with IEEE 802.11ac (or "Wi-Fi 5") can improve both the speed and range of your Wi-Fi. Pretty much any device you've bought in the past few years should be able to benefit. Other useful features to look for include quality of service, MU-MIMO, guest networking, and Gigabit Ethernet ports.
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(Image credit: Shutterstock / NicoElNino)
12. Use the best frequency: 5 GHz
Wireless standards on routers use different radio frequencies and some are congested. For example, 802.11b and g use the 2.4 GHz band, where your Wi-Fi signal competes not only with other computers but also with baby monitors, phones, and other types of wireless devices. 802.11ac uses the 5 GHz band, which improves performance by operating on a less congested frequency. Higher frequencies, such as 5 GHz, are particularly beneficial in areas where there are many other wireless networks, such as residential communities or office buildings, although they do not have as much range.
13. Find an open channel
In addition to having different frequencies, routers have different channels they can operate on, and by using a faster frequency, you'll see improved performance if you use a less congested channel. Routers work on a single channel, although the reality is that data is spread across five separate channels that surround it. To analyze whether your router's channel is full or not, you can use a network analysis tool like InSSIDer or Wi-Fi Explorer to search for networks in your area. It will show you a graph of the location of the networks along the top 11 wireless channels on the 2.4 GHz band or 45 on the 5 GHz band (which is another reason why this is an improvement.) Once you If you have found a string that appears to be open, go to your router settings to change it. This may require manual adjustment, but you'll be glad you did.
14. Update your firmware
Firmware is what a router uses to operate, and with older routers, you can miss out on important updates that improve security or performance if you don't regularly download the latest versions. Most routers can be easily updated by going to the management console and looking for the option to update it. Make sure the update fully downloads and installs, so avoid the temptation to unplug your router prematurely. You can even browse third-party firmware if what your router provides isn't enough.
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(Image credit: future)
15. Check for malware
If you've secured your network and updated your firmware, you should also check that your devices aren't secretly siphoning bandwidth due to malware. If a device is infected, it can become part of a botnet or open multiple browser windows in the background to perform various tasks that make cybercriminals rich at the expense of performance. Scanning your devices with a reputable malware removal tool will ensure that the bandwidth your devices consume is yours alone. A VPN can improve your security by protecting your information when you access data online, but you'll want to make sure your devices aren't compromised to be completely secure.
16. Add Wi-Fi repeaters to larger spaces
If you live in a house and there are a lot of obstacles between your router and your device, a Wi-Fi repeater, booster, or repeater can give you extra speed when you're away from your router. They work by taking the signal from the router and relaying it as a new network that communicates with your device, then sends the signal to the router. Individual extensions can be relatively inexpensive. However, the downside of having a large space is that you may need to invest in several to achieve the speeds you want in your home or office.
17. Use a laptop as a Wi-Fi repeater
To reduce the extra costs of taking your Wi-Fi signal to every corner, you don't necessarily need to buy a new Wi-Fi repeater. You may already have what you need. . You can download software that turns a laptop or PC into a repeater. Repeaters are essentially small computers, so why not use what you already have to add to your Wi-Fi range?
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(Image credit: Shutterstock/ImYanis) Between your home internet, mobile data, and public Wi-Fi hotspots, you usually have access to multiple internet connections at the same time, but you don't use them. Instead of losing all that extra speed, you can use all of your Internet connections at once using a tool like Speedify (a process called hooking). Your Wi-Fi and mobile connections can work together to produce speeds almost as fast as both together. Another benefit of doing this is redundancy. Wi-Fi is great when it works, but if your ISP crashes, you can end a big Zoom call and spend several agonizing minutes trying to reconnect. When using multiple connections from multiple ISPs, this problem is a thing of the past.
19. Use software that prioritizes the most important data streams.
Quality of Service is a feature new routers and VPNs now have that automatically prioritizes certain apps over others. Good QoS functionality should understand the applications that are most important to you and allow real-time traffic such as video calls, streaming, VoIP, etc. take priority over lesser traffic, such as application updates. This means you can keep your Zoom call or gaming session running smoothly while other apps take precedence and in slow mode while they wait for the end of your important stream. There are many things that can go wrong with Wi-Fi, from provider issues to router issues to optimizing your connections, but by following these tips, you'll have the best Internet experience possible.