In today’s digital world, a powerful and dependable Wi-Fi connection is no more a luxury, but rather a necessity, particularly when streaming your favorite shows, movies, or music. With the rise of streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify, everyone wants a seamless online experience. This post will walk you through the fundamentals of Wi-Fi and streaming, common difficulties that effect your experience, and practical strategies to upgrade your home Wi-Fi for a better streaming experience.
Even if you have gigabyte fiber mainlined into your router, everyone could use help getting faster internet around the house. It doesn’t matter if you have the best possible wires outside your house—eliminating subpar speeds and Wi-Fi dead zones is largely up to you. Here are some ways to troubleshoot and, hopefully, improve the quality of the Wi-Fi inside and outside your place.
1. Move Your Router
That router in the closet? Not a good idea. Walls, cupboards, and even bookshelves can potentially dampen your Wi-Fi signal. Physically moving the router can make a real difference to the speeds you get and how far its wireless transmissions can reach. The perfect spot will depend on your home, but try not to hide your router in a corner, under a cupboard, or inside a drawer—the more central and prominent it is, the better.
You might need to apply some creative cabling to get your router in a better place, but it’s going to be worth the effort. The goal is to get your main devices—consoles, laptops, and so on—as close as possible to your router. Devices that don’t need quite so much bandwidth, like smart thermostats, don’t have to be a priority in terms of physical proximity.
For this reason, it’s worth considering the look of your router when purchasing. If you buy a router you consider hideous, you’re much more likely to put it in a closet. Figure out the best spot given the location of your high-priority devices, then consider what’s going to look good to you in that spot. If you don’t have a flat surface near the best spot, you can mount your router halfway up a wall. If possible, keep it away from other devices that use electromagnetic waves; that includes baby monitors, wireless keyboards, and microwaves.
2. Use an Ethernet Cable
It’s easy to forget that wires are still around! We don’t, as the name implies, although it’s worth noting that you don’t require Wi-Fi. A wired connection to your router is faster and more reliable than Wi-Fi, and it is unaffected by other gadgets or huge fish tanks. The disadvantage is that it limits the location of your devices and makes them less convenient.
Still, for technology that requires the quickest possible internet connection—a gaming console, desktop PC, or streaming box, for example—running a wire is frequently well worth the effort. The router will have a few Ethernet connections available, so all you need is a cable.
To keep things tidy and avoid having cords trailing over the floor, you’ll need to use some cable management. Small brackets like these ($9 for a pack of 40) secure the Ethernet cable to the walls. If you have multiple wires running in the same direction, these wall mounts ($13 for a box of 50) are ideal. For one or two gadgets, the additional setup may be worthwhile.
3. Change the Channel or Band
Wi-Fi signal is divided into channels. Your router uses a particular Wi-Fi channel to communicate with the devices around your home. If you have close neighbors who have routers using the same Wi-Fi channel, then everything can get congested quickly. Switching channels can solve this problem.
Every router will handle this differently. Check its documentation or look up the instructions online if you’re not sure, but you should be able to find the option somewhere in the device settings. Channels 1, 6, and 11 are the ones to try, as they’ll have the least interference when multiple devices get hooked up.
Most routers now use dual-band technology, broadcasting at the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz frequencies. If your router settings allow you, you might be able to prioritize one or the other for certain devices—the 5-GHz band will get you a faster connection to the internet, though it has a shorter range than 2.4 GHz. We suggest leaving both frequencies enabled since older devices will often work only on 2.4 GHz.
4. Upgrade Your Router
Router functionality and pricing vary substantially. If you have dead or slow zones in your home, you should probably adjust where and how far your Wi-Fi broadcasts. If you have a large home, you’re probably better off with a router that can connect to “repeaters” that broadcast signals to the far corners of your area. Smaller homes and flats may usually get away with a smaller setup.
5. Understanding the Wi-Fi Number Soup
Wi-Fi 6 has just made it into most of the devices and routers we’ve been testing over the past few years, and already Wi-Fi 7 is waiting in the wings. Then there’s Wi-Fi 6E. What does it all mean and which should you get? The short story is, at this point, if you can afford it, go for it. Wi-Fi 7, the successor to Wi-Fi 6E, boasts faster connections for more devices and that’s going to mean faster internet overall.
Wi-Fi 7 will help deliver high-quality video and better cloud gaming, and it will help with AR and VR applications that require high throughput and low latency, both of which Wi-Fi 7 improves.
6. Get a Wi-Fi Extender
If messing around with your router settings seems too daunting, and you have a few dollars to spare, invest in a Wi-Fi extender or repeater. These devices plug into a spare wall socket, connect to the wireless internet getting beamed out by your router, and extend it.
Read Also: The Top Mesh Wi-fi Systems for Budget-conscious Buyers
They’re (usually) simple to set up, easy to use, and can instantly get rid of Wi-Fi dead zones in your house. The extended or repeated wireless signals won’t be as strong as the ones coming straight from your router, so, again, positioning is important. Try to use these devices to connect gadgets that don’t need a huge amount of bandwidth.
