Wifi problems

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Problems with Wifi: possible solutions           

1. Move the router

The first tip is easy: place your wireless router in a different location. The best place for a Wi-Fi router is in the middle of the room that you want to cover. Unfortunately, that isn’t always possible. It’s also better not to hang the router in a meter box or hide it under a desk.

Do you have cable internet? Then you can opt to move the modem and the router to a different connection point. Can’t move the modem? Then you could use a longer cable between the modem and the router. It’s best to keep this as short as possible.

2. Use only one wireless standard

All the various wireless standards (802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac) are ‘backwards compatible’ with each other. It’s better to choose one wireless standard rather than setting your router to ‘mixed’. The latest standard offers the highest speed.

Will you be using the latest standard? Then your computer or laptop also needs a Wi-Fi adapter that supports the highest speed. This can easily be replaced by using a Wi-Fi USB adapter. You cannot change the Wi-Fi adapter on your smartphone or tablet. Will you be purchasing a new router? Then you can choose to leave your old router in place for the older standards.

For example, you save your old G router for devices that only support 802.11g. Turn off DHCP and connect your new router. Your new router should only be set to 802.11ac or 802.11n. Ensure that the channels of both routers are as far apart as possible (e.g. 1 and 11). Your old devices will connect to the old router and your new 802.11n or 802.11ac devices will automatically connect to your new router.

3. Use WPA2 security

For high speeds with N or AC routers, you must use WPA2 with AES security. WPA or WEP with TKIP security result in extreme bandwidth loss. Wireless routers are often set to mixed WPA/WPA2 by default. Make sure that your router is only set to WPA2. For home use, you can choose WPA2 personal (a radius server is required for enterprise).

4. Change your wireless channel

You can often boost your Wi-Fi by using a different channel. You can choose from channels 1 through 13. Many wireless routers are set to channel 6 by default. Try to avoid this because it is very likely that several neighbours are also using this channel. Would you like to see which channels are crowded? Use the free program inSSIDer and select the least crowded channel. You shouldn’t have much interference on 5 GHz because it’s used infrequently and the range is much smaller. But even in this case, it might be better to choose a different channel.