How to increase the speed of WiFi in our home

When creating a Wi-Fi connection in our home, different factors must be taken into account since not everything is as beautiful as it might seem at first. Before wireless connections became the usual and cheaper method to create a network in our office or home, RJ45-type cables were the usual method. The main advantage that cables offer us is that there is no loss of speed, something that does not happen with wireless connections. In this article we are going to show you how to improve the speed of your WiFi so you can get the most out of your internet connection.

As a general rule, every time the corresponding operator arrives at our home to install the corresponding Internet connection, unfortunately on very few occasions it usually asks us where we want to install the router that will give us Internet access. As a general rule, it is usually installed in the room closest to where the street cable is located. Coincidentally, that room is always at the farthest point from the house, so the Internet connection will never reach the other end of the house without help.

Fortunately, we can easily convince the technicians who install the connection for us to do so. in the most suitable place in our home so that we do not have to make use of signal repeaters to be able to provide Wi-Fi coverage to our entire home. Finding out the best point to place the router is a simple process and it will hardly take us long.

Where did you install the router?

When installing the router that will offer us an Internet connection, we must take into account the type of house we have: one or more floors. In addition, it must also be taken into account for its location where the connection will be used mainly, either in our living room or in a room that we may have established for the computer. If one of the main uses that we are going to make of our Internet connection is to enjoy streaming video services, the best option is to place the router near the television to be able to connect the tv or the set-top box that we use through a network cable. Later we will take care of expanding the Wi-Fi signal to the rest of the house.

If, on the other hand, the main use that we are going to give it is going to be where the computer is, we have to assess whether we are going to need the maximum possible speed, to install it in that room, or if we can manage with a Wifi repeater . If our address is made up of two or three floors, the best option is always to put it on the floor where the main day-to-day activity is carried out, the second being if there are 3 floors, since the signal will reach, not without difficulty, both the silver above and the under.

Do I have intruders on my Wifi connection?

If someone has managed to connect to our Wifi connection, they are not only having access to our Internet connection, but they are also having access to the folders that we can have shared. To check if a device is connected to our connection we can make use of the different mobile applications that will show us at all times the devices that have been connected at any time.

If in the list that the application offers us as a result after scanning our network, we find the name of a device that does not correspond to those that are usually connected, someone is taking advantage of us. We must then quickly change the password of our connection to the Internet in addition to taking into account all the protection methods that we show you in this article to prevent the same from happening in the future.

Why is my Wi-Fi connection slow?

Many are the factors that can influence the Wifi signal of our router, factors that slow down the internet connection and connection between different devices that are connected to the same network.

Signal interference

Placing the router or signal repeater near an appliance such as a refrigerator or microwave is never advisable, as they act as Farady cages, not letting the signals pass in addition to weakening them quite a bit. Whenever possible we have to avoid placing both the router and a Wi-Fi signal repeater near these devices. In addition, we must also take into account the channel that our router uses.

Most routers usually scan the bands used around us to establish which is the best band to offer Wifi, but in many cases the operation is entirely expected. In order to know which are the least saturated channels, we can make use of applications for mobile devices that offer us this information and that will help you to correctly configure our router.

Measure the speed of our Internet connection

Sometimes, the problem may not be in your home, but we find it in the Internet provider, something that does not happen very often but that may be due to a problem of saturation in the network, problems with the servers or any other reason. To be sure that the problem of speed is not in our home, the best thing is perform a speed test, to check if the speed that we have contracted corresponds with the one that is not arriving.

2,4 GHz bands

Routers, depending on the model, usually have 2 types of bands to share the Internet signal. The 2,4 GHz bands available in all routers are the ones that offer the greatest range, but their speed is much lower than that found in 5 GHz routers. Why? The reason is none other than the congestion of other networks that use the same band to share the Internet signal. If we want speed it is best to use 5 GHz bands

5 GHz bands

Routers with 5 GHz bands give us a much higher speed than we can find with regular 2,4 GHz routers. The reason is none other than the congestion of networks of this type that may exist in your neighborhood. The only thing that these networks have is that the range is much more limited than what we can find with the 2,4 GHz bands.

Manufacturers are aware of the limitations of both bands and in the market we can find a large number of routers that allow us to create two Wi-Fi networks in our home: one of 2,4 GHz and another of 5GHzIn this way, when we are in the range of the 5 GHz signal, our device will automatically hook into this faster connection. If, on the other hand, we are not out of range of this fast network, our device will automatically connect to the other 2,4 GHz Wi-Fi network.

How to improve the speed of our Wi-Fi connection

In most cases if we want improve the speed of our Internet connection, We must make a small investment, starting from 20 euros to about 250 approximately.

Change the channel used by our Wifi network

This method to try to improve the speed of our connection, I have commented above and consists of analyzing the nearby Wi-Fi networks to find out which channels are transmitting the signal. As a general rule, the lowest numbers are those that are most often used, with the highest numbers being the least saturated.

This application will allow us to scan all the Wi-Fi networks within our reach and will show us a list of which are the most used bands at that time, so that we know which band we should move our signal to.

