10 Ways to Improve Your Wi-Fi Router Speed

An excellent router could make an enormous distinction to your web connection velocity. But when you do not have the cash to fork out on a top-of-the-range mannequin, what different avenues are open to you?

Preserve studying if you wish to know learn how to optimize router settings for velocity or set up the very best router configuration for quicker web.

1. Automate a Reboot Schedule

Most newer routers do not must be rebooted often. However as most individuals know, for those who’ve ever run right into a useless web connection, rebooting your router is usually all it takes to get you again up and working.

Nonetheless, if you end up rebooting the router often, the DD-WRT and Tomato firmware choices each have timed reboot choices. Set it to reboot as soon as a day whilst you’re sleeping, and you will by no means even discover the downtime whereas the router powers off and begins again up.

2. Make Your Router Sooner With a New Antenna

A easy strategy to make a router quicker is to purchase a brand new antenna.

The antenna on most consumer-grade routers is terrible. An amplified aftermarket antenna is a good repair and a easy manner to enhance sign high quality (and thus enhance velocity) with no need a brand new system. Powered and amplified aftermarket choices begin at round $15 and go all the way in which up into the low $100s.

Plug-in vary extenders are a bit costlier, however they act as a powered antenna and wi-fi repeater in a single. They will supply a major enchancment to houses with useless zones or sign degradation, however your mileage might fluctuate.

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Nonetheless, you should definitely verify native wi-fi broadcast legal guidelines earlier than choosing up a beefy antenna. In some jurisdictions, amplifying your Wi-Fi sign is illegitimate (or could also be unlawful over a sure threshold).

3. Disable Older Wi-fi Protocols

How do you optimize router settings for velocity? One of many first issues you possibly can contemplate is popping off outdated wi-fi protocols.

Newer routers on the 802.11ax protocol supply capabilities far exceeding many ISPs’ service choices. Whereas the router is perhaps quick, lots of your gadgets are most likely utilizing older protocols—resembling 802.11b—which slows all the community down as quickly as this system connects. Ideally, you need to take away any system you see utilizing b or g protocols.


The quickest protocols, so as of quickest to slowest, are ax > ac > n > g > b. Seek the advice of your router documentation to learn the way to do that.

Associated: The Most Frequent Wi-Fi Requirements and Varieties, Defined

4. Change the Channel Width

What about the very best router settings to enhance velocity in your native community? For instance, how will you make a video stream between your gadgets extra rapidly?

The very best router configuration for native velocity typically entails altering the channel width. The broader the width, the extra older gadgets on older protocols will undergo from interference.

You’ll be able to even take it one step additional by studying our article on channel bonding for Wi-Fi routers.

5. Preserve Your Router Up to date

One of the missed methods to maximise router velocity is to make sure your router is all the time working the newest software program and firmware from the producer.


Certain, the updates are usually safety fixes, however they don’t seem to be going to all of the sudden make your router blazing quick. Nonetheless, each incremental acquire can assist. Should you’ve not up to date shortly, you would possibly see extra of a lift than you’d count on.

6. Experiment With Router Location

It is not solely about discovering the very best router settings for quick web. You additionally want to think about the place you are inserting your router in your house.

As a result of the router competes with each different 2.4GHz and/or 5GHz system in your space, refined actions typically make a world of distinction. Moreover, the constructing materials of your home would possibly intrude with the wi-fi sign. For instance, strong concrete partitions are notoriously exhausting for a Wi-Fi connection to move via.

7. Optimize Your Router’s Channel Settings

Let’s take one other take a look at learn how to make a router quicker by optimizing the settings.

Have you ever thought-about altering the router’s channel? There are many free instruments that’ll scan your native airwaves for the channels with the least interference. They may then counsel which channel you need to change to.

It’s essential change the channel from inside the router’s settings. As soon as once more, you will learn the way to do that utilizing your system’s documentation or on-line assist web page.

If you wish to know extra, try our article on learn how to decide the very best Wi-Fi channel to your router.

8. Change the Router to a Completely different Band

A typical residence is filled with wi-fi gadgets. Fortunately, with a dual- or tri-band router, you will have the potential of separating them to maximise speeds.

In easy phrases, you are opening one other lane for community site visitors. Whereas a one-lane highway will get you there, two (or three) lanes are higher for everybody concerned.

When you’ve got a dual-band router, you can assign some to the extra (and sometimes much less crowded) 5GHz band as a substitute of all of your gadgets competing for house within the 2.4GHz band.

We have written about the very best dual-band routers you should purchase if you would like to know extra.

9. Change Your Community Title and Password

Numerous in any other case tech-savvy individuals nonetheless use the default username and password on their router. Even intermediate hackers are able to hacking comparatively safe networks with non-default passwords.

Utilizing a powerful Wi-Fi password is equally necessary. Whilst you would possibly do an ideal job of splitting your gadgets up into separate bands, updating your firmware, and switching channels throughout excessive site visitors durations, it is all an train in futility in case your neighbors are piggybacking your Wi-Fi and utilizing it to torrent motion pictures all day.

10. Set up New Firmware


tomato router firmware

Many routers maintain the settings comparatively dummy-proof in order that you do not screw something up. Whereas that is nice for many customers, generally you simply wish to dive in and hack the settings till you are working a router that far exceeds its price ticket.

There are a number of open-source firmware choices for among the hottest routers. Whereas not each router is supported, there isn’t any scarcity of nice choices. They can assist you velocity up a Netgear router, discover the very best settings for a TP-Hyperlink router, and make nearly any model of router run quicker.

DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and Tomato make among the hottest third-party firmware.

Needless to say putting in new firmware isn’t an choice for those who stick together with your ISP’s {hardware}. That is one of many causes it is a good suggestion to interchange your ISP’s router with a store-bought one.

Optimize Your Router Settings for Velocity

Hopefully, this text has proven you learn how to maximize your router’s velocity and establish the very best configuration for quicker web.

A number of the steps would possibly sound just a little sophisticated, however for those who take the time to study and perceive the tweaks which are accessible to you, you’ll enhance your router velocity in minutes.


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