We all have a router at home with which we connect to fiber optics. If you’re good at technology, you may already know everything you’ll find here, but not all users know what they should or shouldn’t do with the device, what could be a bad idea or what we should take into account. What you should never do with your router and why it will harm your Internet quality.
We can change the router of the company, we can connect to check the Internet connection, the speed. We can restart it, format it… But you can only do it if you know, if you know what you are doing with it. And carefully.
Be careful where you put it
Placing the router in the center of the house is the best option because this way we will ensure that the coverage reaches all corners in a homogeneous way. Or we will try, at least. We place the router in the center or in the PAU or User Access Point in new floors, a point that will generally be at the entrance of the house and from which the optical fiber goes to the RITI and the installer must only connect the pre-installed fiber. But the PAU is not in the center and it is possible that we look for alternatives… like a bathroom, which allows us to camouflage it. Or the kitchen.
You should never place the router or in the kitchen . The tiles and tiles in the bathroom and kitchen affect the WiFi signal so you will get worse coverage. Not just the tiles, but these rooms often have other elements that are going to make the signal much worse, like pipes.
Be careful with other devices
Not only don’t put it in some rooms but there are other things you shouldn’t do with your router. How to place it near devices that can create interference and make the signal worse… Placing the router near the microwave is a bad idea, in addition to other appliances such as washing machines or refrigerators (although it may seem very logical)
But we must also avoid having it near a radiator that causes it to overheat excessively but also that can be damaged by moisture.
Configuration problems
Beyond where to place it or how to take care of it, there are other problems that the router can give us and a series of practices that we should avoid… For example, keeping the factory settings or not updating the device for years. Normally, the fiber installer leaves us everything ready with the corresponding password written down, the password that comes from the factory. But it is essential that you change the key and do not leave the password that comes from the factory since it will be much easier to violate and there are applications capable of finding out just by the name of the network.
We must also avoid having it outdated. Never updating the router is a mistake and can be a problem. There are many users who keep the firmware for years and this can give us security problems or make it more vulnerable, so we should always keep it updated to the latest version.
Don’t touch the wires
It may seem obvious or absurd, but there are many users who disconnect or connect cables to the router without knowing exactly where each of them goes, without being clear about what can happen if we connect one end of the Ethernet port to a switch and another end to another. If you have minimal knowledge there is no problem in disconnecting the cables, reconnecting them and doing what you want or need. But the best advice we can give you if you don’t know what you’re doing is don’t do it.
Although it may seem silly, there are many people who damage the cables of the device or who move it abruptly, pulling out the fiber cable. This will cause us to have problems with the Internet and require the help of a technician or installer to solve it, with the corresponding inconvenience for both. So, if everything works fine and you don’t know what each thing is, it’s best not to touch it.
Do I have to turn it off?
Not necessarily. You don’t have to turn off the router every night or it will make it work better. We do not have to restart it every few days or every night if we want the Internet connection to improve. We only have to turn it off or restart it when we are experiencing some kind of failure, it does not work correctly, etc.
In these cases we can try to restart or reset so that the Internet improves and it will fix many of the small day-to-day problems, but you do not have to do it periodically and it will not make your Internet better.