With Wifi signal repeaters

Wifi signal repeaters are the cheapest products that we can find on the market when it comes to expanding the Wifi signal in our home. Starting from euros 20 we can find a large number of devices of this type. The best thing is to trust recognized brands such as D-Link, TPLink… companies that have been in this sector for many years and know how to do things very well. They also offer a guarantee of up to three years on most of their products.

The operation of a Wifi signal repeater is very simple, since it is responsible for capturing the main Wi-Fi signal and sharing it from where we have installed the repeater. This device is connected directly to the electrical network and through a computer or mobile device we can configure it quickly. Yes, to be able to configure it it is necessary that we know the password of our Wifi network, unless the device is compatible with WPS technology like the router, since in that case we only have to press the WPS buttons on both the router and the repeater.

It is always advisable to buy a Wifi signal repeater that be compatible with 5 GHz bands, as long as the router is also so, since otherwise at no time will it be able to repeat a signal that does not enter it. The 5 GHz bands offer us a higher connection speed unlike the 2,4 GHz bands as I explained in the previous section.

With the use of PLC

The range of Wi-Fi repeaters is limited since the repeater must be placed close to where the router's range ratio is to be able to capture the signal and repeat it. However, PLC devices are dedicated to sharing the signal through the electrical network, converting all the wiring in our home into a Wifi signal. PLCs are two devices that work together. One of them connects directly to the router using a network cable and the other is installed anywhere in the house, even if the Wifi signal is not available (there is the advantage it offers us).

Once we have connected it, the second device will automatically begin to repeat the Internet connection found in the wiring of our home without having to configure any other aspect. This type of device it is ideal for large homes and with several floors, or where the Wifi repeaters do not reach due to the large number of interferences that are found along the way.

If you are interested in buying a device of this type, it is recommended spend a little more and buy a model compatible with 5 GHz bands, even if the router is not, since the device that connects to the router will be in charge of taking advantage of the maximum speed offered by the Internet connection.

Make use of the 5 GHz band

If our router is compatible with the 5 GHz bands, we must take advantage of the advantages it offers us, higher speed than traditional 2,4 GHz bands. To check if it is compatible or not, we can search the specifications of the model on the Internet or access its configuration and check if it has a 5 GHz connection in the Wifi section.

Change router

If our address is small and we are lucky enough to have an Internet connection, a router in the center of our home, the best option to avoid using signal repeaters is to purchase a router compatible with 5 GHz bands, which will offer us a higher connection speed, although its range ratio is somewhat more limited. These routers are also compatible with the 2,4 GHz bands.

How to protect my Wifi connection

Protecting our Internet connection is one of the things we must do first when the installation has been carried out, to prevent any other unwanted person from accessing not only our Internet connection and taking advantage of it, but also can also thave access to folders with documents that we have shared.

MAC filtering

One of the best ways to limit access to our Internet connection is through MAC filtering. Each wireless device has its own license plate or serial number. This is the MAC. All routers allow us to configure MAC filtering so that this way only devices whose MAC is registered in the router can connect to the network. Although it is true that on the Internet we can find applications to clone MAC addresses, we must bear in mind that in the first place they must know what it is, and the only way to do it is by physically accessing the device.

Hide SSID

If we do not want the name of our Wifi network to be available to everyone, and thus avoid possible intrusions, we can hide the Wifi network so that it only appears on devices that are already connected to it. This option is used very often in shopping centers and large surfaces. By not being present, the friends of others will opt for other networks that are visible.

Use a WPA2 type key

When it comes to protecting our Internet connection, the router offers us different types of password, WEP, WPA-PSK, WPA2 ... It is always recommended, if not mandatory, to use the WPA2 type password, a password that is almost impossible to crack with the different applications that we can find in the market and I say almost impossible because it can take many days, even weeks to do it with this type of applications, which will force friends of others to give up.

Rename the SSID

The applications that are dedicated to trying to decipher our password, make use of dictionaries, dictionaries that are based on the type of name of the connection, each manufacturer and provider usually uses a similar one, and the password of those models. In most cases, the password for our router is located at the bottom of it. Many people are dedicated to creating libraries or databases with these types of names and passwords, and through these you can try to access the Wifi networks that are within your reach over and over again. By changing the name of our signal, we will prevent this type of dictionary from trying to access our router.

Change the default password of the router

This section is related to the previous one. The use of libraries where passwords and SSIDs are stored, the name of the Wifi connection, allow users who try to access our network the possibility, although remote, of being able to do so. To avoid this, the best we can do is change the default password. It is never advisable to use the names of pets, people, birthdaysEasy to remember passwords such as 12345678, password, password ... since they are the first to be tried.

The ideal password should be composed of uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as containing numbers and the odd symbol. If we have the need to allow a visitor to use our Internet connection, we can establish a guest account from the router itself that will expire whenever we want.

Terminology and data to consider

5 GHz bands

Not all electronic devices are compatible with the 5 GHz bands. The oldest ones are not, say with 5 or 6 years they usually are not, so you should take it into account if any of your devices cannot connect to this type of band.

Router

A router is a device that allows us share internet connection from a modem or modem-router.

Modem / Modem-router

This is the device that the operator installs at our address when we hire the Internet. In most cases they are modem-routers, that is, in addition to offer us internet allow us to share it wirelessly.

SSID

The SSID is plain and simple the name of our Wifi network.