10 Free Ways To Improve Your Wi-Fi Performance At No Cost
Wi-Fi is essential for most of us these days, but it can also be frustrating when it doesn’t work well. If you’re tired of slow or spotty Wi-Fi, you might think you need to buy a new router or upgrade your internet plan. But before you spend any money, try these ten tips to improve your Wi-Fi for free. You might be surprised by how much better your Wi-Fi can be with some simple tweaks and adjustments.
1. Move Your Router to Another Room
One of the easiest ways to improve your Wi-Fi is to move your router to a better location. Many people just leave their router where their internet provider installed it, which might not be the best spot for Wi-Fi coverage. Ideally, you want your router to be in a central location in your home, so that the Wi-Fi signal can reach all the rooms evenly. If your router is in a corner or near an outside wall, you’re wasting a lot of Wi-Fi signal that goes outside or into your neighbor’s apartment. Try moving your router to a more central room, preferably on a high shelf or mounted on the wall.
2. Raise Your Router Up High
Another way to improve your Wi-Fi signal is to raise your router up high. This helps avoid interference from other objects and devices that might block or weaken the Wi-Fi signal. Most of the stuff in your home, like furniture, appliances, TVs, and books, are located between the floor and about 4-5 feet off the ground. If your router is at the same level as these things, it has to compete with them for Wi-Fi space. By raising your router up high, you can get it above most of the clutter and improve its range and performance.
3. Move Wi-Fi Blocking Decor
Speaking of clutter, you might not realize that some of the decor in your home can also interfere with your Wi-Fi signal. Anything that’s made of metal, glass, or water can reflect or absorb Wi-Fi waves and reduce their strength. For example, a large mirror, a metal wall sculpture, or a fish tank can all cause Wi-Fi problems if they’re between your router and your devices. Try moving these items away from your router or rearranging them so that they don’t block the Wi-Fi signal.
4. Ditch the Wi-Fi for Ethernet
Wi-Fi is convenient, but it’s not always the best option for every device. Some devices, like smart TVs, gaming consoles, or desktop computers, can benefit from using a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi. This can improve their speed and reliability, as well as free up some Wi-Fi bandwidth for other devices that need it more. If your router is near any of these devices, consider plugging them in with an Ethernet cable instead of using Wi-Fi. You’ll notice a difference in performance and reduce the load on your router.
Also: How To Find Out Who Has Been Stealing Your WiFi
5. Enable Quality of Service Rules
Sometimes, the problem with your Wi-Fi is not how fast it is, but how well it prioritizes different types of traffic. For example, if someone in your home is streaming a movie or playing an online game, they might use up most of the available bandwidth and leave little for other activities like browsing or video calls. This can cause buffering, lagging, or poor quality for everyone else. To avoid this situation, you can enable Quality of Service (QoS) rules on your router. QoS rules allow you to tell your router which devices or applications should get more bandwidth than others. For example, you can give priority to streaming video over downloading files, or to your laptop over your tablet. This way, you can ensure that everyone gets a fair share of the Wi-Fi and avoid conflicts.
6. Update Your Firmware
Another reason why your Wi-Fi might be slow or unstable is that your router’s firmware is outdated. Firmware is the software that runs on your router and controls its functions and features. Sometimes, firmware updates can fix bugs, improve security, or add new capabilities to your router. If you don’t update your firmware regularly, you might miss out on these benefits and expose yourself to potential risks. To update your firmware, you need to log into your router’s web interface and look for an option to check for updates. You can also visit your router manufacturer’s website and download the latest firmware version manually.
7. Adjust Your Wi-Fi Channels
If you live in a crowded area with many other Wi-Fi networks around you, you might experience interference from them. This can cause slow speeds, dropped connections, or poor quality on your Wi-Fi network. To avoid this problem, you can change the channel that your router uses to broadcast its Wi-Fi signal. A channel is like a lane on a highway: the more cars there are on one lane, the more traffic there will be and the slower everyone will go. By switching to a less congested channel, you can improve your Wi-Fi performance and avoid interference from other networks.
Also: 9 Risky Things You Must Never Do on Your Router
To change your channel, you need to log into your router’s web interface and look for an option to change the channel settings. You can also use a free app like WiFi Analyzer to scan the channels in your area and find the best one for you.
8. Change Your Wi-Fi Band
Another way to improve your Wi-Fi performance is to change the band that your router uses to broadcast its signal. Most routers use two bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band has a longer range but lower speed than the 5 GHz band. The 5 GHz band has a shorter range but higher speed than the 2.4 GHz band.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you might want to switch between these bands or use both of them simultaneously (if your router supports it). For example, if you want faster speeds close to your router, you might want to use the 5 GHz band exclusively. But if you want better coverage throughout your home or yard, you might want to use both bands or stick with the 2.4 GHz band.
To change your band settings, you need to log into your router’s web interface and look for an option to change the band settings.
9.Update Your DNS Servers
Sometimes, the issue with your Wi-Fi is not how fast it connects to the internet but how fast it resolves domain names into IP addresses.This process is done by Domain Name System (DNS) servers.DNS servers are like phone books for the internet: they translate human-readable names like www.google.com into numerical addresses like 172 .217 .14 .206 that computers understand.By default,your router uses the DNS server provided byyour internet service provider (ISP). But sometimes, this DNS server might be slow, crowded, or unreliable. Switching to a third-party DNS server can make this process faster and smoother,and give you a feeling that your internet is snappier and more responsive. Some popular third-party DNS servers are Google Public DNS (8 .8 .8 .8 and 8 .8 .4 .4), Cloudflare DNS (1 .1 .1 .1 and 1 .0 .0 .1), and Open DNS (208 .67 .222 .222 and 208 .67 .220 .220).
To change your DNS server, you need to log into your router’s web interface and look for an option to change your DNS settings. You can also change your DNS settings on individual devices if you prefer.
10.Turn Off Unused Features
Finally, you can improve your Wi-Fi by turning off some features that you don’t need or use.These features might consume bandwidth or resources on your router and affect its performance.For example, you might want to turn off guest networks if you don’t have any visitors using your Wi-Fi or parental controls if you don’t have any children using your Wi-Fi or smart connect if you prefer managing your bands manually. You can also disable some optimization features like optimized battery charging or clean energy charging if they don’t suit your needs or preferences.These settings can be found in the Settings app under your router’s name or model number. However, keep in mind that these features are designed to enhance your Wi-Fi or battery life, so make sure that turning them off is worth it for you.
To turn off these features, you need to log into your router’s web interface and look for an option to change your feature settings.
By following these ten tips, you can improve your Wi-Fi for free and enjoy a better internet experience. You might be amazed by how much difference a simple tweak or adjustment can make. However , if your router is too old or too weak for your needs, you might want to consider upgrading it to a newer or better model. Happy surfing!
