Get a Boost! Quick tips on improving your home’s WiFi

We're willing to bet that the most important appliance or accessory in your home isn't the air conditioning, dishwasher, or even your water heater.

The single most important device in your home is likely your WiFi router! A weak WiFi signal can cramp your style really fast, especially when the latest movie you want to stream buffers incessantly or your smart home devices don’t perform the way their intended to. It’s even worse if you work from home and rely on a robust WiFi connection to stay on task.

At Zyxel, we’re here to help. We’ve put together a few of our favorite tips to make sure you have the best possible WiFi at home, and put an end to frustrating hang ups, lost connections or spotty coverage. By the way, we have some pretty sweet routers to choose from, too. 

Tip 1: Use the latest in new technology and put it in the right place

It’s an obvious one, but having the latest in 802.11ac dual-band wireless router technology is essential if you want to watch the latest episode of Netflix's Jessica Jones in stunning 4K. Zyxel has plenty to choose from, and furthermore, you want to make sure you place your shiny new router in an open, uncluttered space away from metal objects and/or heavy appliances (like refrigerators, ovens and washing machines) which may cause interference. Finally, pay attention to what frequency you're using. Most new routers come with two: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The 2.4GHz frequency has better reach than the 5GHz one, but the 5Ghz frequency has more bandwidth resulting in faster speeds. So if you're close to your router, use 5GHz, and when you're surfing the net from further away, opt for the 2.4Ghz frequency. 

Tip 2: Opt for a complete WiFi system or Powerline products

WiFi systems (like our Multy X) can turn your home into a wireless powerhouse, filling every room with superfast speeds that are consistently zippy from everywhere in the house. But if a whole new system isn’t on your wishlist, Powerline Extenders and Adapters are great option to help extend your WiFi’s reach. The cool thing is you don't need to add any ethernet cable to reach areas of your home that the router has trouble reaching. Instead, Powerline devices use your homes actual power lines to facilitate a robust network. Simply plug them in, and they go to work for you. How cool is that?

Tip 3: Always, always, always use password encryption

If you have an open wireless connection at home, your neighbors could be hogging up your bandwidth without you even knowing it. All WiFi signals are finite and the more people active on your signal at the same time, the slower things get for everyone. Keep your network secure with a strong password, and change it periodically.

Tip 4: Check with your local ISP

Sometimes, it’s not your WiFi that’s causing your snail-like internet speeds. It might actually be an issue with your internet service provider. Often, your ISP can check your connection as you talk to them on the phone, and/or can reset your connection and router for you.

Try these four tips and hopefully they make a difference in your WiFi at home.