A slow WiFi connection is not just irritating, it often means stressful inconveniences; trouble working from home, poor lecture video quality, and even a failed examination. Imagine trying to study up on staff augmentation or close a business deal over a conference call with slow WiFi.
Luckily, in most cases, it’s possible to speed up your connection for free or by yourself. Here are top tips for improving your WiFi connection speed.
Choose an Optimal Location
The placement of your router is more important than you’d think because obstruction and distance are things that weaken or even block the connection altogether.
Ideally, you want to:
- Place your router in a central location
- Choose a location away from obstacles like walls, doors, furniture, etc
- Elevate the router on a table, shelf, or even a chair
- Keep it away from sources of interference like microwaves, cordless phones, and other electronic devices
Update the Firmware
Your router’s firmware is the software that is installed on your router’s hardware to control functionality and often, updating it means bug fixes that improve not only connection speed but also security and overall performance.
Generally, you can update your firmware by logging into your router’s web interface and checking for any available updates. Next, the specific instructions for the process vary from manufacturer to manufacturer so it’s best to pay attention when you download and install any updates. Also, try not to interrupt when an update is loading as sometimes it can damage your router.
Then, it’s good practice to start regularly checking for firmware updates and installing them as soon as you can. Or, you can set up automatic updates.
Try a Range Extender
A range extender works by receiving your existing signal and then amplifying and rebroadcasting. If you have a large space and the slow connection is because the signal can’t reach certain areas, this is the ideal solution. If your WiFi is slow because of other reasons, this may not do anything to speed things up as it extends the existing signal.
When buying a range extender, you want to pick one that’s compatible with your router, particularly its frequency band. For example, for a router that uses 802.11ac, look for an extender that supports 802.11ac. You should also consider:
- Speed – the megabits per second (Mbps) or gigabits per second (Gbps)
- Multiple antennas for a wider range
- Additional features like ethernet ports for wired connections, multiple service set identifiers (SSIDs), and guest networks
- Brand reputation and customer reviews to get an idea of reliability and ease of setup
A slow WiFi connection can be inconvenient as well as stressful. Luckily, you can often take steps to fix things yourself. Try choosing an optimal location, regularly updating the firmware, and purchasing a range extender.
