Sluggish browsing or dropped Wi-Fi signals and Wi-Fi dead zones around the house often irritates most of us. And if the wireless network slows down or breaks down regularly, it’s time to look for the best tips to improve your WiFi network and make the internet faster.
Today, everybody wants to improve Wi-Fi speed for better streaming, file uploads and downloads, and online gaming. You don’t have to give up on your dream of having speedy seamless Wi-Fi at your home. However, there is no rule to troubleshoot network issues; the suggested tips and tricks may help you upgrade your wireless network’s performance.
Best Tips to Improve Wi-Fi And Make Your Internet Faster
Possible reasons for slow wireless connection speed are physical barriers, such as walls and floors, the distance between the device and the access point, the number of devices using a wireless network, and many more.
- Reboot Your Router
- Update Your Router
- Kick-off Intruders & Change Your Password
- Move Your Router to a Proper Place
- Use the Latest WiFi Standard
- Control Quality
- Replace Router’s Antenna
- Add a WI-FI Repeater/ Booster/ Extender
- Switch to a Different WI-FI Channel
- Switch to 5 GHz Wireless Frequency
- Measure the Performance of Wired Internet Connection
- Change DNS Address
When setting up a wireless network, you will need to plan a mix of Ethernet and Wifi Extender approaches to ensure better performance.
1] Reboot Your Router
Router reboot often considerably improves the Wi-Fi speeds. It clears the router’s memory and allows updates to be installed. Reboot your router by pressing the restart button or simply disconnect the router from power and turn it on again. The router reboot may take more than 10 minutes. Please be patient during the reboot process and don’t interrupt by turning off your router.
2] Update Your Router
Routers with old firmware perform worse than updated routers. Moreover, malware attacks also infect routers, steal bandwidth, and spread themselves across the network to other connected devices. Router manufacturers often come up with free updates, and these updates increase your router’s performance. An updated router/firmware prevents the wireless networks from malware attacks also.
3] Kick-off Intruders & Change Your Password
If your wireless network is open or has a weak password, there is a possibility of having some unwanted guests on your network. It would help if you immediately secure your network with a strong password, preferably WPA2.
4] Move Your Router to a Proper Place
Placing the router in a midway helps to maximize the signal roaming and raise your internet speeds. Metals, glass, wood, plastics, foam, cardboard all disrupt Wi-Fi signals, and the closeness to a Wi-Fi router creates a dead zone. So it’s not a good idea to place routers near such things as they can potentially dampen Wi-Fi signals. For two-storey structures, place the router on a shelf to provide a stronger signal for devices on the second floor.
5] Use the Latest WiFi Standards
The latest wireless technology, IEEE 802.11ac, offers breakneck network speeds and improved wireless range. So, make sure that both your router and Wi-Fi-enabled devices support these latest technologies.
Go for a router with an excellent range and features such as MU-MIMO, Quality of Service (QoS), Gigabit Ethernet ports, and replaceable external antennas.
6] Control Quality
The bandwidth-hungry apps or users may reduce wireless speeds. Most modern routers support QoS (Quality of Service) tools to limit the bandwidth that apps use. QoS lets users prioritize certain applications over others.
So if you have a TV, you can set it up for streaming, but if it’s a gaming PC, it will get a different preference, so the latency is low.
7] Replace Router’s Antenna
Most Wi-Fi routers are equipped with weak and small antennas. In fact, powerful Wi-Fi antennas are always hideously large and can be anywhere between 12 to 15 inches tall.
So, add a new powerful Wi-Fi antenna to boost Wi-Fi signals. By replacing the omnidirectional antenna of your router with a high-gain antenna, you can easily aim the wireless signal in your preferred direction.
8] Add a WI-FI Repeater/ Booster/ Extender
Wi-Fi repeaters act as an extension of your main network. They take an existing signal from your Wi-Fi router and rebroadcast it further as a new network. Before rebroadcasting, repeaters amplify the existing signal to create a second network.
For larger homes, you can pair the router with repeaters, boosters, or extenders that broadcast signals into the furthest reaches of your home. You can also go for a mesh network to install multiple router nodes around your house for good signal strength.
These days, there are Mesh Routers available at a reasonable price, and if you have a regular router, you can replace it. However, you will have to experiment with the placement using the software to display the signal strength.
9] Switch to a Different WI-FI Channel
Routers usually use multiple Wi-Fi channels for broadcasting. Mainly, there are six non-overlapping channels (1, 6, 11, and 14). Most users leave their router set on the default channel, i.e., Channel 1 or 6. Because of this, a Wi-Fi traffic jam happens on these channels.
So please find out the least occupied channel and switch to it. Check the Routers manual or online support to find out how to change it.
10] Switch to 5 GHz Wireless Frequency
If your existing router supports 2.4 GHz wireless frequency, it’s time to switch to 5GHz, for an instant short-range speed boost. The 5 GHz wireless frequency offers faster wireless data at shorter distances.
11] Measure the Performance of Wired Internet Connection
Make sure the internet you are receiving from your service provider is performing as it should. To check the internet speed, take an online speed test with a computer that’s connected to your home network. Do speed tests, preferably at different times of the day. If the results do not match the speed on your internet bill, replace your modem or contact your Internet Service Provider.
12] Change DNS Address
The Domain Name System (DNS) converts the domain names (like www.google.com) into IP addresses. By default, modems are configured to use the internet service provider’s DNS server, whose capabilities are not satisfactory. Choose a modem that lets you change your DNS address to boost Wi-Fi performance. You may choose from many public DNS servers, including Google’s DNS server (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare’s DNS server (1.1.1.1).
How Can I Boost My Home WI-FI?
You can easily boost your home Wi-Fi by getting a new router. If you are looking for less expensive ways, you can buy a stronger antenna for your existing router, install a Wi-Fi repeater, or move your router to the right location.
How Can I Boost My WI-FI Signal for Free?
You can follow some simple tips to boost your Wi-Fi signal for free if you do not want to invest in an extender.
- Remove all unwanted Wi-Fi intruders or unauthorized users of your network connection.
- Move and place your router in a midway to maximize the signal reach in your home.
- Make sure all devices are connected to 5 GHz, but if that doesn’t work, use the 2.4 GHz approach.
How to Boost WI-FI Signal through Walls?
To boost Wi-Fi signals through thick walls in your house, you could try a Wi-Fi range extender to give the signal a boost. Repositioning of the router or a mesh satellite closer to the room’s entrance may also boost the signal.
How to Boost the WI-FI Signal Upstairs?
You can follow a two-pong approach. Get an extender or an additional router, and use it as a bridge. Then connect the additional router or extender using Ethernet wire. Finally, Upstairs, you can use wifi as usual. The wired approach ensures that there is no performance drop when the signal comes from below. It is probably the best tip that can help you improve the wifi signal quality.
Why Is My Internet So Slow?
There may be several reasons for your slow internet connection, like some problem with the modem or router, Wi-Fi signal strength, a slow DNS server, or unwanted devices saturating your bandwidth. Always check the speed from different devices to get a clear idea of your device problem or the ISP.
We hope that the suggested tips will help you improve your Wifi signal to make the internet speed stronger, reach further. If you have tried it all and are still facing problems, it’s time to reach out to your internet service provider.
