How to Speed Up Wi-Fi

Nov 26, 2012

If you experiencing a slow wi-fi speed of your wireless internet then you are going to learn how to improve your wifi speed starting right now by following our easy tips.

How to speed up Wi-Fi

To improve wifi speed, we first need to understand how it actually works. Wi-Fi is also called wireless local are network or shortly WLAN.

Wi-Fi uses a group of frequencies clustered around 2.4GHz to transmit/receive data between one or more computers simultaneously.

To ensure that data actually gets through, it uses a specialized protocol called 802.11. That means if any network within range use the same exact frequency of 2.4GHz, the various devices would swamp each other’s signals.

802.11 Protocols

The original version of the standard 802.11 was released in 1997, but today is obsolete. Here are protocol transfer rates and versions by years:

Name
Date
Freq. (GHz)
Transfer Rate
(Mbit/sec)
802.11a 1999
5 and 3.7
up to 54
802.11b 1999
2.4
up to 11
802.11g 2003
2.4
up to 54
802.11n 2009
2.4 and 5
up to 150
802.11ad 2011
2.4
up to 7000

Wi-Fi connection is constantly improved. You can see that the newest ad version of this protocol can transfer up to 7000 Mbit/s. However, the most used version is N and G.

Check your current speed

The first thing you should do is to measure your current performance. The easiest way to do this is through the online broadband speed testing service.

There are many available services on the internet, but I would recommend you to go with this speed test service.
SpeedTest Service
SpeedTest.net is probably the most accurate online speed checker with hundreds of mirrors around the globe.
To ensure your measurement is most accurate, turn off all internet dependent apps like your torrent clients, download managers, system updates...

How to Speed up wifi

If you experience slow wi-fi on your computer. Then you should consider using these smart tips below in order to increase wifi speed:

Re-position your wireless router

The walls in your house or other large objects may result in slow wireless internet connection. The best thing is to setup your router somewhere in the central part of your house or office in order to get better signal.

Always use the best possible protocol

Make sure to have the best protocols enabled for your wireless router. Most modern routers will support Wireless N protocol, which is one of the fastest protocols available.

If your router support this protocol then make sure it is always turned on.

Test with different channels

Your wireless router may be sharing a channel with other devices in your own home or even in the neighborhood. Cordless phones often cause problems when they share the same channel.
inssider
The most advanced Wi-Fi tool for Windows and Mac.
Using tools like inSSIDer, you will be able to monitor channel use in your wireless region and help you choose the best (less popular) channels.
inSSIDer is working under Windows and Mac OS X. Use Kismet for Linux as an alternative!

Update your firmware and drivers

Another tip that can speed up wifi is to update your router’s firmware or network drivers. These updates are often offered on the router manufacturer’s website for free.
Make sure to download the firmware for your exact hardware model! This info is often found on a sticker on the bottom of the hardware unit.
When downloading and upgrading to a new firmware, download the newest manual which can tell you about new features and fixes from that update.

Get a new aerial

The signal on Wi-Fi base stations is transmitted with equal strength in a doughnut shape perpendicular to the aerial.

The antenna that came with your base station usually has a power transmission rating of about 2dBi. The higher this number is, the more efficient the aerial is at transmitting the power passed through it. Prices start at around $15.

WiFi Security

This is probably the most important step for you. Not only for your wifi speed but for your security.
If your wireless connection is not secure it means that all your neighbors will be able to access it from their own computers!
Sharing your connection with others may highly affect your internet speed. All users connected to your network consume your bandwidth and internet resources.

It is highly important to set up the WPA or WPA2 encryption to protect your wireless network with strong password that only you (and people you want) know.

All these tips mentioned above should help you speed up WiFi

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