Remember the days when life was more comfortable, and all you used your internet for was to catch a quick movie after work or binge-watch a TV show on the weekends? Well, those days are well behind us. We now bank on a stable internet connection throughout the day, every day, because we’re living in the new normal called “Work From Home.”
It’s not just working that’s being done from home now. It’s studying, shopping, meeting, and even partying that’s being done from home. Life may have become more comfortable since the dawn of broadband, but being sure got busier since the start of the Corona Virus and Lockdown.
For many of us, much of this lockdown period is spent berating the fluctuating connectivity that interrupts our meetings. If you want to learn how to fix it click here. While it is true, the load on broadband has increased due to the lockdown, is there anything we can do to boost the performance of the router from our end? Well, there sure are a few things we can try out before we go over and break the doors of the Internet Service Providers.
Coming Up Next
1. Reboot Your Router
Just like Wuhan was the center of the pandemic, your router could be the center of all your connectivity issues. So, the best thing to do first is to reboot your router. Yeah, you read that right. Turn off the router, in the meantime, check your lung capacity by holding your breath for ten seconds, and then turn the router back on.
It might seem silly at first, but it sure is an excellent way to get started before troubleshooting on other levels. And more often than not, this simple act can miraculously work wonders with improving your connectivity. And hey, that minute-long interruption could go a long way in the future, saving you from the hassle of looking for a better Internet Service Provider.
2.Position Your Router In The Center
Just like there’s no purpose in lighting a candle and placing it under a table, where you place your router, sure does affect its performance. Suppose a router is set among the clutter, blockaded by several walls, cupboards.
Its performance will be similar to a person who’s put in a maze. Intense and energetic at the start, but weak and exhausted at the end. Position your router in the center of your house and ensure that there aren’t many barriers that might weaken the signal.
3. Less Traffic Channel
Just like how you choose to wait in a shorter billing line at the supermarket, make sure that your router is operating on a channel that has less traffic. Most of the advanced and modern routers can do this automatically. However, it would make sense to exhaust all available measures before moving on to extreme measures. There are many tools available that will help you identify the channel that your network is in and the relative traffic of that channel. You can switch to another channel if necessary, after proper examination.
4. Use Repeaters
Just like how playing a song from your playlist on repeat leads to you remembering the song better for a long time, using repeaters could go a long way in extending the range of your router. Repeaters are used to improve the strength and range of wireless signals within a particular space.
The router transmits the wireless signal and gets repeated by the repeater, which makes the message available with all original strength at the next location. This is another excellent way to eliminate the clutter of multiple ethernet cables to improve signal strength.
5. Replace The Antenna
Just like how you would change your spectacles if your eyesight gets worse, replacing the router’s antenna could have a significant impact on the router’s performance. The antenna is the part of the router that radiates the Wi-Fi signals to all regions around the router. It eliminates the need for ethernet cables to be connected to each device.
All routers come with a built-in antenna; however, router performance can be boosted by replacing existing antennas or using external antennas. High gain directional antennas can increase signal strength since the signals are directed in a single direction. Using omnidirectional antennas are recommended when the router is centrally placed, and the message must cover a full area.
6. Check Temperature
Just like how sweating makes us irritable, overheating can cause the router to decrease its performance. It is recommended that you occasionally check the temperature of your router. Overheating of the router leads to damage to the router hardware, and this can adversely affect your internet connection and reduce your router’s performance.
Ensure that the router is placed in a well-ventilated space with nothing blocking the router vents. Also, make sure that the router is not placed near other devices or pieces of equipment that dissipate heat. A new router is a good router.
These are some of the primary ways to boost your router’s performance. If your router’s performance still isn’t enhanced after trying these measures, it’s time to look at more technical measures like updating your router firmware, upgrading your Wi-Fi drivers, etc. And if all these fail too, it’s time to consider getting a new router. If the brand-new router behaves just as bad as the previous one, then it’s time to take things up with your Internet Service Provider.
