We rely on the internet for just about everything, from streaming the latest binge-worthy shows to keeping all of our smart devices connected. A fast connection is no longer a luxury, it is a must. But even if you’re paying for high-speed gigabit internet, it is still common to run into slowdowns, buffering or spotty Wi-Fi when you least expect it.
To keep your Wi-Fi running smoothly, consider these simple tips and tricks, designed to optimize your Wi-Fi set-up and keep your Zoom meetings and gaming sessions running uninterrupted.
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1. Invest in the right router for your space
First things first: you can trace a lot of connection issues back to your equipment. It all starts with choosing the right router. Not all routers are the same, and how fast your wireless speeds are often depends on the size and layout of your home.
A single wireless access point should suffice for most apartments and smaller homes (under 1,500 square feet). If your router is several years old, consider upgrading to a newer model or Wi-Fi 6. That’s not the latest and greatest generation of Wi-Fi technology — that would be Wi-Fi 7 — but it’s newer than what most have in their homes and should give you faster wireless speeds and better overall coverage for a good price.
For bigger, multilevel homes, it’s worth considering upgrading to a mesh network to offer consistent coverage throughout the house. If you install the main access point and find that a far corner of your home doesn’t have solid wireless coverage, just add another node to that area. Problem solved.
To learn more, check out our list of the best mesh routers. If you need some additional guidance, consult our router buying guide.
It’s worth noting that where you place the primary access point still matters, regardless of whether you have a single access point or a mesh network.
2. Find the best place for your router
Check out all the different routers available to you: Wi-Fi routers, mesh networks and more.
When you first move into a new home or apartment, the modem is usually installed along the wall in one of the far reaches of the house. This is simply because that’s where the line comes into the house, and the technician’s job is to set up the connection, not optimize your network. That part is up to you.
It’s tempting to leave everything where the technician set it up, especially if you feel clueless about the best place to put a router, but it’s unlikely that the original location is the most optimal place for your router. That said, location might just be the most important consideration when trying to boost your Wi-Fi. Even if you have the newest router technology, you might not be getting the fastest speeds if your router is poorly placed.
Choose a central location
Routers send the signal out in all directions. If you keep your router in the left corner of the house, you’re losing wireless coverage, and if your neighbors can guess your Wi-Fi password, they can easily access your network. Moving the router to a central location is your best bet for consistent speeds (and network security).
Installing a router across the house from the modem may prove troublesome. It may require manually running an especially long Ethernet cable under the floor or along the bottom of your walls or enlisting the help of power line network adapters, which use your home’s electrical wiring to pass an internet signal from point to point. The improved wireless coverage will be worth it. If you’re curious about the difference between a Wi-Fi and Ethernet connection, CNET’s Hallie Seltzer tested both connections at her house to determine which worked better.
Raise the router
Routers tend to spread their strongest signals downward, so it’s best to mount the router as high as possible to maximize coverage. Try placing it high on a bookshelf or mounting it on the wall.
Search online, and you’ll find many custom wall mounts built for specific routers, like this stick-up mount for the Eero Pro 6 mesh router. A router mount is an easy solution if you’re struggling to find an elevated spot for your router without a tangle of messy cords.
Avoid other electronics
Pick a location that’s away from other electronics and large metal objects. The more walls, large obstructions and electronics near your router, the higher the chances are that something will interfere with the strength of your signal.
One type of electronic device to especially avoid is the microwave, which emits a strong signal in the 2.4GHz band, the same wireless band your router operates in. Be careful not to stick your router behind a large TV, which can cause electronic interference while also physically blocking or disrupting the signal.
Along with electronics, keep an eye out for bulky furniture and the like that might be limiting the signal’s reach. Wi-Fi doesn’t travel well through water, for instance, so if you have an aquarium in your home, try to avoid situations where it’ll be in between your router and the device that needs to connect.
3. Change Wi-Fi channels
The Wi-Fi bands your router users affect your speeds, but it’s pretty easy to switch between channels. Most routers come with 2.4Ghz or 5GHz channels — you can think of those channels as the highway your internet network uses to transmit data. More advanced routers, like the Wi-Fi 6E and the Wi-Fi 7, come equipped with a 6GHz channel.
You should be able to switch your router’s Wi-Fi band in the Wi-Fi network settings, though that may differ slightly depending on the router. While most routers use a dual-band technology, which allows them to use both frequencies at the same time, you may be able to choose a Wi-Fi band to prioritize. The 2.4GHz band offers a wider range but is slower than the 5GHz band. Conversely, the 5GHz band is faster, but it struggles with short range and keeping your entire house connected at fast speeds. Still, switching channels is a quick solution to slow Wi-Fi.
4. Set up your Wi-Fi antennas properly
Some routers have no antennas at all, but some have up to eight. These antennas help direct the signal. If there are two or more antennas on your router, don’t position them all in the same direction.
Instead, make them perpendicular to one another — position one horizontally and the other vertically. Or slightly change the position of all the antennas to cover a wide range of angles. You might have to experiment with speed tests to find the most effective configuration.
The signal from each of those antennas will come out like a wave traveling in all directions, and that wave will be perpendicular to the antenna itself, so a vertical antenna is going to be more helpful in single-story homes, while a horizontal or angled antenna is going to put out a signal that travels upward, which might be more useful in a multistory home.
Wi-Fi mapping software like NetSpot can help you visualize your network’s strengths, making it easier to address weak spots.
5. Map your Wi-Fi signal
In worst-case scenarios, you may have to map out the Wi-Fi signal in your home to find dead zones and analyze the range of coverage. Several years ago, we used the NetSpot software to map out the signal strength throughout the CNET Smart Home. Ultimately, we got a great look at the weak spots in our Wi-Fi network, which helped us shore things up by moving our hardware to more optimal locations.
