Today, 26 percent of American households already have at least one smart home device in use. And smart home devices — like light bulbs you can control from your phone or voice-activated electronics — are becoming more popular with every passing year.
But if your WiFi is running slow, these fun devices quickly become obsolete. Whether you want to operate your entire household with smart devices or you just want to be able to use your laptop, slow speeds are a real drag. Keep reading to learn a few easy tips to boost your speeds.
1. Rethink Your Router Placement
Your WiFi speeds are only as good as your router. And even the top router can’t operate properly if it’s hidden in a corner, cabinet, or other hidden-away location.
Homeowners often like to hide away routers and cords to keep their space from looking cluttered. But walls, cabinets, and furniture all get in the way of your router’s signal. To ensure that obstacles in the way aren’t the reason for your slow WiFi, relocate your router to an open area, away from walls and furniture. If you use the internet throughout your home, choose a central location for your router as well.
2. Steer Clear of Other Electronics
It’s not just walls or your couch that get in the way of your WiFi signal. While it may sound counterintuitive, other electronics, like your computer monitor, television, or speakers, will actually affect your signal as well. When you’re choosing that perfect location, steer clear of these.
3. Add a Second Router
If you’ve moved your router away from obstacles and electronics and still aren’t getting signals, it’s time for a test. Try out your WiFi from various points throughout your home. If you notice that you’re getting a better signal in some areas than you are in others, it may be time to add a second router. This can help fill the gaps and give you a signal in distant areas of your home.
4. Update and Restart
Like any piece of technology, your router requires updates from time to time. If you’re like many internet users, you’ve never updated your router, so this step may be enough to boost your WiFi speeds.
Another simple trick that will keep your router running smoothly is regularly resetting your system. Just turning your router on and off on a regular basis can improve your speeds instantly. Most routers can be set to reboot on a set schedule as well so that you’ll never have to worry about forgetting.
5. Reset Your Password
If you’ve ever shared your WiFi password with your neighbors, these internet thieves could be to blame. The more people using your WiFi, the more your signal is stretched thin. Luckily, this problem has a simple solution; reset your password. Choose a solid password, then, resist the urge to hand it out to everyone.
6. Upgrade Your Antenna
The antennas on your router are responsible for broadcasting your WiFi. Unfortunately, many standard routers come with relatively small antennas, limiting the distance the signal can travel. Upgrading to larger antennas is a great way to boost your signal and speed up your WiFi. Don’t forget to point your antennas in the direction that you’re using the WiFi.
Boosting Your WiFi Speeds
From a poorly placed router to the wrong size antennas to neighbors stealing your signal, there are a number of factors that can affect your WiFi speeds.
If you’re still not getting the WiFi speeds you need, contact your internet provider for help.
Carol
Information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only.
