
Is your Internet connection freezing while you are performing significant tasks? We have probably all experienced these same issues and frustrations at one time or another. We must have a good internet connection, particularly since many of us continue to work from home. Despite paying monthly fees to an internet service provider and having a router professionally installed, there still will be an excessive amount of time to wait for the computer to work.
It is encouraging to know that these issues can be easily resolved with just a few minutes’ efforts on your part.
One of the most crucial factors determining the internet speed in a house is your router’s location. You can follow several tricks or guidelines to improve the overall speed of your wireless connections. In addition, the router is one of the most critical factors to pay attention to. In addition, the technician may not always choose where the device will be located. Continue reading to learn more about the most suitable place in your home for your router, as well as other tips and tricks for using your Wi-Fi faster at home.
Choosing the right router is the first step
The first step is to pick a router or other equipment that will suit your requirements. It is imperative to note that not all routers are created equal. The size and layout of your home will dictate the type of wireless network you’ll need.
For example, you should only need one wireless access point if you live in an apartment or a smaller house, about 1,500 square feet. However, if your router is several years old and does not support Wi-Fi 802.11ac and dual-band compatibility, you may consider upgrading to a more current model. Upgrading to a new router will give you the fastest network speeds and the most coverage overall.
There are many advantages of upgrading your home network to a mesh network to provide consistent coverage throughout the whole house, especially if the house is big and multilevel. In case you find that areas of your home do not have solid wireless coverage, once your main access point is installed, you can easily add another node to improve things.
In the case of a mesh network, you still need to consider where the primary access point will be placed regardless of whether you have a single access point.
What is the best place for your router?
When you first connect to the internet, it is generally the case that the modem is located along with one of the walls in the far reaches of the house. In this case, the reason is simply that it is where the fiber optic line enters the house, and the technician’s role is to connect your network – not to optimize it.
In this case, it is easier to leave everything as it was when the technician installed it. There is a high probability that this is not the optimal location for your router.
Make sure the location is central.
When you place a router in the corner of your home, it sends the signal in all directions, which means that you are sending out a large percentage of your wireless coverage outside. To optimize your signal, you should move the router to a central location.
You may find it difficult to install a router at the end of the house from where the modem is. The best solution may require manually running a CAT5 cable under the floor or utilizing powerline network adapters to accomplish this task. However, the enhanced wireless coverage will make this task worthwhile.
Set the router at a higher level
The great thing about routers is that they tend to spread signals downward. Therefore, it is wise to mount the router as high as possible to get the most coverage. Place it on a high shelf or mount it to the wall in an inconspicuous location if you plan to place it on top.
Make sure you do not use any other electronic devices.
The location you choose should be as far away from other electronics as large objects made of metal. You are more likely to experience interference with your router if there are many walls, large obstructions, and electronic equipment around your router.
The case of placing a microwave away from the router is highly recommended. Moreover, it emits a strong signal in the 2.4GHz band, the same wireless band used by your router.
Antennas for routers play an important role.
Although some routers have no antenna, others have up to eight antennas. The antennas are responsible for guiding the signal in the right direction. Don’t align all your antennas in the same direction if you have more than one antenna on your router.
Make them perpendicular to one another rather than vertically and horizontally – this way, they are perpendicular to one another. To cover a wide range of angles, the position of all the antennas can be slightly altered.
Map the signal and see if it works
The worst-case scenario may be that to find out where there are gaps or problem areas in your coverage in your home; it may prove advantageous to map out the signal in your home.
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