Reasons for slow Wi-Fi speed and common solutions

The first set of 801.11AC chips is coming, but 802.11n may still exist for many years, whether it is for business or home use. However, the N standard commitment of 300Mbps (megabits per second) is rarely implemented, and it has proven to be a huge bottleneck for 50/100mbps broadband connections, 1080p video streaming, and large scale backups. On the enterprise side, some trivial work (such as Remote Desktop or real-time collaboration) is affected by poor Wi-Fi connectivity.

In our tests, we often see the result that a device that is only a few meters apart (only one wall in the middle) can drop to only 2-15mbps, and here is the problem you will encounter:

1.0.5-2 Mbps: For this speed, you can handle all the basic chat and mail services, but it is slower to load some content-rich sites.

2.4-5 Mbps: Enough to handle all Web sites and basic video streams

3.20+ Mbps: This is the minimum speed required for HD streaming. A typical 720p itunes TV show is 2-6mbps, and your router needs to be compensated for other connected clients and buffers.

4.50+ Mbps: can support 1080p movie and aerial backup.

If you hate this slow Wi-Fi speed, but don't want to go back to Ethernet, we offer you some tricks to improve speed.

1. Check your router's ecological settings

Some routers are set to "save Power" mode by default, with the goal of saving a few watts of electricity. However, this commendable approach will reduce bandwidth accordingly. Although I trust the Linksys WRT610N router is not set up for this unnecessary power-saving mode, I am tuned to the power-saving mode to see how this affects bandwidth.

If you value bandwidth more than a few watts, check the router settings, find the options known as "launch power" or various eco-modes, and turn them off. Also, check that your router has some "automatic" transmission settings turned on and you should turn it off.

2. Overcoming Physical laws

Sometimes the laws of physics can also affect wireless bandwidth and signal strength. First, the distance between your router and your wireless adapter affects the speed of your network more than you think. Here's the rule of thumb: as long as the distance between the router and the client increases by one fold, the throughput drops to One-third of the original value. Wireless repeaters (which can cost between 20-100 dollars) will significantly increase your signal strength.

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In addition to distance, other wireless signal killers include objects and elements that affect throughput, namely water and metals. Water will stop the 2.42GHz signal, so you'd better have all the objects in your home or office containing any form of liquid (this includes radiators and pots, this is no joke!) Take. Also, make sure that there is no metal between the router and the client, such as metal furniture, metal plates, high-tech equipment, etc.

Keep in mind that a smooth and shiny surface will reflect the signal and thus affect the signal strength.

3. Upgrade your router's antenna

Packet loss and weaker throughput are usually caused by poor antenna design. The good news is that you can use a more powerful antenna instead of a built-in antenna in the router. This is a bit of a hassle, but it can make you feel the difference between a slow connection and a fast connection to a router.

Depending on your setup, you can choose omnidirectional antennas or directional antennas (if most of the equipment that requires good throughput is in one room).

4. Find the best place to place the router

Using wireless thermal imaging tools to measure distance, frequency changes, and the impact of building structures on signal strength, there are two recommended tools for Netspot (for Mac) and Heatmapper (for Windows), both of which can help you track your office or home wireless coverage. In our tests, we'll show you how Netspot works: After installing the software, enter a new name in "Site Survey" and click "Blank map". You can also choose a floor plan for your home or office to get a more accurate map. If you want to be more creative, I suggest you choose the "Draw map" feature and start drawing your own floor plan. Next, determine the exact distance between the two locations, click "Let's Get Started", then go to a point and click on your current location on the floor map:

Obviously, the more points you scan, the more accurate your wireless thermal map is. After completing these steps, you will get a map showing the signal strength, while showing the throughput of the wireless network.

