Good wifi makes all the difference at even the best of times. Right now, it’s absolutely vital. It’s your office, your children’s teacher, your portal to friends and family. For the sake of your household’s sanity, you really cannot have it functioning at anything less than 100%. Fortunately, there are some little-known tips and tricks to help improve your wifi’s performance, and keep it quick and reliable. Here’s how you can get the best from your invisible friend ...
1. Send clear signals
Few things are as frustrating as when slow wifi turns you into a malfunctioning Dalek just as you make an insightful point to colleagues on a video call. Why does that keep happening? “Microwaves, underfloor heating controllers and gaming controllers create electromagnetic fields that interfere with your wifi signal,” says Charlie McKenzie, technical adviser for Vodafone. One solution is to check the frequency that your router operates at. Most modern routers send out signals at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, but as the 2.4GHz frequency is used by lots of devices around the home there’s intense competition for bandwidth. “For video calls, try changing to the higher frequency by going into the wifi settings on your browser and selecting 5GHz,” advises McKenzie.
2. Position is everything
Your router may well be plugged into a phone socket in the hall but that might not be the best place for it. All sorts of things can block wifi signals and affect your network’s performance: brick walls, pipes and household appliances. “To get the best from your wifi, you need to give your router pride of place in an area with minimal electronics present,” says McKenzie. Just make sure it’s not bang next to your TV, smart speaker or other devices. If playing around with the position of your router doesn’t help, try using a router with beamforming technology. “This technology can focus the wifi straight at your device.” That’ll help keep your kids entertained with back-to-back episodes of Peppa Pig while you’re tied up on business calls.
3. Slow devices are your enemy
If wifi networks operate at speeds that are too high for older pieces of equipment, these devices won’t be able to connect. Thus wifi networks automatically slow down to run at the pace of the slowest device connected to them. Unfortunately, this means that every other device on the network also operates at that speed. “So, go to the admin settings of your broadband provider’s app to discover which devices are connecting,” says McKenzie. “You may be surprised to find you have 20 devices connected, and you may only need four of them.” Once you see what’s connected, you can also disconnect older devices when speed is at a premium.
4. Stop channel surfing
Live in a built-up area? You’ll be surrounded by lots of other wifi routers competing to find the quietest channel to operate on. But this can mean your router flitting from channel to channel, occasionally dropping the wifi altogether. “To avoid this happening right in the middle of a work task or at a crucial moment in the film you’re streaming, try manually setting your router to operate only on one channel,” says McKenzie. Erm, how? Simple: “Log into your router, which usually has instructions on how to do so on the back.”
5. Be wary of extenders
Is your wifi brilliant in the living room but a bit patchy in the kitchen? You might think wifi extenders are the answer – but hold fire because there’s a new kid on the block. Wifi mesh is the up-to-the minute solution for efficiently boosting wifi right through your home. “It’s a series of modules that can be placed around your house,” says Vodafone’s McKenzie. “Wifi mesh is a lot stronger than putting wifi extenders in different rooms. It’s very effective if you’re working in a corner of the house, or even out in the garden.” The garden, huh? Working from home just got a whole lot more relaxing.
6. Take the lead
In a typical home there are any number of devices competing for wifi, so it’s worth asking yourself whether you could lighten the load by using a lead to connect to your broadband. “Plugging a cable directly into your laptop will help when you need a lot of speed for a video call and can’t afford for your connection to drop out,” says McKenzie. “The wifi router sends a signal that’s subject to interference, but a lead provides a secure connection.” So whether you’re working or, better still, streaming Little Fires Everywhere, if you’re plugged in, the kids should be able to play Minecraft using the wifi, and household harmony will be ensured.
Vodafone #KeepingTheUKConnected
With the demands placed on your wifi from home working, online lessons for children and entertainment in free time, getting the most from your internet access has never been more important.
That’s why every day, we at Vodafone are working hard to maintain our network.
So even when we’re apart, nothing can stop us being together.
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