The Internet connection in our homes is given to a greater extent by Wi-Fi. It is not only important to have a high-performance router, to achieve great coverage and wireless speed, but we must also carry out a series of good practices so that our entire home has good coverage and thus, everyone can have a fast internet connection whenever you need it. This guide will give you all the necessary indications so that we can get as much juice out of our router as possible.
The location of the router to have homogeneous coverage
Without a doubt, the most important aspect is where to place the Wi-Fi router . It is almost impossible for the device by itself, to cover the whole house if you place it on one side. It is essential to locate it in a place that can give good coverage in all areas, therefore, the more in the “center” of the house is the wireless router, the better coverage and more homogeneous it will be in all rooms. It is good to keep in mind that we must be in a suitable location neither too close nor too far from the router.
Now, there is a situation regarding router coverage that occurs frequently: we put the router in a suitable location, but it is not able to provide us coverage in all the places where we expected. Most likely it is due to interference and blockages due to obstacles that the device has when it comes to propagating the signal.
How to fix interference with other Wi-Fi networks
Routers currently use “automatic” channels, they themselves are able to check which channels are busy, and broadcast on a “free” channel. However, it is likely that, at an exact moment, another router has decided to place itself on the channel that you are using. Depending on the router’s firmware, it will scan the surrounding Wi-Fi networks from time to time, to check for interference, and to change channels if necessary. It is possible that you have not yet performed this task, or that it only does so when it is turned on. Therefore, first of all, we recommend turning the router off and on so that the automatic channel selection algorithm is run again.
In case you continue with the Wi-Fi interference, we recommend you to use programs such as Acrylic WiFi for Windows , where you will be able to see all the channels used by the Wi-Fi routers of your neighbors, to later access your Wi-Fi router and change it manually. There are also programs for Android and iOS such as WiFi Analyzer, you could also use it without problems, the key is to see what Wi-Fi channels your closest neighbor uses, and choose for yourself the channel furthest from it, in this way, we will have less wireless interference.
How to solve the obstacles in our home so that the signal goes further
One of the main problems in our home is thick walls and also glass or mirrors. Thick walls will prevent the signal from passing through, and glass or mirrors will bounce the signal off, and ultimately not get to where you are connecting. For these cases and especially those in which we are not sure about the correct location of the router, we can create Wi-Fi heat maps . This will allow us to know which areas of our house or apartment have the best signal levels. In this way, we will be able to find the most suitable location for our router.
One of the heat mapping apps that we recommend the most is Acrylic Wi-Fi Heatmaps. It is compatible with computers running the Windows operating system. One of the most interesting distinctions is that you can analyze the two frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), although this may vary according to the wireless network card you use. But can I create a heat map using my smartphone? That’s right, you can consult this complete guide to create heat maps that will recommend the best applications for both computers and mobile phones (Android and iOS).
The position of the antennas of the router
One of the components of this device that is least considered are the antennas it has. It is good to always keep in mind that, without these, then, you will not be able to spread the signal to the corresponding coverage area. However, today we have a wide variety of routers and we can find several that have more than two antennas, and we may even find that some routers and repeaters have internal antennas Wi-Fi.
In the event that the router needs to be placed in a “central” location, for example on one of the tables in the room or a library shelf that is not too high, the antennas should be positioned vertically. Why? Because in this way the antennas can propagate the signal in the direction of the devices that are going to take advantage of them (computers, mobiles, etc.). Remember that very rarely, the devices that we use to navigate Wi-Fi are on the ground.
Now, if for some reason the router must be located in a high place and closer to the ceiling, or we want to provide better vertical coverage, we will have to position some antennas with a 45º inclination. The reason for this is that antennas are normally omnidirectional (360º on the horizontal axis), however, on the vertical axis we will only have an incidence angle of about 45º, although this depends on the antenna gain, the higher the gain antenna we have, lower angle of vertical incidence. For this reason, it is recommended that, if we want to provide vertical coverage, we must put one or more antennas in a 45º position, neither vertically nor horizontally, to also provide coverage horizontally.
I have to restart the device, how do I do it?
We are sure that you have needed to contact the technical support team of your operator for any connectivity problem. If so, we are sure that you have been suggested on several occasions to restart your router. One of the options is to turn it off, wait at least ten seconds, and turn it on again. However, it is recommended to turn it off and disconnect it from the current, so that the capacitors inside it are completely discharged, and for this reason, it is recommended to leave it like this for 20 seconds and then turn it on.
In some occasions, this measure can solve the odd problem with the connection. However, if this does not work, it is recommended to perform a factory reset.
