Today, a router is the main gadget in the house.
If it doesn’t work well, you won’t be able to watch TV series, play movies online, or connect home devices. There are several tricks and settings that can speed up any router or improve the quality of coverage in your apartment.
Today we will discuss them, and at the same time we will give examples of how to enable them.
Content
▶ How to choose the best place for a router in an apartment
▶ How to Expand Wi-Fi Coverage
▶ How to choose a free Wi-Fi channel
▶ How to separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks
▶ How to allocate a guest network
▶ How to set up Multi-WAN
▶ How to choose a new router
1. Find the best place for the router
Then we just start with the router device. Of course, if the apartment has already been renovated and there is only one place for the router, then there are no options, we move on to the next point. If you can change the location of the device, here are some useful tips:
▶ Place the router as high as possible. So there will be less on the way between them and gadgets. Do not place the router in the wire or on the floor, as the signal will be transmitted worse.
▶ Don’t hide the router behind a mirror.This results in the propagation of radio waves and a reduction in signal strength.
▶ Remove the router from the microwave and refrigerator.This device emits a lot of interference and weakens the speaker signal.
▶ Remove the case from other devices with wireless communication modules. These can be cameras, smart speakers, TV set-top boxes, smart switches or socket-locks.
▶ Select the USB device from the router. Some gadgets with this connection method emit interference that affects the operation of Wi-Fi. If you need to connect a flash drive to the router, use a USB extension cable.
▶ Do not place the router near an aquarium. Not the most obvious advice, but water does refract radio signals.
If it is possible to move the router into the apartment, find the best place experimentally. It is desirable that there are no more than two walls between the router and the gadgets.
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2. Expand your Wi-Fi coverage area.
If moving the adapter does not help, you can expand its coverage area. This can be done in two ways.
▶ Install a Wi-Fi repeater. This is a special repeater that is attached to the router and expands its coverage. We have already talked about such a gadget in detail here and here.
▶ Use the Mesh system. It’s a mesh network with multiple routers that open up a large area. You can’t turn a regular router into a Mesh system, pandemics change all management. Details about these events are here and here.
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3. Find a free Wi-Fi channel.
The connection speed changes the channel load. Your neighbors also use Wi-Fi routers, and if gadgets work on one or external channels, this will worsen the connection quality.
▶ On Mac, launch the application Wireless diagnostics. You can find it through the search Spotlight or if you click on the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar while holding down the button Option (Alt).
▶ Once the application is launched, in the menu bar, click Window – Scan.
▶ The window that opens displays the optimal channels for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks.
▶ Now you need to change channels in the web admin panel or application of your router.
My router Tenda this is done in the section Wireless – Advanced.
▶ Don’t forget to reboot your router for the changes to take effect.
How to Increase Home Wi-Fi Speed. No New Router Needed
If you want to get more statistics, use external applications.
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4. Separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.
Many dual-band routers have the ability to recognize 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz in one Wi-Fi network. Gadgets will connect to the combined network, and at the same time – automatically switch to the network that catches better.
Not all devices work well in this mode. For example, an iPhone, iPad or Mac can connect to such a network without problems, but a PlayStation console may throw an error and not work with the combined network.
To ensure adaptation, it is better to disable the feature.
On the router TendaThis is done, for example, in the menu Wireless – Wireless Settings – Unify 2.4 and 5 GHz SSIDs.
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5. Disable the guest network.
Many routers create a network for guests by default or can create several isolated networks. Devices on such networks will not see or communicate with each other.
It can be useful in an office or a small business, but for home use it is better to disable the feature. The entire channel will be allocated to one network, and the router will not be loaded with unnecessary processes.
On the router Tenda In chapter Wireless – Wireless Settings both the guest network and all other isolated networks are disabled.
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6. Set up Multi-WAN
Not all routers have this feature. You need a router that connects to the network through several LAN ports and can combine search speeds from several providers.
Combined three home internets into one Wi-Fi network
If you connect the Internet from several providers or add an LTE modem, you can increase the connection speed. Unfortunately, there will not be a twofold increase, but from two 100-gigabit channels you can get an honest 150-160 Gbit/s.
Alternatively, such routers can switch providers if one goes down.
In settings Tenda the section is responsible for this Internet Settings – WAN Ports.
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7. Buy a modern router
It’s high time to replace an old, inexpensive router. Many manufacturers do not update firmware for gadgets older than 3-5 years, which means that the devices do not receive patches for discovered vulnerabilities. With such routers, not only is the Internet speed worse, but the risk of hacking is also higher. Attackers can use holes to pick a password, connect to the network and obtain confidential information.
We offer the following relevant alternatives:
🛜 Keenetic Runner 4G (KN-2211) – a good option for a summer house, only 2.4 GHz, but there is a slot for a 4G SIM card;
🛜 TP-LINK Archer AX73 – external Wi-Fi 6 router in a stylish case;
🛜 Xiaomi Mi AIoT AX6000 – a long-range router with culinary software network improvements;
🛜 Mercusys AX3000 (MR80X) – Wi-Fi 6 router with wide coverage.
🛜 Keenetic Giga KN-1011 is one of the stable models on the market today.
Write in the comments what router you use and what you recommend to other readers.
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Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
