5 Easy Router Tweaks for Faster, More Secure Wifi

Your router might look like an impenetrable black box of internet mystery , but tweaking a few preferences under the hood is gentle than you might think . Here are some of the options you’re able to reconfigure to get a faster wireless connector and keep unwished visitant off your meshwork .

We have n’t proceed into much point about where to find these configurations , as all routers are different and have their own bespoke interface . You typically lumber into a router configuration screen by typing its fundament speech in your World Wide Web internet browser , but check the router manual for accurate instructions — then click through the available screens to discover the options we ’ve mentioned below .

1. Change the channel

Modern - mean solar day routersare much better at this than the old ones used to be , but changing the wireless groove your corner is using can duck hinderance or over-crowding due to other machine . The wireless channel may well be set to machine but try tune it to something specific to improve speed and stability .

you’re able to habituate a free dick likeAcrylic WiFi(on Windows ) orNetgear WiFi Analytics(on Android ) to see which transmission channel are the busy in your home , and that should give you some theme as to which to switch to next . Your devices should n’t need any reconfiguring if your router does its line .

2. Prioritize devices

If you ’ve got a newfangled or more expensive router then you might find there are options to give sure apps or devices VIP treatment — giving them more bandwidth to recreate around with . It can make a large divergence for on-line play , for example , or when you ’re streaming mellow - definition telecasting .

This technology is normally call Quality of Service ( QoS ) or Wifi Multimedia ( WMM ) and dissimilar router take different approaches to it . You might want to leave the nonremittal setting in home or push your game console table to the top of the list . Just be mindful of the option and what you may do with it .

3. Switch to the highest speeds

cut into into the tech specs of your gismo and there are potential to be all kinds of letter written after the “ 802.11 ” that denote the wireless criterion : 802.11a is the erstwhile you ’ll fall across and 802.11ac is the newest ( and fastest ) . Most router are designed to handle all or most of these banner .

If you only have the Modern laptop and smartphones at place — and you have an 802.11ac - capable router — you’re able to tell it to focalise on the fastest speed potential and forget about trying to accommodate older kit ( though if something stops working you may require to abandon this idea ) .

4. Hide your SSID

By nonremittal your router air its SSID ( Service Set Identifier ) so it ’s easy for you to add new devices to it . However , most models allow you blot out the SSID , so it wo n’t show up in a CAT scan for nearby networks . This does n’t affect the WLAN password , which is still require whether or not the SSID is being broadcast .

It mean you ’ll require to enter your router ’s SSID manually whenever you need to connect a new machine to the internet , but it also means visiting relatives and neighbor ca n’t even tell you ’ve got a internet , so they might be less tempted to judge and guess the password or repeatedly ask you what it is .

5. Upgrade the firmware

upgrade the firmware on your router is n’t quite the same as upgrading fromiOS 8toiOS 9 , but you get the mind . Firmware updates released by router manufacturers include bug muddle and security bandage and will often better compatibility with newer twist and standard at the same time .

Head to the reinforcement section of the website of whichever company made your router to see if you’re able to see young firmware . You should also regain dance step - by - step instructions for upgrading in the same office . Typically the update come as a .zip file that you point the router ’s software system towards .

Header image : A Aleksii / Shutterstock.com

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