Logic dictates that you can't get more speed out of nothing. Any increase must follow a series of optimal parameters, and WiFi is no exception. As we've said in the past, combining those parameters to achieve good optimization blends a bit of art with science. The list of tricks to make WiFi faster is extensive, and it's never a bad idea to review it completely before thinking about a hardware change.
I don't think I'm wrong in imagining the relationship between the average user and WiFi as love-hate. The whole process is equivalent to a real honeymoon, until one of the parties falls short on the commitment, and chaos ensues. At first glance, WiFi should be simple: a cable with signal, a modem/router combo (or a modem "and" separate WiFi router), some configuration settings, and that's it... but is it really "everything"? Obviously, the answer is no
How to Make Your WiFi Faster
One of the most frequent and recurring problems is that the minds behind your wireless router don't know what your home is like. In the ideal world of these engineers, you live in a single room, you can move and install cables in all directions, and the router will be located just above your head in the exact center of the room. Unfortunately, things don't work that way.
Location, Location, Location
I understand, I've been in that position. It's irritating to talk about a good location again, but that doesn't make it any less fundamental. A poorly placed wireless router wastes everything it has to offer. Instead of carrying its signal to your devices, it has to fight with walls, doors, metallic objects, and the floor itself. No one expects you to remodel half your house to move the router, but just taking it out of the closet and placing it 50-100 cm from the floor should be enough to notice the difference.
No Competition Needed
It might seem like a capitalist's dream, but the phrase fits the current situation of wireless routers very well. Besides dealing with the signal of other nearby networks (and adjusting the channel accordingly), the router shows no interest in sitting on top of a TV, next to an audio system, next to the fish tank (yes, really) or in the kitchen half a meter from the microwave. The more solitary the router's position, the better the quality of its signal and connection speed.
What About the Antennas?
What's appropriate, nothing more and nothing less. The web offers all kinds of tricks to expand signal range, and while they often work quite well, it's necessary to recognize that we sacrifice directionality in exchange for intensity. Most imagine the WiFi signal as a sphere, but it's actually more precise to visualize it as a giant donut. To this we must add the detail of polarization; therefore, authoritative minds on the subject recommend placing one antenna horizontally and the other vertically, in an attempt to maximize performance. If your router has a single antenna, try both positions and see if there are changes. If it has more than two, it's likely that the manual contains precise information on how to place them. And if the router uses internal antennas, keep it horizontal, "on its feet".
Signals and Thieves
All the previous steps must be accompanied by constant signal measurement. In our previous guide we mentioned several tools, with special emphasis on WiFi Analyzer, ideal for use on Android devices. We're basically dealing with a game of percentages. No matter how small, we should always record an improvement; otherwise, we have to go back and change what we did. But nothing, absolutely nothing we've said so far makes sense if WiFi is not secured properly. The excuse of "leaving the network open because nothing works" expired a long time ago, and WEP security can be cracked in less than two minutes. Protect your wireless network. It's not optional.
After exhausting these possibilities and having looked for new firmware (assuming it's available), if the speed, stability, and overall quality of your WiFi don't improve, you should start suspecting the router itself. By this I don't mean it's faulty, but rather that the hardware might not be up to the task. Whenever possible, our recommendation points to "dual-band" routers, so compatible devices can jump on the 5 GHz train and avoid the whole debacle of the lower band. That said, good luck!
