Upgrade Your Wi-Fi Network: Here’s How To Fix Wi-Fi Issues At Home

From listening to our favourite music albums to streaming favourite TV shows, we’ve grown so conventional to Wi-Fi. Nowadays, when work from home culture is at the peak, we feel disconnected to everything until we connect to Wi-Fi. With the potential to shape & develop our future, we’ve been so used to these technical advances and connection errors as well. 

When Wi-Fi catches any connection error or slows down, our life stops too. Our emails, browsers, videos stop loading. Streaming freezes. Alexa keeps quiet. Smartphones start sucking mobile data. Everything fluctuates at the same time, teasing the momentum of our daily routine. 

There are plenty of valid reasons why your Wi-Fi stops working or slows down, signal congestion, firmware issues, active connections, or even the size of your home and placement of the router. Then again, it could be any of your neighbours who learnt hacking from “How to Hack Your neighbour's Wi-Fi.” There may be other reasons, but most Wi-Fi are easy to fix at home and you don’t need to mind your broadband provider for this. When your Wi-Fi goes down, you can reestablish connection on your own by resolving some of these common Wi-Fi issues. 

Here, we’ve broken down 10 effective ways to help you to fix your home Wi-Fi problems. By using these simple tricks, you can boost your Wi-Fi and minimize the risk of connection failure as well.

• Upgrade Your Router’s Firmware

There are two reasons why you should go for this. First, you can gain advantages of any additional features and improvements in the upgraded version of your firmware. Second, it enables you to update with regular security updates.

Mostly, you can get this option to check review, download and install new updates for your router on it’s administration page. However, the steps depend on your router’s model, so better check the router manufacturer’s support site for detailed directions.

• Check for Interferences

Nearly every type of router has to compete with other household devices for the airwaves. There are plenty of rival devices, including cordless phones, Bluetooth speakers, Alexa, microwave ovens, laptops and even baby monitors can impact your Wi-Fi network. 

To help you detect issues, you can create a map based on “Wi-Fi” heat in your area. You can use HeatMapper for this - A free tool designed to help fixing Wi-Fi issues. Also, you can use some other “Wi-Fi Analyzers” to fix home Wi-Fi issues at your ease. We’ve put together a list of  top 7 apps to fix Wi-Fi issues, you can choose the best Wi-Fi Analyzer easily.

• Try Changing Channels

Sometimes, switching your Wi-Fi to a different channel can also work effectively. You can tune to 2.4GHZ frequency for better results. Moving from busiest channels to less crowded channels can make a difference. 

You can use a Wi-Fi scanner to check the optimum 2.4GHz channel to pinpoint the least used channel in your area. If you’re using a Mac, you better utilize it’s free tool name “Wireless Diagnostics.” You just have to hold the option key and click on the Wi-Fi icon to access this feature. For windows, there are plenty of tools available in the market.

• Enable QoS to Put Guests and Siblings on a Separate Network

If you have some weird neighbours and guests, often land at your place just for using free Wi-Fi, you can simply put them to a separate channel and set special rules & regulations. Also, you can put your children’s device on this network. It will help them keep out of trouble on the web and also eases the burden of bandwidth. 

Guest network or private network is meant for keeping your shared files safe while providing your guests with a Wi-Fi internet connection. The same segment will work for your other home appliances and protect your main device from Internet of Things (IoT) attacks.

• Get a New Updated Router

If you’ve been searching for a new router and want to boost your Wi-Fi speed, there may be plenty of options available at affordable cost. Whether you need a router for Home, Office or other uses, better aim for at least 802.11 N or AC router with dual or triple band capacity.

AC routers come up with a maximum spectral bandwidth of nearly 8 x 160 MHz, when compared to dual band 4 x 40 MHz standard N routers. In simple words, the highest bandwidth capacity of your router allows you to transmit more data without interrupting or slowing down Wi-Fi.

• Try Wi-Fi Network Mashup

Capacity of your router depends on the area of your house or where you will be using this network. If you’re living in a big house that requires a constant speed without interruption, a mesh Wi-Fi network would be a worthy idea. Unlike ordinary routers that may need extenders for extra reach next-generation mesh routers are available in the market. These technically advanced routers are designed to widen a Wi-Fi network coverage simply by accessing more & more networks.

• Check Your Wi-Fi Security

When too many unauthorized devices scrounge your Wi-Fi router, it slows down the overall network speed. Also the types of Wi-Fi securities you use to protect your network can impact your overall speed.

Above all, if your Wi-Fi is currently open or uses WEP, you need to change the security options immediately. Of course, an open network will just invite hackers and it will be too easy for them to gate crash to your personal files and hack your Wi-Fi or system.

• Change Your Router’s Location

Another biggest factor that may affect your Wi-Fi’s speed is its physical location. Your Router’s location determines the Wi-Fi network’s connectivity, therefore, it's better keep it away from physical obstructions like furniture, walls and other home appliances. You can set a place where the networks reach easily without any obstruction.

• Pick the Right Band

Wi-Fi bands are not always equal. If you’ve newly purchased a router or planning to go for the one, make sure to see if it supports the 5GHz band. The all new ‘N’ or ‘AC’ routers have this feature and are providing better Wi-Fi network connectivity, when compared to B/G routers that only operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum.

• Reboot Your Router

One of the easiest ways that most people do to fix their home Wi-Fi issues is putting off the internet cable, switching off and reconnecting. However, it works effectively because “Switch-off & Switch-on” works most of the time. If your Wi-Fi network connection is fluctuating, you just need to unplug the device for at least 1 minute. Plug in the modem first, then wait for all the light turned on and now plug in the cable as well. Sometimes that’s all that your Wi-Fi needs.

So, here we taught you to fix your Wi-Fi issue at home without convincing your broadband provider. What other tech tips do you need? Whether it’s about backing up  your Mac or Tips to Protect your Android Phone From Malware, we’ve got everything covered. You can check for some handy tech tips to make your life easier.