6 tips to improve your internet connection and boost your Wi-Fi signal

Before you give up on having the fast Wi-Fi you've always wanted, try these simple tips and tricks for boosting your home Wi-Fi.

1)      Update your security to prevent bandwidth leeches.

It is especially important to keep your home Wi-Fi network secure from intruders if your home is automated. Every connected device consumes bandwidth, and the more external devices that connect to your network, the less likely it is that your automated home devices will receive the bandwidth they require. Furthermore, failing to keep your network secure may give strangers far too much power.

2)      Place your wireless router in the center of your home.

Placing your router in the center of your network can help you maximize where your signals travel.

3)      One Wi-Fi antenna should be angled upward, while the other should be angled to the side.

Wi-Fi signals spread perpendicular to your router, but they weaken when traveling at an angle through walls. Antennas are not always included with Wi-Fi routers, such as all-in-one modems and router gateways. If your router has antennas, you can angle them to help your Wi-Fi signal travel straight through walls while maintaining signal strength.

Boost your Wi-Fi signal by angling one antenna vertically so that Wi-Fi signals travel directly through walls. Turn the other antenna horizontal so that Wi-Fi signals can travel up and down the ceiling to other floors.

4)      Select a new Wi-Fi channel.

To increase internet speeds, try switching your router from a standard 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel to a 5 GHz channel. As a result, there should be more bandwidth and less interference. Both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies have multiple internet transmission channels, but the 2.4 GHz frequency has 14 overlapping channels and the 5 GHz frequency has 23 non-overlapping channels.

5)      Reboot your router.

Resetting your router may appear simple, but it can sometimes improve internet speed. Restarting your computer can solve previously unknown computer problems, and rebooting your wireless router can solve internet connection problems and increase your speeds.

6)      Purchase a more recent, high-end router.

Your aging router could be the biggest bottleneck in your home's Wi-Fi connection.A new router may also offer enhanced home security features and be compatible with a wider range of devices. Additional security and compatibility benefit homeowners who want to automate their homes or secure their network.