Why do you have a slow Wi-Fi and how to speed it up

In big cities, we are surrounded by sources of Wi-Fi signal. In high-rise buildings, each neighbor on a point wireless communications. Naturally, the more loaded ether, the worse quality of the connection.

We have already studied the simple receptionsThat will help you increase the speed of Wi-Fi. Now let's try something poeffektivnee. And, above all, consider the reasons for the low speed wireless connection.

Slow Internet connection

From Wi-Fi it depends only on the speed of the connection between your router and wireless devices. Therefore, no optimization of the router does not help if you have a low speed connection to your ISP.

Decision. First, check the speed of the Internet by connecting to a router on the Wi-Fi. Then do the same by connecting the device to your computer via a LAN cable. If the Internet is slow, in fact, and in another case, the problem is not in the router. Consider changing the type of connection (e.g., ADSL connection to an optical fiber). Check the speed of the Internet can also be on site or Speedtest in other ways.

speedtest →

Too many wireless devices

Now in our homes, there are more and more devices, connect to Wi-Fi. It's not only computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones, but also devices for smart home - light bulbs, switches, sensors and camera. Yes, that really there, even teapots is now a built-in Wi-Fi-module.

Please note that the most common home routers do not support more than 30 simultaneous connected devices. It is a lot, but not for smart homes and not for large families where everyone has a few gadgets. If the limit of 30 devices is exceeded, they will from time to time spontaneously detach from the router.

Decision. For Wi-Fi-network to which you are connected too many wireless devices, better select special router, ideally - the corporate class.

Many walls or distance

In large houses one of the router may not be enough. He just did not have enough power to transmit a signal through walls and ceilings. You can get acquainted with our Girl Guide on the correct placement of the router.

Sometimes, however, the right to put the router is not sufficient to ensure complete coverage of the entire area. You may be tempted to make a signal amplifier, for example, beer can, but in practice such crutches only bring in more interference network.

Decision. There are a large number of Wi-Fi-repeaters or repeaters that are integrated into your network, and increase the coverage area. Just set a piece at a distance from the router, and a Wi-Fi will appear in even the most remote places on him.

Scored channel Wi-Fi

Routers maintain an average of 10-13 channels of communication Wi-Fi, but since many users too lazy to bother with the configuration, the router uses the ones that are installed by default. As a result, they are busiest. You should choose for your router most suitable communication channel that no one else uses.

Modern routers have an automatic channel selection function of communication and can themselves determine the least loaded ones. But not the fact that your router can do that, so you may be helping him. Wi-Fi channels are simple numbers - 1, 2, 3 and so on. There are tools that will analyze your network and find the best option.

Choosing the best Wi-Fi channel

Windows

To find the best Wi-Fi channel has a very easy and free application that does not even require installation - WifiInfoView. Download, unzip and run it, and then just sort Wi-Fi access points for occupied channels. The more routers share the same channel, so it is loaded. For example, in my case, most of the neighbor routers use channels 1 and 11.

WifiInfoView →

Users of Windows 10, which prefer to use the software from the Microsoft Store, enjoy free WiFi Analyzer application. When you first start the program you will need to grant the application access to the Bluetooth control and Wi-Fi. After that go to Analyze tab, where the schedule will be presented in which Wi-Fi channels are labeled according to their workload, and select the appropriate.

Mac

In Mac computers have built-in tool for the diagnosis of Wi-Fi. To open it, press Option and click on the icon Wi-Fi button on the menu bar. In the resulting drop-down menu, click "Open Wireless Diagnostics".

In the dialog box, click "Continue" and enter password user. Then, in the menu bar, select "Window» → «Scan".

Now click "Scan Now". After completing the process, you'll see a list of found networks. Best channels to one or other of them will be listed on the left.

Android

On Android also has Wifi Analyzer app. In fact, for a smartphone app even better than desktop because the phone has advantage - you can move around with it in their hands all over the house, tapping the "dead zone" of your Wi-Fi-network.

Wifi Analyzer on the panel there is an icon "View" by clicking on which you will see a list of functions of the application. Among them, look for "Top Channel". Here all channels of nearby Wi-Fi-networks, marked with asterisks, depending on the workload will be displayed. More stars - better channel. More assess the workload Wi-Fi channels, you can use graphics in the application window. The more intersections on the axis X, the busy channel.

If you for some reason are not satisfied with Wifi Analyzer, you can try its equivalent, with open source software, which is called... WifiAnalyzer. Yes, the names differ only by a space. This application provides the same functions and can also be used to search for better channel Wi-Fi.

iPhone

iPhone users are out of luck. Due to Apple policy, expressed in the prohibition of third-party applications to access properties wireless network, The iPhone can not use Wi-Fi analyzer to search for available channels.

However, if you have devices with jailbreak, to find a suitable channel, you can use applications WiFi Explorer or WiFiFoFum repository of unofficial applications Cydia.

How to change your channel Wi-Fi

So, you have chosen the best of the proposed channel. Now you need to reconfigure the router.

Unfortunately, standardized workflows exist. Therefore it is necessary to apply to the device instructions.

Basically the router configuration is done either through a special application (for example, the new routers Xiaomi), or through the official page of the device. Access the page by typing the router's IP is 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of the browser. The router will prompt you for a username and password - they are usually standard and most commonly appear on the body.

Find the item in the settings relating to wireless networks, and find the field, which identifies the channels Wi-Fi. Choose the best channel from the dropdown list and save the settings. After this, the router will reboot. Done.

More would be superfluous to switch your router on the wireless communication standard IEEE 802.11n. This is also a good connection speed increases. You can do this in the settings of the router to «Wireless Settings» tab. Find the «Mode» option in the drop-down list, select «11n only».

Selection malozagruzhennogo channel allows significantly increase the speed of wireless connections. But if you have too much around the access point and all channels are busy, any changes you see. The decision - to select a new router. Most of them operate on a frequency of 2.4 GHz, but the new dual-band routers support more and 5 GHz. Channels with a frequency of less loaded, and the connection is through them much faster.

see also

• How to use the QR-code to share with the guests the password from Wi-Fi →
• How to stay safe using a public Wi-Fi →
• How to transfer files via Wi-Fi without the Internet →