5. Different CPU frequencies and their effects on wireless signals

Your computer's motherboard is also operating in the "GHz" spectrum, which is detected by a built-in wireless transmitter. Unfortunately, the higher the noise, the more likely your wireless router will automatically reduce the bandwidth (by reducing the link speed and avoiding frequency interference). Because the current CPU frequency is dynamic, the wireless adapter needs to constantly adapt to the link rate, which will not only cause a change in Mbps, but may also result in a disconnected connection. Especially on laptops, wireless adapters are usually built into the memory and CPU bus, which is the main source of the problem.

Of course, it all depends on the design of your wireless adapter, but if the symptoms are the problem you are facing, you may need to configure an external adapter to solve the problem. Some adapters, such as the Linksys adapter, have a bracket that is connected through a longer USB cable, and it is helpful to pull the distance between the wireless adapter and the CPU noise in this way. Of course, when you are outside the office, this method is not very convenient, but when used at home, this is a feasible way. Typical wireless adapters, such as Linksys ae2500,802.11n dual-frequency, or MSI US310EX are all very useful.

6. Firmware or driver issues

A simple but often forgotten suggestion is to make sure your router firmware is the latest version, especially if you buy a new router. With the first few firmware updates, the expected bandwidth, feature set, and flare will be upgraded. (My Linksys can only be updated to provide full bandwidth to the living room).

Also, make sure that the wireless adapter, whether external or built-in, always keeps the latest version. After upgrading to the next version of the adapter driver, the standby issue, low performance issues will be resolved. Although drivers delivered through Windows Update have become better in recent years, they rarely provide you with the latest and best drivers. You can do this:

The first place to view updates is the manufacturer's support page. But if their driver domain is not well maintained, you can go to the chipset manufacturer's website. We often see the wireless adapter's chipset being acquired and then adopt the new brand name. For example, our Linksys WUSB 600N adapter uses the RT2870 chipset produced by Taiwan manufacturer Ralink. So it's a smart way to go directly to the chipset manufacturer's website to find an update.

Check their support/download page, enter your email address, and then get the driver.

To find out what chipset you are using, you can check the specification sheet for the wireless adapter.

7. Choose the right Channel

When your router is set up, it automatically detects the least congested channel and then sets it as the default channel. However, with the advent of new neighbors or offices, this may change quickly: Suddenly, a channel is occupied by many routers, while the other channels are not used. Inssider can help you solve this problem: The tool will analyze the entire wireless spectrum, and then provide you with the details of your home network already in channel usage.

I was surprised to find that I was sharing Channel 1 with four other routers. This is not the ideal situation. Because Channel 9 was not used, I used this channel instead, which helped me significantly improve latency and throughput.

8. Use your router's 5GHZ network

2.4GHz frequency is very crowded, not only because the neighbor uses the same frequency, but also has the baby monitor, the cordless telephone, the microwave oven and so on. Modern 802.11n routers offer "dual frequency", which means they send two network signals: one at 2.4GHz, one in 5GHz, this is not crowded and offers more channels. So why don't we skip to 5GHz and enjoy a less crowded and faster wireless frequency? Unfortunately, many device manufacturers believe that the cost of wireless chips should be saved, Instead of a 2.4GHz receiver, this includes all portable gaming consoles, as well as many Android phones, all Apple iOS devices and Windows Phone. My advice is to activate both networks and connect mobile devices to 2.4GHz networks. Enable the 5GHz network for your laptop and desktop computers.

9. Limit the frequency band of your router

Sometimes you can't choose 5GHz bands or choose a "not congested" channel, in which case you can limit your router to sending signals at 20MHz intervals, although this may reduce overall throughput, but it will give you a stronger signal.

10. Test Connection condition

There are many wireless monitoring tools that can measure the solutions we have given. However, one of the most accurate tools is Iperf, which has a client on the laptop or PC you want to measure, and then a server tool on your PC that connects directly to the router. After you have deployed the analyzer at both ends, you will know your wireless speed.

My advice: in your home or office, test the wireless speed of different locations for routers and clients, and the aggressively image will point you to the best location.