A slow and tedious Wi-Fi can be the cause of much misery especially when it becomes a hurdle to your work. If the Wi-Fi is suffering from problems, tasks become long and waiting is the only thing you can do. To avoid such distress, our technicians advise 5 simple things for YOU to do which can help make your Wi-Fi more effective.
Change your Wi-Fi channel
Use a special programme to scan other Wi-Fi networks in your area to see what channel they’re broadcasting on. If there are multiple Wi-Fi networks broadcasting on the same channel in your area, then consider changing your channel to a different one to avoid interference. A free scanner to consider would be:
Acrylic WiFi:
https://www.acrylicwifi.com/en/wlan-software/wlan-scanner-acrylic-wifi-free/
Ensure that you have a strong encryption password
Try to create a complex and difficult password on your Wi-Fi network. This will make it harder for anyone to connect to your network and use your bandwidth. It is recommended that a strong password should usually contain the following:
- A mixture of uppercase, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.
- Should not be your name, your company name, your username or any real name/public detail.
- Should be different from any other passwords you have previously used.
- Needs to be at least eight characters long.
Top Tip: Sometimes replacing letters with numbers can ensure a stronger and much more difficult password!
Remember to write this password down somewhere or try to remember it to avoid yourself the hassle of resetting it!
Remove any applications from your device that can download large files
Programmes could include torrent software, peer to peer software and sync programmes, such as Dropbox. Downloading large files could potentially slow your Wi-Fi down because those files would be transferring over/from the internet, slowing the bandwidth for everyone else in the process. To make it easy to understand: imagine a three-way lane for cars to drive through which shuts down to one lane; it slows down the traffic but does not reduce the amount of traffic. Similarly, there is never a reduction of files that are constantly transferring through the bandwidth, but large files running through one channel can slow the connection down.
Ensure your router/access point is up to date with the latest firmware updates
Firmware updates can remove any bugs in the software and improve the device performance. Often, manufacturers will release updates that you can download from their website which will help to keep your device and network up-to-date. Updating would mean better connectivity and new features, such as tracking who is connected to the access point and client isolation (users can connect to the network without being seen by each other).
Place your router/access point in a fairly open location
In order to get good coverage, you should avoid placing it behind glass, brick walls or wooden cabinets. It is recommended that you place your router centrally and high up so that the signal travels to all rooms and devices. Avoid metal objects, brick and concrete walls because they absorb the signal, resulting in a weaker connection.