Factory reset
Turning the router off and on is not the same as factory resetting it. The latter refers to the complete deletion of all configuration settings that have been made to the router, and leaving the default values. These include the history of the connected devices, the access locks to different websites, the SSID, the password and many other settings. Here is the importance of keeping the router box that we bought, since normally inside we will find the quick instructions for use, and it also gives us information regarding:
- Default administrator interface IP address, username and password.
- SSID and password by default.
However, since several manufacturers include a sticker that is on the bottom of the device and there, you will be able to locate all these essential data to access the router when it is restored to factory settings. In any case, it is possible that this sticker will eventually be erased, so it is always recommended to take good note of this data and store it in a safe place.
Why would you want to reset the factory router? If we have problems with the Wi-Fi router, low Internet speed, poor Wi-Fi coverage, problems connecting to the router, and even browsing, it is always recommended to reset the router to rule out possible problems. A very important aspect in computing is knowing what to discard, for this reason, it is best to rule out that it is a problem with the router. This should be used not as a first resort, but as the last resort after all other recommendations have been tried. This can also help devices that we do not recognize and that detected that they connected to our network, can no longer do so.
If you reconfigure the router from scratch, always keep in mind that the password must be strong . Avoid passwords that allude to your name, surname, pet, a relative that you esteem too much … any data that may tell something about you or those who live with you. Remember that this can be the “bridge” for other potential cyberattacks.
What do I do with my ISP’s router?
Something extremely important is knowing that all these tips apply to the routers that we have purchased on our own , but not those devices that our ISP provides us to have the internet. For example, fiber optic links have an ONU / ONT (Optical Network Unit – Optical Network Terminal) device that is installed in our homes, in this way, it is possible for fiber optic cable to reach our homes. By default, we have connectivity by network cable or according to the device that is installed, there is an ONU / ONT with Wi-Fi router functionalities.
As we see, this is not a router but an ONT / Router that can have Wi-Fi router features, since operators to save costs on devices, usually put it all in one. The downside to this is that, in most cases, we have no control over these devices, for security reasons. And with «control» we mean not being able to access each and every one of the administration functionalities, although we will always have access to basic management and administration parameters, for example. This is the advantage of having a separate router purchased by you, which we can freely manage and make the necessary adjustments.
Router temperature and wiring
Another reason why it is important to place the router in a suitable place is the temperature of the router. Like any electronic device, if its temperature is very high, this can cause it to stop working at a certain moment or if it works, it will be very unstable. Consequently, we would have to be restarting and / or resetting it repeatedly in order to continue browsing the Internet without problems.
A recommendation is to avoid that the router is in a place that is not cool, that is, do not leave it exposed to the sun, on top of a radiator (in winter), or where there is little or no ventilation. If you live alone in a house or apartment, it is recommended not to place the router next to the computer, since computers expel hot air from above or from behind, therefore, if we are giving the router hot air, it will make it overheat and can affect its normal operation. As much as possible, let’s isolate the router in a cool place.
On the other hand, it is good practice to check frequently if the network cables are connected correctly. Also, it is good to corroborate the state of them, if they are not a little bare or dirty. Remember that bad cables, or if they are of very low quality, can greatly influence the performance of the router to provide connection, either by network cable or wirelessly.
How to keep firmware updated
The direct benefits of keeping our router up-to-date is that you will be able to obtain the latest security fixes and the latest software improvements, in addition, it is normal for the manufacturer to optimize performance, therefore, we could obtain better wired and wireless performance. Also, with each update, the security features are improving along with the addition of new ones, remember that wireless networks are much more vulnerable to cyberattacks than cable networks.
We have mentioned above that the router has an IP address that allows us to enter its interface and manage it. Although we can find it on the sticker and / or box of the router, there is a faster way to locate it directly from the computer. Let’s see how to do it in Windows. We make the key combination Windows + X, and select the option Network connections .
We go to the section Change connection properties .
We scroll down and see all the data regarding the wireless connection in general. To take into account the “IPv4 address” is one that is assigned to us once we connect to the wireless network. On the other hand, the IPv4 DNS address would be the one corresponding to the router’s administrator interface. Check what the access data is on its packaging or on the sticker.
Once we have all this information, we can now enter the browser of our choice to manage our router. In the event that you have a branded device such as ASUS, D-Link, AVM or others, you can directly choose to enter the official portal and search for the section with the list of the latest firmware updates for the different products. It is only a matter of downloading the version that corresponds to the make and model, in addition to following the instructions that today are much more practical to follow. However, there are manufacturers that already offer automatic updates for their routers, Wi-Fi repeaters and other devices, so we will not have to worry about this. The time it takes to download the firmware and its installation will vary to a greater or lesser extent according to the Internet connection you have. In all cases, the router will need to be restarted for the changes to take effect correctly.
As you have seen, with these important tips but at no cost, we can improve Wi-Fi wireless coverage in our home, and also the performance of the network in general.
