One of the most frustrating experiences of our time is trying to load a page in a browser and seeing that it takes forever to load, or that an error message appears directly on the screen. And how is this possible – you might ask – if you’re signing up for open bandwidth that should be more than enough for all your needs?
A router uses short-range radio waves to wirelessly transmit your home’s Internet connection. Its main advantage is that it allows several devices of different types, such as mobile phones, computers and televisions, to be connected simultaneously, all without wires. There is a downside, however: as we move away from the route, the signal begins to weaken.
Wi-Fi provides a short-range connection, so the router and device must be close to each other if you want to reach the fastest speeds possible. But there are other factors besides the distance that influence the connection speed: interference from other devices, physical obstacles and even the age of the route.
A strategic position with no obstacles
This is the simplest and most effective measure: try to place the router in the most central part of the house (or near the devices that connect the most) and as high as possible. This is not always easy, as the device is often connected to the point where the broadband cable enters the home; but to the extent possible, it will greatly improve the quality of the connection.
“Ideally, it should be in a place where it is used the most, like the living room,” explained a representative from the manufacturer AVM to EL PAÍS, and added another important advice: “Make sure that the router is not hidden in the closet.” The signal quality suffers in the most distant places.
Closing it again
If you contact your internet provider because you have problems with your connection, one of the first steps is support which will suggest turning everything off and on again. Think of a router as a computer that needs to be restarted to clear errors and resolve performance issues.
While this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to every wireless connection problem, it does work in certain situations. Experts recommend waiting ten seconds after turning it off before turning it on again. Do the same with your modem, if you have a different one.
Dual-band and firmware update
Wi-Fi is like a congested highway. In this sense, when many devices are connected at the same time, the speed and quality of the connection may suffer. Dual-band routers – which use the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands – allow traffic to be forwarded to the highest bandwidth for high-demand devices, such as a computer or tablet.
One of the main advantages of the 5 GHz band is that it has less interference, mainly because fewer devices use it. In addition, the 5 GHz band has a high available output that can support high data traffic.
Another advice that manufacturers always give is to make sure you are using the latest firmware version of the router, not only for better performance, but also for security.
Mesh boosters
Sometimes, all the solutions suggested above are not enough to increase the quality of the wireless connection, especially if the house is large or has many walls or obstacles. If so, it is better to install a mesh network.
This type of network starts with a base station that replaces the router and connects directly to the modem, and one or more remote stations. The advantage of this wireless infrastructure is that the Wi-Fi connection is managed intelligently, based on various factors such as distance, number of connected devices, signal quality and more, making the connection more stable.
Use a wired connection
Whenever possible, it’s a good idea to place Ethernet network sockets wherever there will be a permanently connected device, such as a television, game console or desktop computer. This type of communication, in addition to being very fast, is stable.
An additional benefit of connecting multiple devices via cable is that this reduces the number of devices connected via Wi-Fi, thus reducing potential wireless congestion.
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