You’ve got plenty of options: Take a look at the Linksys AC1900 ($99, Amazon) or the Netgear EX7300 ($88, Amazon). Make sure the maximum supported Wi-Fi standard (e.g., 802.11ac) matches that of your router so you get as speedy a connection as possible.
7. Use Your Electrical Wiring
Power line kits are an alternative to extenders. Digital signals can pass via electrical wiring, and power line devices are intended to take advantage of this. Several vendors produce power line networking kits, including Netgear ($120 on Amazon) and TP-Link ($60 on Amazon).
It works like this: you attach a power line plug to your router and then plug it into a wall outlet. Add another power line outlet in any other room of your home to provide a wired or wireless connection. There will be some reduction in speed, but it is a simple and effective solution. Unless your home is particularly old, it should have electrical wiring that supports this, but it’s best to buy your kit from a retailer with a robust return policy just in case.
8. Add a Password to Your Wi-Fi
We probably don’t have to tell you this, but you need a password on your Wi-Fi network. It’s good for keeping hackers away and keeping neighbors from Netflixing off of your bandwidth, which will slow you down. Make sure you use AES encryption, which is both the most secure and most speed-friendly security option.
9. Cut Off Unused Devices
Having dozens of things tapping into the Wi-Fi at once can be problematic. Plug anything you can into Ethernet, and unplug anything you have connected but don’t need (like that “smart” tea kettle you never once got to work). Make sure only the things that need internet get internet.
Good routers (all of the routers listed above, for example) offer controls to prioritize a particular device or service. It’s a handy way to make sure your games never get interrupted by someone else streaming videos on Facebook.
10. Check Your PC
This tip is specific to computers: If the internet on your PC or laptop is perpetually slow but other devices seem fine, open your Task Manager or Activity Monitor and see which programs are running in the background. Certain programs could be set to auto-update that don’t need to be. If they’re always updating in the background, that could be the cause of your slow internet. Check it out and adjust the settings.
11. Restart Your Router?
We’ve read this tip many times on the web, but we were skeptical. Restarting your router regularly sounds like an extension of the age-old pseudo-solution to everything digital: Reboot it. Yes, we know restarting your router can sometimes fix dead internet, but we asked router maker Netgear: Does regularly rebooting your router help speed things up? The short answer is, probably not.
Sandeep Harpalani, vice president of product management at Netgear, says the company does not recommend rebooting its routers “unless you actually encounter issues with connectivity or slowdowns due to radio frequency interference.” He adds that if you’re still using 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi and you’re having speed troubles, rebooting might help, since it will force the router to choose the best channel with the least interference during boot-up. If you’ve made the jump to 5 GHz, it will automatically switch to the channel with the least amount of interference.
Either way, there’s no reason to reboot regularly. If you are having persistent problems, then it may be worth restarting your router, but for the most part, stick with our other tips.
12. Call Your ISP
If you’ve tried it all and still have problems, you can always contact your internet service provider. They may send a service technician out, who might be able to pinpoint an overlooked issue that is getting in the way of you and fast Wi-Fi.
Common Issues Affecting Home Wi-Fi and Streaming
Slow Internet Speed
One of the most common issues that can affect your streaming experience is slow internet speed. This can result in buffering, poor video quality, and frequent interruptions. Internet speed can be affected by various factors, including your internet service provider (ISP), your internet plan, and network congestion.
Wi-Fi Interference
Wi-Fi interference, caused by various factors such as other electronic devices or physical obstructions, can significantly impact your Wi-Fi signal strength and quality. Common sources of interference include walls, microwaves, cordless phones, and even your neighbors’ Wi-Fi networks.
Device Overload
When too many devices are connected to your Wi-Fi network, it can cause a strain on the network, leading to slower speeds and a less-than-optimal streaming experience. Each device connected to your Wi-Fi uses bandwidth, and the more devices connected, the less bandwidth there is to go around.
How to Improve Your Home Wi-Fi for a Better Streaming Experience
Upgrading Your Internet Plan
If you’re consistently experiencing slow speeds, it might be time to consider upgrading your internet plan. Most ISPs offer a variety of plans with different speeds and bandwidth limits. Choose a plan that suits your streaming needs.
Positioning Your Router Correctly
The position of your router in your home can significantly impact the strength and reliability of your Wi-Fi signal. For the best signal, place your router in a central location, away from physical obstructions and other electronic devices.
Using Wi-Fi Extenders or Mesh Systems
If your home is large or has multiple floors, using Wi-Fi extenders or a mesh system can help ensure a strong signal throughout your home. These devices work by amplifying your Wi-Fi signal and rebroadcasting it, extending the range of your Wi-Fi network.
Reducing Wi-Fi Interference
There are several steps you can take to reduce Wi-Fi interference and improve your Wi-Fi signal strength and quality. These include changing your Wi-Fi channel, using a dual-band router, and keeping your router away from other electronic devices.
Managing Connected Devices
Effectively managing the devices connected to your Wi-Fi network can help prevent device overload and ensure a better streaming experience. Consider disconnecting devices that are not in use and using wired connections for devices that require a lot of bandwidth, like game consoles and smart TVs.
