Welcome back to Ask Giz, a site where we answer all kinds of questions from you, our readers.
If you have a strange question in the line of electric cars, science, technology, appliances, games or health, send it to us. We will be happy to enter.
Today’s question comes from Lauren in Sydney. Lauren wants to know:
“What settings can I change to make my Wi-Fi faster?”
Thanks for the question, Lauren! I have been deliberating on this issue for a long time myself, I was left with disappointing internet speeds in various apartments and houses.
While your question is included in the settings you can change to make your Wi-Fi faster, I’m expanding my question to include ways to make your Wi-Fi faster overall.
So let’s stick to it. How do you speed up your Wi-Fi?
How to make your Wi-Fi faster
First of all, know what you’re doing to make your Wi-Fi faster, it’s probably a pretty nil change. Internet speeds depend largely on what you pay with your plan (as the maximum download speed offered by your internet plan) and as most modem routers on the market are now capable of speeds higher than 100 Mbps, don’t think that you can fix your problems immediately by buying a new piece of kit. That said
Changing your modem router
I can confidently say that I noticed speed improvements in some cases when I switched from the Belong 4353 router to the Eero Pro 6. Wi-Fi wireless virtual reality became much, much more consistent and streamlined. 4K loaded much faster (I also haven’t had any downloads since I installed the modem). The Belong 4353 modem was a fairly old modem when I replaced it (about eight years or so, with constant use from start to finish), so maybe it was just getting too old.
Also, if you want to spread the Wi-Fi signal throughout your home evenly, consider grabbing a mesh modem. Mesh modems form a kind of Wi-Fi web in your home, distributing a uniform, triangular signal throughout where you place the mesh modules. This is usually a solution for a larger home with more money to spend, but it is not a lesser solution. Wi-Fi extenders solve this problem in a similar way, but Wi-Fi signal quality goes down with this solution.
However, beyond changing your modem, what else can you do? Many, I’m glad to say.
Channel change
First, consider changing your Wi-Fi to 5 Ghz. This is a type of internet delivery that your modem can offer that is faster than the alternative (2.4 Ghz) at the expense of a shorter range. If you are servicing a small house, 5 Ghz is the way to go, but a large house may need a 2.4 Ghz connection, just to cover the corners of the property. To change this setting, you will need to access the backend of your modem router.
In addition, a more sophisticated modem router should be able to change the bandwidth in which it operates, as Wi-Fi signals in condensed life situations can interrupt each other, causing signal problems in multiple households. You want to change your channel to a less busy one, so try to test the channels on the internet as you change them, to find out what’s best for you.
Physical solutions
Yes, moving the modem router can solve Internet problems, but it is not a reliable solution. Keeping the modem router so close to the devices it is serving with Wi-Fi is one of the best ways to (physically) improve the wireless signal, though it may not be the only culprit. Some devices, such as microwaves, can cause signal problems on the modem router, so it’s best to keep them away.
Limitation of device usage
Sometimes you may notice a decrease in internet quality when certain devices are turned on or when someone in your household starts doing something on the internet. What might be going on here are downloads in the background, which interfere with your use of the Internet by grabbing all the bandwidth. You can avoid this problem simply by having devices you don’t use turned off or disconnected from Wi-Fi.
This problem may also depend on the modem router to be replaced, as it may not handle home bandwidth as well as possible, but it could also be a plan issue. Which brings us to
Changing your internet plan
If you are experiencing slower speeds than necessary, consider upgrading your internet plan. Personally, I think NBN 50 is an ideal speed for most homes, offering a maximum download speed of 50 Mbps. However, it is worth considering NBN 100 if you are looking for this extra kick, effectively doubling the speed.
Have you thought about Ethernet?
Wi-Fi is unlikely to be faster than Ethernet in your home, so it might be worth switching to Ethernet wherever you can. If Internet quality is a concern, don’t leave it alone, as this won’t go down to Ethernet unless you’re using a hundreds-meter-long cable. If you’re an advanced user, Ethernet is probably the way to go (I’m selling myself, a guy who uses a 10m CAT6 Ethernet cable for his gaming computer in his apartment). Try not to trip over the cord.
Zoom Zoom
This is where our recommendations end. If you have a recommendation to improve your internet speed, please email us.
Ask Giz is a fortnightly series where we answer your questions, whether related to technology, science, gadgets, health or games. This is a series of readers involved where we rely on the Gizmodo Australia audience to submit questions. If you have any questions for Giz, you can send them here. Or take a look at the answer to our latest Ask Giz: Why do you feel a change in temperature immediately when you enter a room?