Can you remember the last time you spent a day at home where you didn’t use your Wi-Fi? In this day and age, it’s unlikely. You could easily liken your home Wi-Fi to an appliance – as vital as your refrigerator, and just as annoying when it breaks down. The main difference, however, is that criminals can’t use your refrigerator to access your personal details or financial information. We often take for granted just how vulnerable our home Wi-Fi networks can make us, without the proper precautions.
In general, the two main things we ask of our Wi-Fi is that it’s fast and secure. The latter is especially important, considering that reports of cybercrime are at an all-time high. If you’re wondering how to increase Wi-Fi speed and security, you’ve come to the right place.
Why is Optimizing Wi-Fi Speed and Security Important?
There are lots of reasons you might want to boost your Wi-Fi speed. You might want:
- Seamless streaming of movies, shows, and video
- A reliable connection for work purposes
- Fewer lags during online gaming
Or you might just want to know you’re getting the most out of your internet provider. When it comes to security, your concerns are probably similar. Reasons to boost the protective measures surrounding your network could include:
- Protection against cybercrime, including identity theft or fraud
- Compliance with regulations, if you work from home or handle customer data
- Peace of mind when browsing the internet and sharing personal information via social media
If you’re interested in the above, let’s start with speeding things up.
How to Increase Wi-Fi Speed
There are several easy steps you can take to give your Wi-Fi speed a boost, and you don’t need to be a whizz with technology to get started.
Start with a speed test
Find out your current upload, download, and response times: this will give you a clear idea of how much your Wi-Fi speed is able to improve. Your internet provider will likely have a way for you to test your internet connection and speed with them, whether through an app or website, but feel free to seek a third-party opinion.
Optimize router placement
Where you position your Wi-Fi router in your home will have an impact on your signal.
- DO place your router in the center of your home, so that all of your rooms will have the same signal strength
- DO elevate your router, by placing it on a shelf or table
- DO keep it unobstructed e.g. a router on an open shelf will have a stronger signal than one kept in a cupboard
- DON’T put your router in the kitchen, where it runs the risk of being damaged by spillages, and appliances disrupting its signal
- DON’T place it on the floor, where signals will be absorbed into the ground
- DON’T just settle for the first location; experiment with different placements to ensure you’ve found the best one
Update router firmware
Firmware, as the name suggests, is somewhere in the middle of hardware and software – technically, it’s software embedded in hardware. It requires occasional updates, which allow it to function optimally. To update the firmware in your Wi-Fi router, check in with your router’s manufacturer – you might have to login in order to download the latest firmware updates.
Use the right band and channel
Wi-Fi operates via a few different frequency bands, within which there are various channels to choose from. The majority of routers now use dual-band technology, allowing you to make the most of both main bands (2.4-GHz and 5GHz), but it might still be beneficial to experiment with these settings, and to try switching channels. If you and your neighbors are all using the same channel, it can cause congestion, slowing down everyone’s Wi-Fi.
Optimize internet settings
Did you know that some Windows settings can needlessly slow down your Wi-Fi speed? Windows TCP settings, network settings, and bandwidth limits can adversely affect your connection speeds. One easy way to optimize all these Windows settings quickly is with iolo System Mechanic’s NetBooster feature. With a simple scan, NetBooster automatically detects which settings are slowing you down and reconfigures them for faster internet. In benchmarking tests, NetBooster has been shown to increase connection speeds by 30%. Here’s how to get it.
How to Increase Wi-Fi Security
Here are our suggestions for things you can do right now to increase your Wi-Fi network’s security.
Secure your network with strong passwords and encryption
Network encryption is possible on nearly all modern Wi-Fi routers, but it’s rarely the default setting. Encryption is the process of scrambling data to prevent it from being understood by anyone who intercepts it. It’s also a great way to protect your data. Check your Wi-Fi router’s encryption settings, and try WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2).
Disable WPS and enable firewall settings
WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is a protocol of routers that makes it easier for them to deliver signals to devices. Essentially, it’s a way of connecting to a network without needing the password – hence, why it’s something it can be beneficial to disable. It gives you more control over who can use your Wi-Fi, and greater visibility of what’s happening on your network.
When it comes to firewalls, most routers have these effective protective wards built-in, but will occasionally be shipped with them turned off. Make sure that if your router has a firewall, or, if it doesn’t, that you install a reputable firewall on your system.
Create a guest network
Setting up a guest Wi-Fi network adds another layer of protection to your privacy. By using a guest network for guests (obviously), but also for any IoT devices through which would-be hackers could hop onto your network (such as printers), you keep the network you use for important things safer. You can easily create a guest network by logging into your router’s admin settings.
Advanced Tips for Maximizing Wi-Fi Performance and Security
Once you understand the basics for how to increase Wi-Fi security and bolster your browsing speed, you can delve into the more advanced tips.
Use QoS (quality of service) features
QoS features help to manage data traffic, balancing network resources by prioritizing certain types of data over others. For example, if you want your game console to be first in line for the best of your internet connection, you can prioritize it through QoS controls. The same goes for streaming, video calls, downloads, etc.
In general, QoS controls become less necessary the more bandwidth you have. As these features can be difficult to configure, think carefully about whether or not you really want to start messing with them.
Use a VPN to boost security
A VPN (virtual private network) can be incredibly helpful in both upping your online security, and bypassing measures that can reduce the speed of your internet. A VPN can:
- Encrypt your data, making it impossible to spy on your network activity, even when using public Wi-Fi
- Ensure total privacy when browsing online by hiding your IP address, blocking annoying ads, and enabling international streaming
- Prevent ISP (internet service provider) throttling, reducing the risk of your internet slowing down during periods of high congestion
When shopping for a VPN, make sure to look for one that’s reliable and affordable.
Surf fast, surf secure
Now that you know how to increase Wi-Fi speed and security measures, hopefully you feel a little more in control of your online experiences. While it can sometimes feel like we’re at the mercy of the internet and our devices, it’s important to remember that these tools are supposed to make life easier. By mastering a few simple tricks, you can make the most of your home Wi-Fi, and ensure a speedier and safer browsing experience.
If you’ve found this blog helpful, why not take a look at more information about System Mechanic, ioloVPN, and the rest of our other security-boosting products?
