Before spending money on extra hardware, work through this list. Most homes see a significant improvement from changes that cost nothing at all.
The steps are ordered by how much difference they typically make.
1. Move the router
Placement outweighs every other factor. If your router is in a cupboard in the corner of the house, no amount of configuration will rescue it.
- Central, not peripheral. Signal spreads in all directions, so a corner position wastes most of it outside.
- High, not low. Chest height or above. Floor level is the worst position in any room.
- Open, not enclosed. Out of cupboards, cabinets and drawers.
- Away from metal, water and other electronics. Fridges, geysers, mirrors, aquariums and microwaves all interfere.
- Antennas at right angles. If your router has external antennas, one vertical and one horizontal covers more device orientations.
Stand in your worst room with your phone and note the signal bars and a speed test result. Move the router, wait a minute, and test again from the same spot. Two or three attempts will usually find a clearly better position.
2. Use the right frequency band
Most routers broadcast 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz simultaneously. They behave very differently.
| 2.4 GHz | 5 GHz | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Slower | Much faster |
| Range | Longer | Shorter |
| Through walls | Better | Worse |
| Congestion | Very crowded | Much clearer |
| Best for | Distant devices, smart-home gear | TVs, laptops, phones nearby |
If both bands share one network name, most modern devices choose sensibly — though some cling stubbornly to 2.4 GHz. If they appear as separate names, connect nearby devices to the 5 GHz one manually.
3. Change your Wi-Fi channel
In a dense neighbourhood, your router competes with your neighbours’ for the same airspace. Symptoms: fine in the morning, poor in the evening.
- Log in to your router. Type the router’s address into a browser — usually printed on the label along with the admin username and password.
- Find the wireless settings. Often under “Wireless”, “WLAN” or “Wi-Fi”.
- For 2.4 GHz, choose channel 1, 6 or 11. These three don’t overlap. Any other channel interferes with two of them.
- For 5 GHz, leave it on auto unless you have a specific reason — there are far more channels and much less contention.
- Save and test. Devices will briefly disconnect and rejoin. Try each of the three channels and keep whichever performs best.
4. Reduce the load
- Every connected device consumes airtime, even when idle. Thirty devices on one home router is a lot to ask.
- Remove old phones, tablets and devices you no longer use from the network.
- Older devices can slow the whole network, because the router waits for them.
- Move stationary devices — desktop computers, TVs, consoles, printers — onto Ethernet cables where you can. Every device you take off Wi-Fi leaves more for the rest.
5. Basic housekeeping
- Restart the router every month or two. Clears accumulated issues.
- Keep it ventilated. Overheating routers throttle themselves and fail early.
- Check for firmware updates if you use your own router. Routers we supply are managed by us.
- Secure the network. If neighbours are on your Wi-Fi, they’re using your bandwidth. Change the password — see how.
6. When the router simply can’t reach
There is a limit to what one router can cover. In a large home, a double-storey house or a building with thick walls, extra hardware is the only real answer. See extending your Wi-Fi coverage for the options and which is genuinely worth having.
We also supply and install mesh systems and cabled access points — ask us for a quote.