5 Tips to Boost Your Home's Wi-Fi Signal and Speed

Slow Wi-Fi speeds can be frustrating, tanking your work-from-home productivity and making high-resolution streaming a static mess. Luckily, you can make some easy changes to improve your connectivity. In this article, we’ll share tips for boosting your home’s Wi-Fi signal and speed, including:

Placing your router in the right location
Upgrading your router or modem
Limiting interference from walls and devices
Using a Wi-Fi extender or mesh system
Securing your network and managing bandwidth

Read on for more in-depth guidance.

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Place Your Router in the Right Location

Router placement can significantly affect signal strength and speed. When Resound arrives for your service appointment, our technicians will help you find the right place for your router so they can install the service line and get you set up.

In general, here are some tips for finding a good router location:

Place your router in a central, elevated area away from walls, floors, and metal appliances.
Position it near the devices you use most frequently.
Steer clear of structures that could create dead zones, including cabinets, low shelves, and corners.
Consider a mesh Wi-Fi system if you have a larger home and/or an open-plan concept that makes perfect placement tricky.

Upgrade Your Router or Modem

An outdated router may not be able to support current Wi-Fi standards. When that happens, the old hardware can bottleneck your internet speed, causing major lags even if your plan includes good internet speeds. Upgrade to a newer system, like Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6, and you reduce the chances of bottlenecking along with other benefits, such as:

Better range, making it easier to get a signal even in the coziest corners of your home.
Multi-device support, for seamless functionality across smartphones, tablets, TVs, smartwatches, and other tech.
Advanced features, like the ability to schedule target wake times for each device and “coloring” networks to reduce interference.

If you are using a router you got from your Resound Networks technician, you should be up-to-date on the technology. If you have questions, talk with one of the experts at Resound Networks for router compatibility or equipment needs.

Limit Interference From Walls and Devices

Wi-Fi is quite powerful, but it can struggle to pass through thick walls, concrete, and metal surfaces. Some electrical appliances, including microwaves, baby monitors, cordless phones, and Bluetooth speakers, can also cause interference.

If you think your speeds are down due to proximity to an appliance or other impediment, try:

Changing the router channel
Using the 5 GHz band to avoid congestion
Moving or temporarily turning off certain devices when you need a signal boost the most

Use a Wi-Fi Extender or Mesh System

Wi-Fi extenders and mesh systems extend your high-speed internet coverage, but they work differently.

Wi-Fi extenders rebroadcast the original router signal. They’re easy to set up, but the rebroadcasting process can slow overall speeds.
Mesh Wi-Fi systems use a network of “nodes” to create a weblike network that extends from the main router to multiple locations throughout your home. Mesh can be more extensive than extenders, and the setup process is complex, but you get seamless roaming in return.

Extenders are best suited for areas with a small dead zone, such as an office or guest bedroom, where the signal is weak or nonexistent. Mesh systems are ideal for larger homes with large open floor plans and/or multi-level living. Resound Networks offers installation support and equipment advice to help you achieve fast, full-coverage internet.

Secure Your Network and Manage Bandwidth

Sometimes, slow internet speeds are a sign that your network isn’t as private as you thought. Protect your connection with a password and change it regularly.

You can also optimize your bandwidth by:

Limiting background data usage by delaying cloud backups and automatic updates during peak hours.
Setting device priority in your router settings to give streaming or work-from-home setups the strongest connection.
Using tools like smartphone apps, which help monitor who is using your network and how much bandwidth each user is consuming.

Get Faster, Smarter Wi-Fi With Help From Resound Networks!

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