Improve Your Wireless Connection

4 Parts:

Speed or Space

Assessing the Performance of the Router

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Slow Connection? Tired of struggling to find areas in your house that have the fastest internet reception? This is a real problem associated with wireless connection, as it can affect the performances of users.

Don't get me wrong, wireless internet is amazing, especially when it is fast, has a wide coverage, and is stable. Conversely, however, it can really be very frustrating to work with a slow wireless connection. When the speed is slow or the signal is intermittent, it can result in dismal performance.

In this day and age, wireless technology is highly preferred for the convenience it offers, which is getting rid of cumbersome cables. With fast connectivity, it is awesome. Slow connectivity is a common problem that most Internet Service Providers (ISP) try to address with innovations, but while in the middle of "slow connection" problem, know that that there are ways to improve your wireless connection. Thankfully, there are several easy and mostly free tricks to get your wireless connection working like a winner. You need not be tech savvy to understand these simple steps.

When we talk about how to improve your wireless connection, there are usually two types of enhancements people seek - the distance of the router or the maximum speed output.

1. 1
   It's awesome to have a powerful internet connection, but the catch is, can you only use it next to your router? If not, then the speed isn't much worth it.

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2. 2
   This problem coincides with the signal's range. If you have trouble loading your web pages even if you are close to the router, then the problem is with the internet speed.

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Generally both are categorized as problems, which are under performance issues.

There are lots of factors which can affect the performance of your router. Here are some:

1. 1
   Location is critical.
   
   

   

   A router signal doesn't go far; thick walls or large furniture may cause the signal to weaken. Reasons such as this are why a wireless router should be located in the center of your house. Optimize the performance of your wireless router. Place it as high as possible and away from possible interference. Also wireless router signals from neighboring sources can interfere with the signal. It is best to use an exclusive wireless channel to reduce the signal traffic.

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2. 2
   Which antenna is right?
   
   

   

   Most antennas shipped with routers are small sized antennas with default omni-directional capabilities. This means that the signal output by your internet router is sent across all directions, which is helpful if you want your WiFi to reach all the rooms of your house. The downside is that it has a short range. If you opt to buy and change the antenna to a directional antenna, then you can improve the signal and aim it where it's needed. Antennas such as this are called "high-gain".

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3. 3
   Boost with a repeater.
   
   

   

   Another easy way to safely boost your signal is to use a wireless repeater. A wireless repeater works like a router, but instead of creating a signal it relays an existing signal. A repeater usually doesn't need to be installed, nor does it need cables. Making use of multiple repeaters is usually done in a business environment such as an office.

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4. 4
   It pays to DIY.
   
   

   

   Some people opt to increase their wireless router signals by creating their own homemade antennas or reflectors. There are lots of guides or ready-to-be-built reflectors on the internet. Homemade reflectors are usually made from materials such as foil and cardboard. One of the most common designs is of the parabolic satellite shape. These homemade antennas will increase your range and speed, but this usually varies from the quality of the reflector.

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5. 5
   Consider upgrading your router's firmware.
   
   

   

   Manufacturers normally give firmware updates regularly. This always provides performance boost and the solution to some bugs in the system if there is any.

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6. 6
   Don't let others "steal" your signal. Change your router security from WEP to WPA/WPA2. This will keep unwanted people from using your wireless signal and further reducing your internet bandwidth. If you are running in on WEP, it is recommended to change into WPA/WPA2 for a more secured network.

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7. 7
   Keep your network details under wraps. Opting to hide your network's name will help you from people asking your network password or potentially hacking your network, which can slow down your internet speed. It is possible to hide your network name. Go to the access point's admin page and un-check the check-box next to "Enable SSID Broadcast". This will hide your network, but of course you can still access it privately.

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8. 8
   Update your operating system.
   
   

   

   There are lots of updates by Windows, Mac and Linux which effectively increase the performance, security and reliability of the OS. You can update your computer by checking the control panel button and either setting it on manual or automatic updates.

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9. 9
   Change your channel. When you notice your wireless connection speed becoming slow, the signal strength getting weak, and the wireless connection dropping, these are can be signs that the wireless channel used by your router or access point(AP) is being blocked because of congestion or interferences by other devices. Some of these can be a 2.4 GHz phone, a microwave or a wireless network in your next-door neighbor. Try changing your channel. Pick one that has less interference in your area, and then configure your AP or router.

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10. 10
    Hard-wire is preferable.
    

    

    Boosting your wireless signal can be as simple as this. If you want to perk your signal, know that having fewer devices on a wireless network can make the network run faster. This is more stable too. Check if the phone lines in your office or home are wired with CAT 5 or CAT 6. With these, you could utilize the phone cables to hard-wire devices around your area.

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11. 11
    Let go of your old wireless protocols. Your high-performing new router cannot work as efficiently or as quickly when you connect it to an older protocol. This will make the entire network to slow down. If you have a high-performing router, get it set to broadcast only with newer wireless modes. It is also ideal to upgrade their wireless cards, to hard-wire them rather than connect wirelessly to the router, and to use a mixed operation mode or a dual band router. Using dual band routers is like having two routers that can facilitate broadcasting in two separate wireless networks concurrently.

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Most of the time, wireless connection is slow not because of the router itself, but because of its settings. Read the instruction manual and explore the setting tab. There are lots of ways to perk your signal. Buying additional products that can improve your wireless connection is possible. But you can achieve the same by effectively using the resources at hand if you know how.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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