Most people, when having problems with the internet, start with a call to the provider or with the thought that they need to change their plan, although in a significant part of cases the cause lies inside the apartment and can be fixed for free in half an hour. Let’s figure out how to distinguish one problem from another and what to do next.

First, find out what exactly the problem is

Slow Wi-Fi and slow internet are different problems with different solutions, so the first step is to separate them. Connect the computer to the router with a cable and measure the speed, and if the wired connection is also slow, the problem is not with Wi-Fi, but with the provider’s line or the equipment itself, and then calling the provider really makes sense. If the speed by cable corresponds to the plan, but not over the wireless network, the problem is specifically with Wi-Fi, and then it is about how to localize it. The second measurement is done as follows. Conduct a speed test one meter from the router, and then in the place where the internet works poorly, since the first number shows the maximum that your equipment is capable of, while the second shows the real problem. If the speed near the router is normal, but in the far room it drops several times, this is a matter of location and obstacles. If it is slow even near the router, the problem is with the equipment itself or with the settings.

Why the signal weakens

Radio waves are absorbed by materials, and different frequencies suffer from this differently, which determines all the further logic. A signal at a frequency of 2.4 gigahertz passes through drywall with almost no losses, but one concrete wall takes away a significant part of its power. A signal at a frequency of 5 gigahertz loses significantly more through the same concrete wall, and according to estimates, the losses can reach forty-five decibels, which in practice means almost complete attenuation. According to approximate data, each ordinary wall reduces the signal power at five gigahertz by approximately one third, while a concrete or brick wall takes away more than half. Mirrors and energy-saving windows with a metallized coating work as reflectors and almost completely block the signal, which is usually not considered when arranging furniture. Because of this, a router that stands in a corner room behind two concrete walls is physically unable to properly serve the opposite corner of the apartment, and no settings will change this.

Two frequencies and why you need to know this

Modern routers work simultaneously on several bands, and understanding the difference between them solves most everyday problems. The 2.4 gigahertz band gives a larger radius and passes through walls better, but it is slower and heavily overloaded, since the networks of all neighbors work on it, as well as microwave ovens, baby monitors, wireless phones, and Bluetooth devices. In an apartment building, the real speed on this band reaches approximately one hundred megabits, no matter how much is specified in the plan. The 5 gigahertz band provides a significantly higher speed, usually in the range from four hundred to nine hundred megabits, and has much less interference, but it passes through obstacles worse and has a smaller range. The 6 gigahertz band is the newest and fastest, at the same time with the smallest range, and not all devices support it yet.

The practical conclusion sounds like this. Devices that are close to the router and need speed, that is, a TV, computer, and game console, should be connected to five gigahertz, while what works far away and does not need high speed should be left on 2.4 gigahertz.

Router placement

This is the cheapest way to improve the situation, and at the same time the one that is ignored most often, since the router is usually placed where the provider’s cable entered. The right place is approximately in the center of the apartment, at a height of about one meter or higher, in an open space without cabinets and shelves around it. The wrong places are the floor, a closed cabinet, a niche behind the TV, a corner of the apartment, and immediate proximity to a microwave oven, refrigerator, or large mirror. In a two-story house, the router should be placed at the middle level, since the signal spreads in all directions, and its position on the upper floor means that half of the power goes into the sky. If the provider’s cable enters in an inconvenient place, extending it is usually cheaper and simpler than dealing with the consequences of poor placement.

Channels and why this is important in a high-rise building

In dense development, dozens of neighboring networks operate on the same frequencies, and if your router ends up on the same channel as a neighboring one, the speed drops several times because of collisions. On the 2.4 gigahertz band, only three channels do not overlap with each other, namely the first, sixth, and eleventh, and you should choose specifically from these, looking at which of the three is the least occupied in your building. You can check the channel load using free analyzer applications, among which there is WiFi Analyzer for Android and built-in wireless diagnostics on macOS. On the 5 gigahertz band, there are significantly more free channels, so automatic selection usually works normally, and if you want to set it manually, you should start with channels in the range from thirty-sixth to forty-eighth. Channel width also matters, and for 2.4 gigahertz, twenty megahertz works more stably, while at five gigahertz, forty megahertz gives a reasonable compromise between speed and stability.

What else is worth doing with the router

Restarting really helps, since over time connection tables accumulate in the memory and the router begins to work worse, and it should be done correctly, that is, disconnect the power for at least a minute and let the device fully load after turning it on. If restarting helps every time, but the effect disappears after a few days, this is a sign that the router cannot cope with the existing load. Firmware updates fix errors and close vulnerabilities, and it is worth checking for them several times a year or enabling automatic updates if the model supports this. Routers provided by the provider for free together with the connection are often the weakest link, since they are chosen based on price, rather than specifications.

When the problem is with the equipment

A router released before 2018 mostly does not support modern communication standards, and even under ideal conditions it will limit a gigabit connection to approximately one hundred megabits. The general rule is that an inexpensive modern router works better than a flagship model from six or seven years ago, so updating the equipment makes sense approximately once every five years. At the same time, buying a new router should be at the end of the list of actions, not at the beginning, since in many cases the problem is solved by rearranging the router and changing the channel.

How to cover a large area

For an apartment or house where one router physically does not reach all rooms, there are several solutions with different levels of effectiveness. A wired connection remains the best option for stationary devices, and a cable laid to the far room solves the problem completely, without compromises in speed. Mesh systems consist of several devices that form a single network with automatic switching between them, and this is the most convenient wireless solution for a large area, although also the most expensive. Ordinary signal boosters are cheap, but they work as repeaters and usually reduce the speed by half on devices connected to them, so they are suitable only where coverage itself is needed, rather than speed.

About realistic expectations

Some of the complaints about slow Wi-Fi come not from technical problems, but from the expectation that a gigabit plan will give a gigabit at every point of the apartment. Physics does not allow this, and even in a properly configured network, the speed at 2.4 gigahertz in a high-rise building will be within hundreds of megabits, while at five gigahertz in the neighboring room it will be several hundred megabits instead of the stated one thousand. If your figures fall within these limits, the network is working as it should, and further acceleration is possible only through a wired connection or by reducing the distance to the router. It is also worth remembering that the stated plan speed is the maximum for a wired connection, not a guaranteed speed for every wireless device.

Separately about operation during power outages

A router consumes approximately from ten to twenty watts, so even a small power bank with the appropriate output is capable of keeping the home network running for many hours. The connection technology also matters, since with xPON the provider’s intermediate equipment can operate without power on your side, and if the router is charged, the internet remains available. It is worth finding out your technology in advance by contacting the provider. More about communication during prolonged outages I wrote in a separate article.