Just bought your first router? Upgrade the old to the new? Take these important steps to ensure correct settings.
There are many good reasons to upgrade a router. You will gain many potential benefits: faster speed, improved scope, and new features. It will also ensure maximum compatibility with the latest devices.
But to fully utilize it, you also need to set it up appropriately. This is not difficult – adjust the hardware, adjust some settings – but the results are worth it. Here are the things you need to do when changing the router.
Find a suitable location
The first and most important thing to do when setting up a new router is to find the best location for it. You can subscribe to the fastest internet provider and use the latest and most powerful hardware, but if you put the router in the wrong place, all of this is in vain.
The radio waves used by wireless routers will be weakened (or even blocked) by obstacles such as brick walls, and the farther they propagate, the weaker the radio waves will become. The weaker the signal, the slower the connection speed.
There are several golden rules for router placement:
Place it near the center of your home.
Don't put it on the floor, preferably on a desk, table, or shelf.
Don't lean it against the wall, it will absorb the signal.
Do not place it near other devices that transmit radio frequencies, such as microwave ovens or cordless telephone.
Adjust the antenna
How do you know if you need a new router? One sign is the sustained slow speed. The latest routers support updated specifications and improved antenna design to improve efficiency.
If your router has an internal antenna, you should place it anywhere in its design. Don't put a vertical router aside just because it's more suitable to be placed on a shelf.
If your router has external antennas, you should ensure that they are pointing in the correct direction to optimize range and performance. Most of us naturally place the antenna facing upwards, but former Apple Wi Fi engineer Alf Watt suggests placing the antenna vertically (i.e. one facing upwards and the other facing outwards).
This is obviously because when the transmitting and receiving antennas are both on the same plane, the radio reception effect will be better – some devices may have antennas placed horizontally.
