Wireless networks have a very important weight in our day to day. We have more and more devices that connect through Wi-Fi networks. This is very useful to avoid having to connect by cable, in addition to the fact that many equipment would not be compatible. However, it also has its limitations. In this article we are going to talk about how to know the maximum speed of Wi-Fi in our Windows system.
How to know the maximum speed of Wi-Fi in Windows
A very important aspect when we connect to the Internet is to have a good Internet speed. This will depend on different factors, such as the equipment that we are using, if it is free of threats and up to date, programs that we have consuming resources, the contracted rate, the router … Especially when we navigate through Wi-Fi that speed can fluctuate a lot .
We are going to explain how to know what is the maximum speed of Wi-Fi in Windows. We are talking about the theoretical maximum speed, which allows the network card we are using. This does not mean that the actual speed is that. It means that it is the maximum that our connection could go with that network card.
Windows 10 is the most used operating system on desktop computers and offers us a wide range of options to analyze the network and its components without the need to install anything additional. In this case we are not going to have to add any type of software, since we obtain everything with the system itself.
To know the maximum speed of Wi-Fi in Windows we have to go to Start, we go to Settings, we go to Network and Internet, Wi-Fi and there Hardware Properties. A new window will automatically open where it shows us information related to the network card.
One of the points that we find is with the speed of reception and transmission. That is the theoretical maximum speed at which the Wi-Fi card of the equipment where we have tested it works, which in that case is 866 Mbps.
It is important to bear in mind that if this theoretical maximum speed is lower than what we have contracted, we will never be able to enjoy the real maximum speed. We would always be limited to the capacity of the network card. It is something similar to what happens by cable, with the limit of 100 Mbps in Fast Internet connections versus 1 Gbps of Gigabit Ethernet.
More data from the Wi-Fi network card
But it does not only offer us information related to the maximum speed. We can also see the name of the network, the band it is using, the type of encryption, the network channel, the MAC address, DNS …
In short, by following these steps we can know the maximum speed of our Wi-Fi. It is very important to avoid browsing at a lower speed and to rule out problems. For example, if we had an old card, with a low speed limit, and we had contracted one of the highest fiber optic rates and we see that the speed we have is much lower, it could not be a problem with the router, poor coverage or configuration, but from the Wi-Fi card itself.
Tips for the Wi-Fi network card to work well
We have seen how to know the maximum speed at which a Wi-Fi network card can work. Now we are going to see some tips to make it work correctly and thus have a proper connection, without problems.
Update drivers
A very important factor for the network card to work properly is to have the drivers updated . In this way we will improve performance, but we will also avoid certain vulnerabilities that can cause malfunctions or even be the gateway to attacks.
We can update the card drivers easily if we go to Start, write Device Manager, Network Adapters, select the one that interests us with the second button and update it.
Keep your computer free from threats
Even if it is not something straight from the card, it is essential to have the computer free of viruses and any type of malicious software. It is the best way to protect ourselves and prevent any malware from damaging the operation and causing a lower Internet speed. To achieve this we can use a good antivirus, in addition to other tools.
Choose the right band
When connecting to a Wi-Fi network we can have two options regarding the band: 2.4 and 5 GHz . The first is the most suitable for connecting at a considerable distance from the router, since it is also less sensitive to obstacles. On the other hand, the second is more sensitive to distance, but it is the one that offers the best speed.
Change channels if necessary
On the other hand, another point to take into account is the possibility of changing the channel if we see that the one we are using is very saturated. In this way we will release our connection with respect to others that may be in the surroundings and we will make it go better and faster.
We have seen how to know the maximum speed of our Wi-Fi card in Windows. We have also given some tips to make it work as well as possible. The goal is to ensure that the Internet speed is adequate and not have any type of problem.
