How to Improve Wi-Fi signal and Boost your Internet Speed

Wi-fi may be the only consumer luxury that over the years has become a necessity. The frustrations that come with having an unreliable wi-fi signal can pretty much ruin your day, or mess up your money. So before you cancel your ISP provider or buy a new router, try these 4 steps and see if it helps.

Test Router Location

Most routers have a range of up to 150 feet, but this doesn’t factor in walls, floors, cabinets and other outside electrical interferences. Place your router in an open area, (not in a cabinet) possibly in the central point of your home or Apt. The key thing here is to get your signal bars as high as possible. Adjust it as much as you can while testing the speed every time you move it. If your devices are simply too far you may want to invest in a Mesh router system or Wi-fi Extenders.

Test your internet speed

Once you’ve gotten your wi-fi signal bars as high as you can run a speed test to see if you’re getting speeds close to the speeds you were promised. Be sure to close any open apps such as games and any extra web tabs. I recommend running tests from 2 different sources, and if possible from 2 different devices. You can Google “Internet Speed Test” or go to Speedtest.net. Running tests from different sources and devices will let you if your device if the issue. If possible, also test your speed with a device hardwired to your router or modem.

Make Sure your Firmware is Up-To-Date

Having outdated router firmware could cause serious issues with wi-fi performance. These updates are put out to fix any possible bugs or prevent any future problems that may arise. Refer to your owners manual or visit their website on how to update your firmware.

Check for Wi-fi Freeloaders

Having an unwanted guest on your wi-fi downloading and uploading files could severely affect your internet performance. To see if there are any freeloaders on your network, log into your routers admin page. Some routers have an app and some you have to access via web browser, check your user manual on how to do this with yours, and any devices you don’t recognize you should be able to ban or restrict. Also if this is the case be sure to change your password and SSID name.