TIPS in your HOME TO IMPROVE WIRELESS SPEED AND COVERAGE:
It is ideal to place your router in the middle of your living space where you use "tech stuff" the most.
If you're having problems getting reception, try moving your router towards a corner that has a line of sight with other rooms.
If you have a large home, get a range extender. (See "Wireless Extenders" below)
Since waves interfere with each other in well-covered rooms, you may want to simply move your laptop, iPad, or iPhone a couple of inches to see if that helps with signal strength.
1. Turn off devices connecting wirelessly that are not in use
Turn off devices that are not being used. iPads, desktop computers, smartphones, and gaming consoles often run background applications that are constantly running and using your bandwidth.
Turning them off when not using them frees up WiFi bandwidth!
*Did you know?
Each computer or device that’s added to your network will reduce your total bandwidth. That’s because all these devices are sharing not only the same wireless network, but they’re also sharing the same Internet connection from your broadband service provider.
Say you pay for high-speed internet - 100 Mbps. In ideal conditions, you expect to get 100 Mbps on your laptop. Now you add another device - your spouse has an iPad. Now your available bandwidth on your laptop is 50 Mbps. Then your teenager comes home from school and turns on his Playstation or Xbox. Now your available bandwidth is 25 Mbps or less, depending on how bandwidth-heavy the game he's playing is.
Connecting multiple devices, including Bluetooth speakers, wireless printers, home surveillance cameras, etc., results in reduced performance due to each device getting a smaller bandwidth share.
Power off or disconnect the wireless connection on any device that is not actively using your router. This will at least relieve some of your bandwidth.
2. Connect directly to your modem/router:
Try to connect your TVs and computers directly to your modem. Devices that connect to the modem with an Ethernet cable have a much faster speed, do not use wireless bandwidth, and DO NOT SHARE internet speed!
3. Modem/Router Position and Location in the home
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!
- Move your modem away from any source of heat, moisture, or cold (do not place on the window sill or nearby a window in the wintertime!) *WINDOWS interfere with the wireless signal!
- Place your router on the main floor (DO NOT place in the attic/top floor or basement)
- Do not place your modem near metal objects or mirrors - these materials actually reflect radio waves!
- Thinking of placing your modem on the wall opposite your big fish aquarium? Water causes a lot of resistance to your signal! Think about what's on the other side of that wall!
- Do not place cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, baby monitors, wireless printers or microwave ovens within 10 feet of your modem
- Do not place anything on top of your modem or in front of it. Try to face the unit towards the area where most of your devices will be using it. Keep in a central location, out in the open
- Place your modem as high as you can, on the highest shelf or surface you can.
- That wireless printer that you have on the shelf next to your modem? That is actually interfering with your wireless signal. Move it somewhere else.
- Avoid crowded areas, like inside or behind furniture or cabinets/closets. (Do not place the router next to a thick wall or surface)
- Keep your router off the floor
- Central area works best
Avoid the kitchen
- The microwave operates on the same 2.4 GHz of the electromagnetic field. When you pop that microwave popcorn, it is interfering with your wireless signal. Remember above, where we said to avoid metal objects? Metal objects absorb wifi signals. A lot of stoves, refrigerators, and other kitchen appliances are METAL. Keep the gateway or router out of the kitchen ...
4. Wireless Extenders
If you want to extend your wireless signal WiFi extenders improve the coverage area of your router by expanding the range and reach of your wireless signal.
The WiFi Range Extender plugs directly into a wall socket, which eliminates extra cabling and wiring/clutter.
This device connects wirelessly to the router or gateway, picks up the signal, and re-transmits it.
5. Restart your WiFi equipment regularly!
Your cable modem is a computer too, and it needs to be power cycled just like your desktop computer and laptop do.
It is a good idea to power down, and then power back up your modem regularly.
Power cycle the devices that connect to your modem as well.
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Change Modem Settings to Optimize your Wireless Connection :
1. Open a web browser (such as Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc)
2. In the address bar of the web browser type 192.168.0.1 and hit Enter
3. When at the login page:
Username: "admin"
Password: "motorola" or for some models a unique password printed on the bottom label of the device
4. From the top right corner, click on Advanced
5. Click on Wireless in the top menu, then click on WMM
6. From the Wireless WMM page, turn off Power Save Support and click Save
7. From the Wireless menu, click on Advanced
8. From the Wireless Advanced page set OBSS Coexistence to 0(Disabled) and click Save
9. From the Wireless menu, click on Basic
10. From the Wireless Basic page, set Bandwidth to 20 MHz, and change the Channel from Auto to either 1, 6, or 11
11. Log out of the gateway and power cycle the mode, by turning it off for 15 seconds and then turning it back on.
12. Restart any device that may be connected to the gateway via an Ethernet cord. Reset any wireless devices Network Settings on wireless devices to allow wireless devices to re-sync with wireless networks accordingly.
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Computers, laptops, tablets and iPads, smartphones, gaming consoles (Playstation, Xbox), smart and TVs all use wireless technology.
All of these devices in your home are sharing your wireless network. This slows down your wireless speed considerably.
(Example: You pay for 250 Mbps through your Internet Service Provider. You are not going to get 250 Mbps because that speed is going to be shared/split between all of the devices using the wireless connection in your home).
TURN OFF devices that are not in use. They are using bandwidth just by being on (iPads checking for email every minute or auto-updating App software, Game consoles, etc.)