Best Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal for Free
If you are reaching the maximum speed of your internet plan but still not fast enough for you, it is best to upgrade your data plan. However, if you test your connection and see that you’re nowhere near the speeds your plan should be capable of, you don’t always have to pay for a performance boost. There are ways to boost your Wi-Fi signal for free.
Are there paid solutions for your Wi-Fi problems? Absolutely. You can throw more money at your ISP or buy a new and improved router. Of course, these methods will cost you money, so you should first see if you can speed up your digital life without spending a dime.
Move the router to an open area.
One of the best things you can do to improve your Wi-Fi performance is to take your router outside. It’s tempting to hide your router somewhere where no one can see it, because who wants to stare at a boring blinking box? But the truth is, your devices want to be free.
Your router is responsible for sending your Wi-Fi signal, and that signal is only as good as its medium; if it encounters any interference, the signal is not as effective. Interference can come from physical elements in your home, such as walls and doors, or other electronic signals from devices such as microwave ovens and cordless phones.
With this in mind, try moving your router to a location that is free from such interference. If you can lift the router, such as placing it on an open shelf, all the better. As a result, your connected devices will receive a stronger signal than if your router were hidden behind walls, doors, and microwave ovens.
Stay close to the router
Likewise, try to use your devices as close to your router as possible. There’s no need to sit right next to your router on your laptop or strap your PlayStation and router to your hip, but if you want the best Wi-Fi signal you’ll want to stay within line of sight.
Do not run multiple devices on the network at the same time
You may be used to doing a lot online at the same time, like streaming 4K shows on Netflix while playing online games with your friends while downloading the series on your iPad at the same time. All this multitasking is great, but it slows down your overall internet speed.
If you’re looking to boost Wi-Fi speed and performance for something specific, say downloading a file as quickly as possible, you don’t want other Internet-intensive tasks to run in tandem. During this time, do your best to put these other tasks on hold. If you live with other people, this may include asking friends and family politely to pause their favorite shows or stop streaming on Twitch for a short time (apologies to fans).
The old classic way to turn your router off and on again
Routers follow the same rules as all electronics: if something goes wrong, turn it off and on again. If your internet is down and you don’t know why, switching the power on your router is one way to get things back on track.
Use the best DNS
The DNS, or Domain Name System, is commonly referred to as the phone book of the Internet. When you visit a website, your device performs a DNS lookup to verify the site it is trying to access. After all, your computer needs to know the website’s IP address, not the name itself. This lookup contacts the database to see if your entry’s IP address is listed. If not, the search moves on to a larger pool of databases and the end result is sent back, allowing you to connect to the site.
If you’ve never set up the internet before, you’re probably using your ISP’s DNS, which is usually slower than it should be. Luckily, switching to a better DNS isn’t all that difficult. We have an article on setting up your device with CloudFare’s DNS service , which the company claims is faster than Google’s service. Google, for its part, would like to improve your internet speed with its DNS connection , so feel free to give that a try if CloudFare isn’t for you.
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