The discovery of the internet is arguably the most profound achievement of the 21st century. One of the most significant developments in the internet evolution has been the wireless fidelity, also known as WiFi. With these technological advances, the internet has become such a common everyday tool. Most people now need the internet to work and do their job properly, children need the internet to do research for school projects.
We are getting accustomed to having the best and fastest internet connection at all times. With that said, nothing could be more frustrating than having WiFi with connection issues in your home. Before upgrading or canceling your internet package, learn how you can improve your connection yourself at no extra cost. Below are a few DIY tips to help you improve your home internet connection.
Router Positioning Matters
How you position your router affects the strength of your internet connection. Yes, your router may not be the most beautiful home decor item displayed in your house. Like most people, you could be keeping it hidden somewhere in the home out of sight. If you want a better signal, place your router where obstructions will not interfere with the connection. Such obstructions could be walls or large objects in your house. For example, keeping your router in a TV stand may obstruct your connection. Ensure the antennas are pointing perpendicularly.
You may want to elevate the router for optimal connection. Moving your router may take a few tries before finding the best connection. Think about where you use the internet the most, and place the router near that room. For connection throughout the house, place the device centrally.
Use the Right Wireless Channel
Your neighbor’s router could be the reason you have a weak connection. Fortunately, routers can operate on several different channels. You need to find a channel with the least interference for your connection. Use a channel with the lease amount of neighbors on it. Modern routers can automatically select the best channel for you.
If you are having connection issues, is always best to double check your wireless channel. You can use tools such as WiFi Analyzer to search for the most suitable channel. This is an important step to finding the best connection, a few simple steps will make a big difference in the end.
Eliminate Interference from Other Appliances
Most people are unaware of this, but your microwave oven, cordless phones, and other devices could be causing weak internet connection. Even if you have purchased the best internet package, that interference will slow down or break your connection. Consider placing appliances further away from your router, or buy a dual-band router. Gadgets such as cordless phones and microwaves operate on three non-overlapping channels. A dual-band router comes with 2.4GHz and 5GHz support as one of the features. Such a router offers for your use 23 non-overlapping channels. In short, a dual-band router has connections designed for the needs of the various appliances you may have.
Control Applications
Too many applications used in your home may slow down the internet speed for all users. Consider what the most critical applications are and control the bandwidth the rest get to use. You can use quality of service, aka QoS, to prioritize the applications you deem important. For example, with QoS, you may decide to direct bandwidth to Netflix and away from video chat.
A crawling internet connection can impact on your quality of life. You can improve your internet connection through router positioning, use of a dual-band router, and control of internet speed for specific applications. Technology evolves; continually updating your knowledge is advisable.