If your router has adjustable antennas, try adjusting them. You’ll be surprised how much of a difference this makes. For tower routers or mesh units, the antennas are on the inside, but you can move and angle them to see if that improves signal strength where you need it. A common mistake in mesh systems is to place nodes far from the main router. Think of the mesh like a spine that runs through the center of your home.

Many things can affect signal strength if your router is too close. Avoid metal, concrete, aquariums, microwaves, baby monitors, and cordless phones. It is best not to have other wireless devices (bluetoothWi-Fi, or other) too close. This can be more difficult in apartments where neighbors’ routers and devices can cause interference.

Routers are generally good at choosing the best bands and channels to avoid interference, but if you think that’s an issue, consider splitting the bands or changing channels in your router’s settings. You can use Wi-Fi analysis apps ( net spot) See how busy the channels on different bands are around your home.

Run a speed test

Photo: Simon Hill

Poor performance on your network can be caused by devices. It’s worth checking your internet speed. Just type “speed test” into your web browser’s search. Some routers and mesh systems also offer built-in speed tests, so you can see if your ISP is offering you the speeds you’re paying for.

If your internet speed seems fine but your browser is slow, you may need to flush your browser’s cache, disable problematic plugins, or scan it. malware.

Firmware upgrade

In general, we recommend updating your device’s firmware when updates are available. We recommend allowing automatic updates if possible. This is important for routers, but even more important for mesh systems. Manufacturers regularly release new firmware updates that improve compatibility and stability, but these can have a significant impact on Wi-Fi performance. This can be done quickly and easily with your router’s app.

Check your router settings

If you’ve played around with your router’s settings before, you may have changed something that caused the problem. Take a quick look and see if there are any obvious points you can undo. However, don’t tweak settings you don’t understand. If this could be the problem, but you can’t remember what to change, it might be worth factory resetting your router or mesh.

Problematic device

There are many potential problems with networking equipment and the various devices that try to connect to Wi-Fi in your home. Let’s take a look at some possible solutions if you run into problems with your particular device.

If you are experiencing intermittent issues that slow down your network. It’s worth doing a quick tally to consider which devices may be hogging your bandwidth. To see how different devices in your home affect your network, test the stability and speed of your network by turning off one device at a time for a while. Consider limiting the devices connected to your router to reduce bandwidth requirements wherever possible.

security camera Recording 4K video to the cloud can cause your network to become extremely slow. However, you can reduce the impact when you’re at home by turning off recording, excluding some events, or switching to a lower resolution.

If one device refuses to connect, double check the network name or SSID (Service Set Identifier) ​​you’re connecting to, and make sure your password is correct. Here it is How to find and share your Wi-Fi password. It’s best to keep your SSID simple and avoid spaces and special characters.

If you have a device that’s never been able to connect, or may no longer connect after changing your router, make sure your Wi-Fi standards or security settings are supported. For devices to participate, you may need to partition the band, change the security mode, or create a separate IoT network. many Smart home devices can only connect to the 2.4 GHz band.