Internet Running Slow? 3 Things I Always Check First For Faster Wi-fi Speeds At Home

Cesar Cadenas/ZDNET

Nearly each portion of modern life depends connected our relationship to nan internet. When my supplier experiences an outage, everything grinds to a halt -- moving remotely via VPN, streaming euphony connected Spotify, and moreover utilizing smart location devices. 

It's a stark reminder of really overmuch we trust connected nan invisible web that keeps america connected. Almost each facet of modern life is affected by our connectivity to nan Web. 

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A full outage feels wholly unacceptable. But a sketchy relationship afflicted by lag and buffering tin beryllium moreover much frustrating. If you're judge that your awesome is beardown but you're still experiencing issues, nan problem mightiness beryllium nan location of your router.

1. Location is key, but scope matters

It's ever existent that location is key. But your router's efficacy is besides impacted by nan size of your location and really acold nan router's signals tin reach.

A azygous wireless entree constituent should beryllium capable for astir apartments and smaller homes (1,500 quadrate feet aliases less). Larger, multistory homes coming a different situation that tin champion beryllium met by upgrading to a mesh network. Mesh networks dwell of a main entree constituent and further nodes that tin beryllium placed passim your abstraction to guarantee accordant coverage.

Long-range routers and Wi-Fi extenders are besides options for maximizing router efficiency. Yet, nary matter really galore integer transmitters you have, nan placement of your superior entree constituent is important to wide performance.

2. A cardinal location is best, ideally connected a shelf

Common consciousness suggests positioning your router successful a cardinal area of your location to get nan astir moreover distribution of Wi-Fi coverage. Sometimes, though, that isn't truthful easy. Your provider's technician apt primitively installed nan router adjacent to wherever nan awesome is fed into your building. If you person nan action to tally an ethernet cablegram from your modem to a much cardinal room, your router could supply a important boost successful sum passim your surviving space.

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What's little commonly known is that elevating your router increases its range. Placing it precocious supra nan level helps minimize awesome interference for everything from furnishings to people. If nary precocious bookshelf is disposable -- and wall mounting aliases installing a support dedicated to your router is impractical -- see placing it atop a gangly dresser aliases an armoire.

A cardinal location helps guarantee accordant speeds and increases web information because neighbors' routers are little apt to utilization nan signal.

3. Other electronics tin beryllium awesome disruptors

My Spectrum router was primitively installed down my 48-inch TV. That was awesome for my TV, but it posed problems for my location agency setup, which is only 17 feet away. Moving it from down nan surface to a mini array adjacent to it, my machine and Google Hub devices now support a stronger, much accordant signal.

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Of each emblematic location appliances, a microwave oven presents nan biggest threat of physics interference to your router. That's because nan radiation issuing from a microwave emits a awesome very adjacent to nan router's operative set (around 2.4GHz). While I don't expect galore group to put a router successful their kitchen, microwave proximity tin sometimes beryllium unavoidable successful big-city apartments and homes pinch constricted space.

If astatine each possible, debar areas wherever your router mightiness beryllium impacted by devices that trust connected Wi-Fi, moreover if this intends moving it distant from your location agency printer.

Mind your antennas - if you person them

All Wi-Fi routers person antennas, whether sleekly integrated into nan instrumentality aliases sticking up for illustration rabbit ears connected an ancient TV. Articulating antennas don't propose antiquity, however, and successful fact, they whitethorn thief supply much azygous coverage. 

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Whether your router has 2 aliases 8 antennas, you tin set these to optimize distribution. Antennas emit signals successful each directions, walking successful a donut-shaped activity perpendicular to nan antenna itself. This intends that aiming them skyward tin use a smaller aliases single-level location much because nan awesome blasts outward from its vertical position. The aforesaid holds for an antenna positioned horizontally, which mightiness amended entree upper- aliases lower-level areas.

The takeaway is to research pinch your antenna predisposition while keeping successful mind these limitations of physics.