Now that cable, fiber, and even 5G can reach the home, internet connections inside the house are faster than they’ve ever been before. However, the increasing number of devices in the average modern home has resulted in slower speeds than ever before.
Most ISPs, such as Xfinity Internet, will provide you with a choice between several packages with varying prices. You may save money every month by going with Xfinity’s most basic plan as well.
A mere doubling of internet speeds or smoother Netflix streaming would save countless hours of time and frustration. If you are the only person residing in your home, you should be fine. If you live in a large household or with a lot of roommates, though, your network’s speed will suffer.
Let’s take a look at how you can get the most out of your home network.
Update Your Equipment
There are always brand-new pieces of hardware for home networks. Knowing what they can do now is crucial when thinking about upgrades in the future.
Your current home network equipment can work and provide adequate support for many years, but updating it frequently is necessary to keep the optimum home network setup.
Most reliable home networks support both wireless and wired connections. These home networks are centered around broadband routers, which allow for both wireless and wired connectivity.
Every year or two, upgrade the router to the newest model available. While advancements in modem technology don’t happen as frequently as they do with routers, you should still keep an eye out for new breakthroughs and be prepared to replace your modem.
Reposition your Router
Putting your router in a far-flung corner of the house (often to hide the unsightly object) can make it more difficult for the device to broadcast its signals to the rooms that really require it.
A router should be installed in the center of the house for optimal performance. This will improve its chances of providing reliable, high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the entire house and eliminating dead zones.
Keep the router off the floor and away from other electronics by setting it up on a desk, table, or shelf. Never hide it in a drawer or behind the television.
And if it’s placed near a window, half of the signal will be directed outside, which is fine if you’re sitting in the garden but not so great if you’re inside the house.
While this is our most recommended method, there are many more ways to improve your Wi-Fi’s performance by tweaking your router.
Invest in an Ethernet Cable
The existence of wires is sometimes overlooked. You don’t need Wi-Fi; in fact, it’s in our name to emphasize the point. As opposed to Wi-Fi, which can be disrupted by things like huge fish tanks and other electronics, a hardwired connection to your router offers superior speed and reliability. The disadvantage is that it reduces the flexibility of where you can use your gadgets.
Although, running a wire is frequently well worth the trouble for technology that requires the fastest internet possible, such as a gaming console, desktop computer, or streaming box. The router will have extra Ethernet connections, so all you need is a cable to connect your devices.
You’ll need to use cable management if you want to finish the task without wires snaking over the floor. The Ethernet wire is secured to the walls by tiny brackets. It is also possible to use wall mounts if many cables all go in one direction.
Determine Where the Dead Zones Are in Your Wi-Fi Network
The effect of physical distance, frequency shifts, and building materials on Wi-Fi signal intensity can be quantified via a heatmap tool.
Get yourself a heatmap app for your mobile device. Pick one up on the iTunes App Store or Google Play on your iOS or Android device. Also, you should do a lap around your house to determine where the signal is weakest and where it is strongest.
All in All
If none of these solutions work, you may want to consider switching to a better internet service provider or upgrading your current package.
The home internet service with the highest megabits per second (Mbps) rate is not always the best option. Just as significant, if not more so, is the network latency (also known as ping) of internet connections on responsiveness. It is also crucial that networks be dependable, meaning that services experience few if any outages or dramatic drops in quality.
Also, we hate to seem like we’re on a broken record, but the more Ethernet connections you can make, the better. It may be more worthwhile to hire an electrician to run Ethernet cables to your most important devices, such as your work PC or gaming consoles if you already have adequate hardware. Then, you can stop stressing over intermittent Wi-Fi connections.
