Wi-Fi issues? Here’s how to diagnose your router issues

Whenever somebody sends me a query about how to repair their Wi-Fi, I wince. It’s not that I dislike serving to individuals with their router issues. In reality, there are few geeky endeavors I discover extra rewarding than fixing Wi-Fi connection issues at a good friend or member of the family’s residence.

But Wi-Fi has at all times felt extra like a darkish artwork than a science, and it’s an artwork that’s onerous to conjure with out being bodily current. Potential factors of failure are in every single place, and what works effectively in a single residence may not in one other. Even the reviewers of networking gear can attain drastically completely different conclusions about the exact same product.

Wi-Fi is basically at odds, then, with my want to reply questions with particular suggestions. The finest I can do is stroll your by means of how I diagnose Wi-Fi issues myself. That means, you may make higher selections on whether or not (and how) to improve your personal gear.

Further studying: The finest mesh Wi-Fi routers

Size up the Wi-Fi drawback

The first step to fixing Wi-Fi issues is to see if the slowdown is coming from your cable modem (which brings web service into the house) or from the router (which distributes Wi-Fi connectivity all through the house).

Start by plugging a pc straight into your modem with an ethernet cable and working a pace take a look at. (The easiest method is to do a Google seek for “speed test,” then hit the blue “Run Speed Test” button atop the search outcomes.) A USB-to-Ethernet adapter can be vital for testing on computer systems that don’t have an ethernet port, but when that’s an excessive amount of hassle otherwise you don’t have a correct pc in any respect, you too can attempt calling your web supplier and asking them to take a look at your web pace remotely.

Jared Newman / Foundry

If wired connection speeds are on par with your web supplier’s marketed speeds, the following step is to begin working pace checks all through the home. Measure speeds across the space the place connectivity feels gradual, then work your means again to the place the router is positioned, working a number of checks in every space as you go.

The purpose right here is to work out the place your connection troubles are occurring. Consistently gradual speeds all through the home could also be an indication of an outdated router, whereas useless zones or vary issues might require a extra highly effective router or mesh Wi-Fi system. (More on that shortly.)

Find your Wi-Fi router’s 802.11 model

To work out whether or not a router wants changing, it helps to know how outdated it’s. One means to do that to find the router’s mannequin quantity—it’s seemingly printed on the router itself—then search the net for information about which model of Wi-Fi it helps. Here are the most important Wi-Fi variations to learn about:

• 802.11a/b/g: Extremely outdated and nearly actually the supply of all your Wi-Fi issues.
• 802.11a/b/g/n (or simply 802.11n): Outdated at this level and a strong candidate for substitute. Many of those routers solely assist a single frequency band that’s slower and extra congestion-prone, and “dual-band” variants have restricted vary on the quicker 5 GHz frequency band.
• 802.11ac (additionally marketed as Wi-Fi 5): Not the newest normal, however nonetheless broadly out there even in some high-performance routers.
• 802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6): Routers utilizing this normal began transport in late 2020, so your router is probably going fairly new.
• Wi-Fi 6E: Congrats, you most likely simply purchased a brand new router.

Wi-Fi variations alone aren’t an indicator of high quality—an affordable Wi-Fi 6 router may be worse than a high-end mesh system with Wi-Fi 5—however every successive model has launched new options that enhance connectivity, and we’ve usually seen a push towards higher efficiency over time.

Try some smaller router fixes

Just to rehash a tip I mentioned again in July, typically altering your router’s channel and bandwidth settings can work wonders for decreasing Wi-Fi interference, particularly in the event you’re seeing inconsistent speeds on gadgets that aren’t too removed from the router. By digging into your router’s settings, you may bypass computerized channel choice and discover a channel that is perhaps much less congested.

You may also attempt another little tweaks, like getting your router off the bottom and clearing some area round it—however I wouldn’t begin rearranging your room for the router’s sake. Chances are the enhancements can be minimal. Of course, transferring your router to a extra central location within the residence may also help, however that may seemingly require having the cable firm rewire your residence web connection.

Wi-Fi extenders: a final resort

TP-Link

Because changing a router is a ache, numerous people surprise if they’ll simply resolve their issues with a Wi-Fi extender or repeater, which take the wi-fi sign from a router and rebroadcast it farther away. (“Extender” typically refers to a tool with a wired connection to the router, although I typically see each phrases used interchangeably.)

My expertise with Wi-Fi extenders is hit and miss. Wireless repeaters will at all times degrade no matter sign they obtain, so the advantages can cancel out in the event you’re attempting to tackle a useless zone or interference from different close by wi-fi gadgets. The similar is true with powerline adapters, which ship a wired ethernet connection from your router to one other a part of the home by means of your wall retailers. Depending on how your home is wired, this method may give you a weak connection or not work in any respect.

I don’t inform individuals to keep away from extenders outright, as a result of they’ll work in some situations, however preserve your expectations low and be ready to return the gadget if it doesn’t assist. Here’s how to arrange a Wi-Fi extender in the event you determine to go that route.

Picking a brand new Wi-Fi router

Once you’ve concluded that it’s time to exchange your router, then what?

A mesh Wi-Fi system would be the surest means to resolve your Wi-Fi issues, particularly in bigger houses or ones with plenty of useless zones. These programs allow you to plug in a number of entry factors all through the home, creating one massive community. They’re higher at managing connections than a router with an extender, and programs marketed as “Tri-Band” can join every entry level with out congesting the remainder of the community.

Such programs may not be vital, although. If you haven’t changed your router shortly, even a brand new standalone router is perhaps sufficient to energy by means of useless zones in the event that they’re not too far-off. Standalone routers are usually cheaper than mesh programs, and a few have options that mesh programs lack, comparable to USB storage assist or a lot of ethernet ports.

Ultimately, although, there’s no means to inform for positive if a brand new router will work with out attempting it your self. You can learn all kinds of critiques—PCWorld critiques each Wi-Fi mesh programs and the newest Wi-Fi 6E routers—however even one of the best recommendation isn’t one-size-fits-all. Buying a brand new router will at all times contain a leap of religion.

A word on modem/router combos

Finally, there’s another complicating issue: Although cable firms used to distribute web modems and routers individually—the previous bringing within the web from outdoors the home, and the latter to distributing Wi-Fi by means of the house—it’s more and more frequent now to get each capabilities in a single field. That makes set up simpler for the cable firm, however makes router substitute trickier for you.

If you’ve got a combo field and are paying for it in rental charges, contemplate changing it with two gadgets: A brand new router and a separate cable modem. But remember that some firms—notably fiber-optic web suppliers comparable to AT&T and Verizon—make changing the modem part troublesome or not possible.

If changing the modem isn’t potential or vital, you may simply disable its Wi-Fi options in order that they don’t intervene with your new router. The directions for doing so can fluctuate by supplier, so count on to do some Googling of “modem mode” or “bridge mode” plus the identify of your web supplier.

And in the event you’re nonetheless having Wi-Fi issues in spite of everything that, ship me an electronic mail and I’ll do my finest to assist. You may also try my Advisorator publication—the place a model of this story first appeared—to get extra sensible tech recommendation each week.

Editor’s word: This article has been up to date with up-to-date product suggestions.